Colleagues,
Our beautiful Saunter last Saturday took us through some extraordinary habitat. We have hiked Badger Ridge many times, but the soft quality of light and the colors of solstice greens (so many shades and hues; how could we settle for calling them all “green?”) took us to a new place entirely. Every morning brings new light, new rhythms, and a different world from the day before.

Our vantage on that ridge gave us leaves from all sides. Bur oaks from below and from above are not the same tree; the myriad creatures that live on, in, and around them stake their lives on that. How poor we are for knowing them only by sight!

I have enjoyed our Saunters and look forward to the next. Some of us will attend the Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna Fire Science Consortium seminar on the 28th, so we won’t have a Saunter this week. But we will gather at 0730 on Saturday, July 5th to saunter forth once again. And we will continue on Saturday mornings at Hitchcock Nature Center through July.

If you haven’t joined us a Saunter or are wondering how one saunters, read the previous posts on this site and more importantly, read Walking by Henry David Thoreau.

As always, please let me know in advance if you plan to join us.

Happy summer. Check for ticks.
Jack