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A small red wasp pokes among the leafy jungle, stopping now and again to survey the air with her long, sensitive antennae.  After several minutes she finds her target, a large green caterpillar and she comes down on it from above and behind.  The attack is instant, but not yet fatal for she is not looking for a meal for herself.  In a brief moment of contact she lays a small white dot on the caterpillar. An egg. This egg will hatch into a steely jawed larvae which will consume the caterpillar from outside to inside, leaving the critical internal organs for the last meal.

Laying your eggs on somebody else’s children must be a very successful strategy since more than 70,000 species of insects, mostly in the bee and wasp order,  employ some variation of it. These parasitic wasps come in all manner of sizes, from the 3 inch long Giant Ichneumon wasps with their huge stinger-like ovipositors, to microscopic forms that parasitize the tiniest of creatures. These wasps are often unnoticed and overlooked, yet they bring balance and their populations rise and fall with a specific prey. Without them, the caterpillars would win the day, and forests would eventually end up succumbing to the munching millions.

As the soil temperatures reach a stable 50 degrees, the upper 4 inches of soil become a mosh pit of teeming life all consumed with eating, growing and reproducing. A young deer pees in the forest in the morning, and by nightfall, more than half of the nitrogen in the urea has been chemically changed into nutrients that plants can use.  Armies of bacteria are gathered to feast upon the chemical salts which fungi have a hard time breaking down. The vast web of fungal soil filaments transfer these new nutrients into the rootlets of trees, and in less than a week what was deer waste is now becoming part of a tree.

The fungal web itself becomes a feast for mites and springtails, tiny creatures just large enough to be visible by our eyes. Grab a handful of forest soil and you are holding a universe of creatures that crawl, swim and hop, each a piece of an unseen but unbroken chain of life energy that crawls up out of the microscopic realm and eventually passes into larger creatures all the way to the large predators.  The coyote at the forest edge with a mouse in its mouth has no idea that it is standing at the apex of a vast network containing billions of creatures all of whose combined efforts of eating, living and dying have fueled the energy and matter that created the mouse. It takes a universe, thousands, maybe even millions of interwoven food web connections,  to feed a coyote.

High up in the forest canopy, a con game is happening. A pair of crows are hunting nests. One crow, perched high, is calling, making lots of noise to attract attention.  Its partner in this ruse, is silent, and while all attention of neighboring nesting birds is on high, the silent partner is hidden and scanning the low underbrush.  A robin with a mouthful of worms becomes the target, and the hidden crow carefully watches as the nervous parent looks all around.  Babies are hungry and thinking the crow is far away, the dutiful parent returns to the nest, showing the hidden crow exactly what it wants to find. However, the crow takes no action. Yet. It waits, like a rancher waiting for the cows to fatten up, the crow chooses the optimum growth before harvesting. Once the babies are at their prime, the  pair will strike, and their own offspring will grow and flourish at the expense of the others.

The crows can memorize dozens of locations, and they can visit nests according to whatever schedule meets their needs. Success is passed along, and although our knowledge of crow communication is limited, it is well demonstrated that these most clever of birds can pass along abstract ideas to their offspring and to each other.  Crows are pretty large for the local hawks who prefer smaller prey and so they multiply, fueled by the generous stream of human garbage and waste. Crows expanded with the population of people, and being smart, adaptable and flexible, they will continue to be one of the most common birds.

In an old overgrown clearcut, there is a tangle of trees and salmonberries. From this cover comes a faint mewing sound, barely audible. There is a small trail of sorts winding through the logs and under the biggest log there is the signs of digging. As the afternoon sun probes its way into the tangle there is a movement, and out into a bare patch of soil emerge two bobcat kittens. They are tiny, just ten days old. This is their first short voyage into a much larger world. Their mother is close by, having reduced the circle of her territory in order to stay close and nurse her two offspring. By the end of June they will no longer call this tangle home and once they leave its protection, they may never return.  It’s a long journey ahead of them as they learn the ways of the predator and the odds are against them. They will travel hundreds of miles, following their mother, learning how to wait, watch and pounce.  But for now, they bask in the suns warmth, blinking in the novelty of such bright light.  They huddle together for warmth and perhaps companionship and they will be together until next spring when, fully adult, they will strike off on their own.

In the next six weeks they will grow and begin to show the inborn talent of stalking and pouncing, training on beetles or perhaps a frog.  They will practice for hours on each other, stalking, pouncing, wrestling, until exhausted, they will fall asleep where they lay.  They will begin to wander further from the log tangle, exploring and learning together. Their mother will bring them mice, chipmunks, rabbits to smell, play with and eat, all part of bobcat kindergarten.  Then, like their mother, they will disappear into the shadows, rarely to be seen.

About a hundred years ago, an invader snuck onto our soils. They first landed in California and quietly they moved up, silently exploring until now they are everywhere. You see them in fields, along roadsides, usurping the land rights of the natives. Who are these invaders?  Scotch Broom.  It is often the dominant plant along the freeway and once it enters an open field, it quickly changes the open grass into a sea of shrubbery.  It is particularly well suited for our climate and it has the advantage of time, it can outwait and out last any effort to remove it.  Sure, you can burn it and cut it, but the hearty root stump will re-sprout.  You can wrench up the big taproot, or chemically poison it, but you have already lost the battle.  As the plant reaches 5 years of age it creates black seed pods which dry out and contract along the axis.  The tension builds until a breeze or a bump splits the pod, which can spring apart with such force that it can fling seeds more than 15 feet away. And the seeds are why  the plant will win.  They can lay dormant for more than 70 years, biding their time until you are long in the old folks home.  Then, as you sit on your rocking chair, the offspring of the plants you removed are building a new generation to march off and take over.

So maybe we should change our attitude, if you can’t beat them, well maybe tolerate them? The bright yellow pea flower is kind of attractive, and the whole bush lights up in the setting sun when it’s in flower.  It’s well attended by native bumblebees and other pollinating insects we want to encourage and, like all members of the Pea family, it has bacteria on its roots which convert nitrogen in the air into nitrates in the soil which other plants can use.  It does not grow in shade so eventually, the nitrogen rich soils will foster future forests.

Take a walk and let me know what you find there

Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer, Teacher
Snohomish

]]> 2 http://kamana.org/lessons/articles/rats-bats-the-30-day-urban-sit-spot-challenge/ http://kamana.org/lessons/articles/rats-bats-the-30-day-urban-sit-spot-challenge/#comments Tue, 29 May 2012 18:09:22 +0000 Kat Koch http://kamana.org/?p=3747 by Jay Deer (30-Day Sit Spot Participant)

This April I began receiving emails about the upcoming 30-day sit spot challenge.  I have been wanting to find and visit a sit spot ever since moving to the city and I decided to use this year’s challenge to get over the biggest road-block to my having not found one yet: that I live in an urban environment.  “How can I find the perfect sit spot if I live in the city?!”, I continually asked myself.  This time I decided to throw “perfect” out the window.

I took the challenge as a great opportunity to get to know my neighborhood and find the most perfect imperfect sit spot within a ten minute walk from my home.  First, I educated myself: http://kamana.org/lessons/video/finding-a-sit-spot-video/, then I used Google Maps to give me an idea from the sky about what lay within a 1km radius of where I lived.  Then I got out the door and started to explore.

The first place I was drawn to was a local park lined with some old apple trees, a small cluster of cedars, a mowed soccer field and a playground; conveniently close with lots of robins and other bird activity to observe.  Sitting amongst the cedars however, I quickly realized that this spot seemed private to me, but I was visible to others. Hanging out undercover had the high potential to concern them and possibly creep them out.  I decided if I were to use this park and make it feel private I would have to sit out in the open and find some personal space away from where most folks were.  This was a decent spot, so I kept it in mind and continued exploring my neighborhood.

I wandered to another area a short distance from my home.  It seemed wilder and there was a small pond (read: storm-sewer retention).  Water!  This was good, as I could immediately see the difference in diversity of both plants and animals.  Learning from the previous spot about privacy, I knew that I needed to either seek a comfortable place out in the open or not be seen at all.  So I went into urban-scout mode and slipped into the dogwoods along the edge of the water.  What did I see? Beer cans, half-burnt garbage, condom wrappers, clumps of toilet paper and a few trails worn into the ground.  All indications that people used this space – intuitively it seemed unsafe.

My heart sank, but I didn’t give up on this small pool of water altogether.  Instead, I resumed my investigation around the pond looking for the least amount of human activity.  I ended up finding one spot with very limited evidence that other people were regularly using it.  It felt good.  It felt really good.  Almost immediately I was excited that where I was standing could very well be the most perfect imperfect urban sit spot.  I tried it out for a few days and I was happy about how I felt when I was there.

For twenty-four of the last twenty-seven days I have gone to my sit-spot.  It has been an amazing experience to help ground me into the wildness that cities really do hold within them.  My spot has city-versions of the ideals of what one could expect from a sit spot in an urban area:

• Water (a human-created pond);
• Edges between habitat (from mowed grass to shrubs and trees);
• Privacy (limited, but possible);
• Diversity (within context).

The place I found also has the two essential sit spot elements: convenience (less than ten minutes from my home) and safety (it feels good to me), though the latter is something that I continue to assess as I revisit my spot and get to know it.  My experiences with wild spaces in urban settings have been that people engaged in sketchy activities often use them.  It has been important for me to keep that awareness so that I can feel comfortable and enjoy the time I spend at my sit spot.

Throughout the 30-Day Sit Spot Challenge my sense of place has expanded and I have felt more grounded and connected to the earth, something I was struggling with in the city.  I have been privileged to have had close encounters with Norway rats, watch a Bald Eagle drink water, unwrap the mystery of a headless bird and witness bats flying around in the night air.

Even with my past wilderness experiences I have been excited and surprised at what is going on in the city less than ten minutes from my front door.  Who knew?!  Like the crow that has gotten used to my presence and no longer caws when I walk under its nest, I too am beginning to learn the nuances of the creatures that call this wild urban environment home.

Jay grew up in Ontario exploring nature in the suburbs of Toronto and in the rural lands of the Bruce Peninsula. After university he took flight – from the Aleutian Islands to the Gulf of Maine – Jay worked as a biologist studying birds to learn about them and aid in their conservation.  Today, Jay is passionate about spending time in the forest mentoring youth and helping them find their own connection to place.  You can find him adventuring in the wildness of the city and the wilderness beyond it, frailing on his banjo, or cooking good food in his cast-iron skillet.

My Sit Spot at home is next to a little picturesque woodland pond on the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula in Western Washington. When the wind blows from the north, I can smell the salt of the Salish Sea coming up over the bluffs.

The rain shadow forest here is very dry with dark thick Douglas fir and great tall Madrona reaching to the canopy and filling in the edges. Beneath the ground is a concrete like layer of glacial till and clay, which holds rainwater near the surface. There are many vernal pools and wetlands with bright green sedges growing beneath Shouller’s Willow and Red Alder. Groves of Red Cedar enjoy the lower areas of damp soil and give open places for deer to lay in the dappled sunlight.

My Sit Spot is on the south facing bank of a kidney bean shaped pond lined by great bunches of sedges. Tall red alders reach out over the water and red elderberry fill the space between. The sun filtering through the canopy of leaves gives the whole pond a green glow, illuminating the delicate wings of the many flying insects that seem to dance over a carpet of duckweed on the ponds surface. Mosquitoes buzz and land on me to feed, flying away with a little red glow to lay their eggs in the water. Whirligig beetles circle around the water striders while diving beetles climb the sedge and water boatman paddle upside down beneath the surface. Here and there rough skinned newts swim about looking for food while red-legged frogs and Pacific tree frogs croak from the sedge.

The still dark waters of this pond are full of life and mystery.

This month I took a trip to SW Michigan where I was visiting the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi for a camp counselor training. From the plane over South Bend, Indiana I could see great towering columns of white clouds. To me they appeared to be great Thunderbirds. That night I sat in a field to watch the sun set. To the north, great dark clouds formed with lightning dancing across the sky. Soon this became an awesome storm.

The next morning I had time to explore so I searched for a Sit Spot by a pristine undeveloped lake. Canada geese led their chicks to safety as I approached. I saw an opening in the cattails, a canoe launch. Along the bank, black ash logs were soaking for basketry and while I stood there a large muskrat swam by. I made my way to a little secluded pond attached to the lake and found a seat on the wet soil.

Growing up in Michigan, I spent a lot of time sitting by ponds like this, fishing, watching turtles, or just lying in the sun. It was always so timeless and I remember feeling so passionate to explore I could be out there all day. These fond memories came as a gift and I am pleased to feel that going to my sit spot today is not much different.

The lush deciduous forest around me was spectacular. The rising sun felt hot and the air felt thick and moist. I could smell the musky odor of skunk cabbage. The forest edge was thick with shrubs, vines and tall broadleaf trees like a wall of brilliant green. Picking out a familiar tree I sampled the young tender leaves of the basswood. These edible leaves taste mild and delicious and make an excellent meal. The birdsong was loaded and spectacular, the birds so conspicuous. Though I didn’t have a name for them, I just let it all sink in.

The pond was covered with duckweed and water lilies. Green frogs surfaced with bulbous blinking eyes and I was delighted to see the colorful painted turtles coming up for air. Tadpoles and bluegill swam about and water striders skimmed along the surface. This pond, like my pond on the pacific coast, felt so peaceful and familiar.

Back in Washington now, I am house sitting at the land where I had my first sit spot three years ago. The pond here was dug into the edge of a cedar gully that is fed by a small stream. The water is cold and clean, a great place to take a swim on a hot day. A large granite boulder sits on the bank. My sit spot on that rock gives me a great view. Voles nibble on the skunk cabbage and lady ferns that grow so lush around me. Water striders, whirligigs, and boatmen move about as rough skinned newts and tadpoles swim among the cattails. A damselfly lands on my arm and the sweet call note of the Swainson’s fills the forest. It is good to be back in this land where my Kamana journey began.

When I am sitting by a pond, no matter where it is, I feel at home. The sit spot routine has returned something to me that I almost lost in my busy adult world; that timelessness passion and curiosity that I remember so well from my childhood. As a child, I would study pond ecology by setting up aquariums filled with creatures I caught. Today it brings me great joy to sit with these creatures in their natural environment and feel that sense of oneness that comes from quieting the mind and letting it all sink in.

Justin Lake is a Kamana III student and nature mentor at Cedar Root Folk School.

This squirt of hormones also creates some rapid changes in the reproductive parts. In the lower part of the crown the male flowers burst their pollen sacs and spread their tiny reproductive dust into the wind.  The female cones, which are above the male cones will open for about 20 days starting in the second week of April, spreading their scales wide in the hope that one bit of reproductive dust will fertilize the small embryonic seed.  A medium sized fir will release billions of grains of pollen into the wind. The protein rich green dust will cover the ground with over 5,000 bits of pollen per square inch. This reproductive excess is immediately noticed by allergy sufferers and every little swirl of breeze carries and loops and tosses this dust around such that it can completely coat both the top and undersides of surrounding plants.

Conifer trees developed millions of years before there were insects and so this excessive pollen production was the only way to get genetic exchange.  Besides allergy headaches and dusty windshields, this pollen extravaganza also gives us a record of the trees of the past.  Each year vast amounts of pollen will fallout all over the place, including landing on lakes. Although pollen is light, it is still heavy enough to eventually sink, where it forms a layer on the bottom of the pond.  Every year, a new layer is formed, and each conifer present adds its distinctively shaped grains.  Using a large tube-like drill, scientists can bore into the bottoms of lakes and extract cylindrical cores. By examining the pollen grains and counting a layer for each year, the cores give a historical record of what kinds of trees were around over the course of thousands of years. So from this work, we know that as the giant continental glaciers receded the first trees to return  were alpine species such as Mountain hemlock and Lodgepole pines, and our current assembly of trees arrived about 4500 years ago.

From the edges of the forest a shining beacon glows in the afternoon sun. The Red Flowering Currant has opened its nectar filled storehouse and is attracting the attention of hummingbirds and bumble bee queens, eager to fill up on sweet nectar.  Unlike the conifers that rely on mass dispersal, flowers like this are conservative with their reproductive matter and utilize animals to pass the pollen from plant to plant.  This plant caught the eye of an early botanist on our shore, David Douglas, for whom the Douglas fir is named. He saw the potential of this and collected several which sold for high prices to English nobility as exotic garden plants from the new world.  It is still a popular plant in European gardens to this day.  The Flowers turn into powder blue berries which are ignored by most people but quite edible and quickly scarfed up by Robins, Waxwings and chipmunks.

Under the tangle of ferns at the base of a clump of Red-flowering currant is a treasure chest made of grass.  It is the next generation of Dark-eyed Juncos hidden away from prying eyes. Mrs Junco spends all her time here these last few days, covering and warming these precious assets and Mr. Junco nervously flits about the yard. A dark shadow appeared in the tree directly above the nest, a crow on a scout mission. Mr. Junco was surprisingly calm and pretending to forage in sight of, but not near where Mrs Junco lay still as a stone.  The calm was broken by the neighboring Robin pair, who would have none of this egg and baby bird stealing intruder and began harshly scolding the crow. Within a minute three more Robins joined the fray, and when a big and loud Steller’s Jay joined the ruckus, it was more than the crow was willing to endure and it cruised over to the other side of the road. Within a minute the loud chips of another set of Robin alarms sounded, and for the next several minutes the crow could be tracked by following the sound of robins down the street.  Mr. Junco flew up to the highest point of the tree to survey that the crow was gone, then he fluttered down and hopped under the fern perhaps to reassure Mrs Robin that all was well. The crow will be back again, looking and listening so all the yard nesters must be vigilant.

Spring is the season of surprises and changes. Each day new flowers open, the roadsides are draped in Spring green mist that creeps over the landscape, transforming the browns and grays of winter into the multicolored fabric of the season of growth.  This year we were graced with a Mourning Cloak Butterfly, the first ever in our yard.  This butterfly with its rich brown wings with cream trim on the edges is named for the dark cloak that mourning widows wore in Elizabethan England. This butterfly is a hibernator, and early spring dancers will lay a batch of eggs on a Willow or Alder tree. By May the larva are busy, often in groups, munching away on their host. They pupate over summer and emerge, fresh and bright from late June to August, sometimes feeding on fallen fruit before finding a quiet, dry spot to spent the cold wet winter.  They are most common along rivers but can be found anywhere there are Willows or Alders.  The one that graced our yard was noticed by the resident towhee who gave a brief chase, but was totally outclassed as the butterfly easily hopped over the birds clumsy lunges.

The air seems richer on these warming days, and in the early evening before the frog chorus swells, a lone Robin clucks and chuckles,  and then there is a hush, just the wind gently moving the trees into a slow dance, before they too, call it a day.  In this magic hour of almost too dark to see, the bats return and their smaller landed cousins stir in the undergrowth.  The day stage turns over to the night crew, the busy Douglas squirrel nestles down as the flying squirrel launches off on a night of foraging.  Spend some time outside on  a spring night with a flashlight and tell me what you find there.

Rob Sandelin
Naturalist, Writer, Teacher
Snohomish

Congratulations to all 2012 Sit Spot Challenge Participants. This year we had over 400 official participants from all over the world!

The 30-Day Sit Spot Challenge is a powerful way for you to connect with the natural world through one spot in nature. The Sit Spot is the core routine of the Kamana Naturalist Training Program. You do not have to be a Kamana student or a member of Kamana.org to participate. Anyone can join and it’s free to participate! We want as many people as possible to experience this amazing routine.

During the challenge you will receive daily emails with questions, challenges, and inspirational support. There will be optional activities designed to increase your awareness and hone your senses. The synergy of hundreds of people going to their Sit Spots will be phenomenal!

What is a Sit Spot?

The Sit Spot is the practice of going to one spot in nature over a period of time. You make observations, connect with nature and self, and learn to see with Native Eyes. There are 2 basic requirements that every sit spot should have 1) It needs to be close to your house and 2) you need to feel safe while there. It is ideal for it to be wild, have a water source, be abundant with wildlife, have a view, and a whole slew of other things. While those are nice to have, they are not essential. The best sit spot is one that you go to!

How Does it Work?

Starting May 1st, go to your Sit Spot for at least 20 minutes every day. Your challenge is to do this for 30 days straight!

How can I meet other people interested in learning about nature?

This year Kamana.org will be using our Facebook page as a place where folks can come, connect with others, and post their Sit Spot stories. Make sure to “Like” us on Facebook!

Why Should I Sign Up? Can’t I Just Do it On My Own?

You can do it on your own, but when you commit to something with other people involved, it changes your perception. In our experience, those who sign up are MUCH more likely to finish the challenge. You will also receive daily reminders and inspiration. You’ll be able to communicate with others through our forums, as well.

Want more information about the sit spot?

How to Find a Sit Spot

Jon Young Video: Top 3 Reasons to go to your Sit Spot

Sit Spot – What Can Go Wrong

Click here to download a flyer that you can send to your friends!

Want to see more Free content on Kamana.org?

Cindy Ruprecht

This is Cindy Ruprecht, mother, designer, and yurt owner, amongst many other things. “I started the program because it was everything I was interested in wrapped in a nice bundle. I was already studying native plants, ethnobotany, survival skills, and native lore. I couldn’t believe there was a program out there that combined them all.”

Cindy has an open invite to any Kamana student who wants to meet, “I want to share this beautiful place I call home with other Kamana students. I have an open invitation to my home for anyone who wants to come explore the Leavenworth area. Our yard is open for camping/exploring…we have 6 acres a yurt & cabin along the Chumstick drainage.”

Cindy has one piece of advice for those of you still out there working through the program:
“Keep the big picture. Don’t forget to look up…and then look up to the stars!”
Cindy’s Blog

Hesley Cox

This is Hesley. Kamana has greatly influenced him as a hunter and helped him to realize his greater connection to all of life. When asked about how Kamana has changed his life, Hesley said, “Having a graduate degree and being “long in the tooth”, I have had a lot of theory and information pushed my way.  What Kamana has given me is a new way of learning.  By asking the questions and then showing me different ways to solve the problem, I have discovered many different ways to learn.

What I have also discovered are new ways to experience my time in the woods.  As a hunter, I have spent many hours alone, being still to the degree possible.  Kamana has shown me ways to enhance and expand this experience.  Kamana has also taken me into nature outside of those times devoted to hunting.  For me, this has been enlightenment!  Another by product is I now hunt from a different perspective.  By hunting in a sacred manner, I feel a greater connection to the animal and a much greater responsibility in the act.  I can truly say I am not the same person I was before beginning Kamana.”

Hesley’s advice for you? “Don’t let the lists overwhelm you.  Eat the elephant one bite at a time and live in the moment as you complete each species.”

Lee Wilson

This is Lee. And a squirrel. We here at Kamana don’t know the story of their relationship, but we can tell that something interesting is afoot! The Kamana Program helped Lee not only learn more about the natural world it also clarified his life path. “I saw how many of my interests from tracking to mythology all fit together. I also found myself discovering a great deal of hope in humanities potential role as caretakers. The final project in Wrapping the Bundle really expanded and clarified this vision. It caused me to look at the ways in which people are rediscovering this role in the context of the modern world, in the permaculture movement for example. This renewed sense of hope also brought with it a fresh enthusiasm that drives my own activities and that I can share with others. Especially with concerned and empathetic folks who are mired in the idea that humans are inherently destructive organisms and in the “Nothing I can do….” feeling.” Boy would Ingwe be glad to hear this!

So, what are Lee’s last words for you? “I can easily say that choosing to do the Kamana program is one of the best things I’ve done and I am very grateful that it exists. My best wishes to all current students, may you find the enthusiasm to carry you through, it’s well worth the journey!”

Kevin O'Malley

This is Kevin. He graduated from the Anake Outdoor School in 2009 and has now finished the Kamana Program in 2011. Kevin is a man of few words. He discovered the program through Mark Elbroch’s “Mammal Tracks & Sign” and it took him 3 years from start to finish to graduate.

Kevin’s advice is simple: “Go to your sit spot!”

We here at Kamana couldn’t agree more. The more you go outside the more you will learn. And the more you take your experiences and do some research and sharing, the more you will integrate your learning. Good luck to all current students out there. And let these graduates inspire you to take your Kamana to the next level!

Last October the Pink Salmon hid a treasure trove of bright orange eggs in the gravel of the local rivers. During the winter the eggs hatched and slowly the young fish, hidden in the protective embrace of river rocks, have slowly absorbed their yolk and now they have begun to emerge from the gravel in search of small insects.  Within a day or two of being fully out in the world, they turn downstream and head to the ocean which calls to them from thousands of years of instinct.  How do they know there is such a thing as an ocean, and why are they so certain they must go there? They have no doubts, and without delay they follow their internal instructions and by the end of April will be in salt water to start the next phase of their lives.

Along the edge of  the stream the willows are coming into bloom. Willows have gender, each tree is either male or female and the abundant pollen of the male attracts a wide variety of early emerging insects.  If you look closely you may find a gangly-legged fly with a huge bird-like beak that is several times longer than the head wide.  This is the Dance Fly.  It gets its name from its mating strategy.  Males will gather in particular places and they will begin a mating flight, a dance move with lots of ups and downs. However what gets the attention of the females is not his dance, but a mating gift, sort of like a wedding present.  These flies are predators and so each male will be carrying a dead bug. The female chooses her mate by the size of his bug, so in this case, size matters. Sometimes  a male will try to steal another males bug and they will go into an aerial dogfight which often disrupts the other dancers.  Dance sites seem to be consistent, there is a place in my front garden where these insects have danced for past 4 years.  Since each year it is a new generation, how they know to dance in that location is, like the salmon fingerling, another natural mystery.

Further down the stream, in a cozy undercut bank that is well covered by a log jam, 2 new born river otter pups have just opened their eyes to see the world for the first time. Mama otter is out catching a meal in the river but she is does not go far, nor does she have to. Otters are remarkably agile in the water, their long narrow bodies and strong tail make catching a meal relatively easy.  Otters, and the others of their family have a remarkable reproductive trick. This otter mated almost 10 months ago, and the embryos inside her went into a sort of hibernation, growing  very slowly. Then 8 weeks ago the embryos implanted in the uterus and begin to divide and grow.  This is called delayed implantation, and it’s an adaptation allowing mothers to time the birth of their young when conditions are best.  However, exactly how this process works is yet another mystery of nature.

A wander away from the stream and into the woods finds all kinds of new stirrings. The bright green leaves and white bangles of the Indian plum are brightening up the forest edges.  This native shrub, like the willows, has gender, and the male flowers appear before the females.  To tell them apart you need to roll a flower between your fingers. A female flower will be lumpy from the ovaries which produce the thin skinned berries covering a large seed.  This plant has some distinctive odors to help identify it, the crushed leaves smell like cucumbers and the flowers smell, according to some people, like cat pee.  If you examine a few of the flowers closely you may find tiny, almost microscopic beetles hanging out munching on the pollen of the male flowers.  A host of other hungry insects also grab some pollen, including the female dance fly. I suppose males might also imbibe here, but in all my collecting I have never found a male on this plant.

Later in the month there will be a buzzing diversion in the garden as the hibernating bumble bees emerge. The huge, fat queens will poke around the garden and forest edge, poking their heads under leaves, hopping from place to place. One of the preferred spots are old abandoned Deer mouse nests, as they are both dry and already insulated and formed.

The Swallows have begun to return, scything loops in the sky like visible exclamation points that spring is here. These are the first wave of thousands of returning birds who will take up residence for the spring and summer and add their voices to the growing symphony of spring.

It’s time to dust off your walking shoes and get out into the sparkling spring air. Life is stirring again after the long winter sleep.  Let me know what you find there.

Enhance your own Sit Spot Challenge adventure — and double your motivation?

Fresh energy may be just the thing to infuse your own…. Invite the young people in your life to join your challenge. Local youth groups, neighbors, cousins or your own kids — sitting in nature is the perfect way to balance high-tech lives and the allure of entertainment media. You never know what kind of transformation a 30-day sit can inspire…

On May 1^st, join the youth program students  and families of Wilderness Awareness School and our extended community in our 4^th annual Sit Spot Challenge!

How Does it Work?

Our Kamana community will be “sitting” for the month of May. May 1^st, go to your Sit Spot for at least 20 minutes every day. Your challenge is to do this for 30 days straight!

What is a Sit Spot?

The 30-Day Sit Spot Challenge is a powerful way for you to connect with the natural world through one spot in nature. The Sit Spot is the core routine of the Kamana Naturalist Training Program, the practice of going to one spot in nature over a period of time. You make observations, connect with nature and self, and learn to see with Native Eyes. There are two basic requirements that every Sit Spot should have: 1) It needs to be close to your house, and 2) you need to feel safe while there. Sure, it is ideal for it to be wild, have a water source, be abundant with wildlife, have an incredible view, and a whole slew of other things. While those things are great to have, they are not essential. The best Sit Spot is one that you go to!

Keep Motivated and Keep Track

Click here for a Sit Spot Calendar that you can print and post on the wall, to encourage your children to do as many sits as possible during the 30 days. Consider printing one for each child, or print a family chart, for all to post on together — you included, if you are up for the challenge!

Share Sit Stories

Your kids are the greatest ambassadors for nature connection we could ever dream of. Please consider also sharing their Sit Spot stories on our Facebook page. Or send them to us and we’ll be happy to post: KylieL@WildernessAwareness.org. Pictures are inspiring; include any great nature shots or Sit pics you have. Make sure to “Like” us on Facebook to help spread the word!

Young Children?

A shared Family Sit is a great way to enjoy the Sit Spot Challenge. Make a game of quietly observing, then have everyone share what they saw, and record your observations in a Sit Spot Journal. Send some highlights our way to inspire others.

Sign Up and Connect Up

If your family would enjoy connecting with community around the world during this 30 days, sign up for free with the adult Sit Spot Challenge, through Kamana.org. You will receive daily emails with questions, challenges and inspirational support. There will be optional activities designed to increase your awareness and hone your senses. Sign up below!

Help Kids Get Outside

The Sit Spot Challenge comes smack dab in the middle of our spring Get Outside! appeal. Consider making this challenge a family fundraiser, to help us reach our goal of 1700 kids in Summer Camp! Post to your own Facebook page or send an email, with a link to donate to Wilderness Awareness School. Kids of all ages will thank you! Here’s that link: http://wildernessawareness.org/support_nature_education.html

Our program staff and office team look forward to joining you in our Sit Spot Challenge. Let the Nature Connection flow!