Our Environment, Animal Tips and the Great Outdoors
Our Environment
Forests of the Northeast and Climate Change
For at least 15,000 years, we residents of planet Earth have been living in a relatively stable and warm world. Before that, five ice ages came and went. “Glaciologically speaking,” the BBC’s online Science page tells us, we are experiencing an “interglacial” age, defined as such because the Arctic, Antarctica, […]
A Naturalist, Naturally
Naturalist. It is a word synonymous with the great observers of nature like Charles Darwin, E.O. Wilson, Maria Sibylla Marien, and Henry David Thoreau. A title reserved for the history books when the natural world was uncharted and misunderstood. It is time to throw out that silly notion.
A new generation […]
Sharon Land Trust
Right about this time, 17,000 years ago, the Main Street distribution area was covered by hundreds of feet of ice. From the Housatonic to the Hudson, South Taconics to Catskills, the Laurentide Ice Sheet shaped our area at literal glacial speed, scouring bedrock and depositing minerals in places that would […]
Natural, by Design
A few years ago, a cryptic acronym began to appear in my social media feeds: “FKT.” Too lazy to look it up, I assumed it was expletive-based shorthand for the exasperated athletes who used it in association with stupidly long undertakings like ultramarathons and “Everesting,” where a cyclist attempts to […]
Animals Tips
Shelter in Place: How Animal Services are Coping with Crisis
The coronavirus pandemic has prompted many Federal and State mandates to order the closures of many businesses in U.S. towns and cities nationwide. In our area, nearly every school, gym, bar and restaurant have temporarily shuddered in compliance with State mandated ‘social distancing’ guidelines. Over the past few weeks, even […]
Fear Free Cat Transport Part 2
With some prior success getting Kitty used to the carrier, as discussed in Part 1, it is now time to take a ride to the Veterinarian! Be sure to apply pheromones in the carrier 15 minutes prior to her entry. When it is time to transport, always allow enough time to […]
How do I make the trip to the vet Fear Free for my cat?
How do I make the trip to the vet Fear Free for my cat? (PART 1 of 2).
No matter how important the visit may be, making the trek to the vet can be stressful for most cats, not to mention their humans. In Part I, we will discuss helpful strategies […]
Nail Clipping Training for Cats with a Fear Free Approach
Most indoor cats need their nails clipped every 2-3 weeks and many of us avoid the task. The result of avoiding this important task can be shredded upholstery, nails caught in material while scratching, and long, brittle nails that split or possibly grow into the pad, usually requiring medical attention. […]
Great Outdoors
Getting Grounded
As the summer season heats up, we’re all yearning to spend time in the great outdoors. Our leisure time is gleefully filled with a host of fun activities – from kayaking to swimming, camping, biking, and hiking.
By now, the trees are covered in verdant green leaves and the flowers have […]
Forest Bathing, Seriously? Yes!
by Melanie McGinn, RN, MBA, CHC, Founder of Health Through Time Nurse Consulting and Coaching
Had you asked me a month ago if I would ever write a blog post on forest bathing, that would have been a definitive no. I am very open to Eastern, Western, and alternative modalities to […]
GREAT MOUNTAIN FOREST BECOMES IUCN MEMBER
Membership Gives GMF Access to International Natural Conservation Union
On February 10, 2021, Great Mountain Forest (GMF) in Falls Village, CT, was granted membership into the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a global organization dedicated to assessing the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard […]
A Call for Help: Birders Watch Declining Populations
By, John Torsiello
Millerton, NY, resident Jane Rossman grew up watching birds at the feeders her family set out near their house. Thus was born, at an early age, a love and passion for the beauty wild birds bring to our lives. “Later, I became more active by going on walks […]