Here’s the link to Don’s Facebook album for today’s Ramble.
(All the photos in this post are compliments of Don.)

Today’s Ramble was led by
Linda Chafin; the post was written by Don Hunter and Linda Chafin; assembled by Dale Hoyt.

Twenty-two Ramblers met
today .

Announcement: Sandy Creek Nature Center offers their monthly guided walk next Weds.,
May 4, at 9:00AM. Halley Page will show you around the areas being prepared for
the managed forest project. Come out and learn!

Today’s reading: Dale read an excerpt from the book Crow Planet by Lyanda Lynn Haupt;
Little, Brown & Co., 2009, pp. 4-5:

Continue reading →

Don Hunter led today’s Ramble. Neither Linda nor I
were able to be here today so Don’s Facebook album takes the place of my usual Ramble
Report. Here’s the link to that album for today’s Ramble. Hop on over to view the photos taken by Don and our own Rosemary W. This report will
consist of only the readings and the summary of species observed.

Twenty Ramblers met this morning.

Today’s
readings: Three ramblers provided the readings:

Readings
for April 14, 2016 Nature Ramble

Larry D. provided these thought-provoking thoughts:

“Through the gift of this natural world
we are not meant to take advantage and destroy, but are invited to use and
replenish.” – Mike Vitale

“I don’t understand why, when we destroy
something created by man, we call it vandalism. 
Yet when we destroy something created by nature, we call it
progress.”  – Unknown

“Nature is the greatest server of
humanity, but has become the victim of human’s avarice and greed.” – Tasneem
Hameed

“It is a wholesome and necessary thing
for us to turn again to the earth and in the contemplation of her beauties to
know of wonder and humility.”  – Rachel
Carson

Sue W. followed with a wonderful poem by Mary Oliver:

I Worried

I worried a lot.

Will the garden grow, will the rivers
flow in the right direction, will the earth turn as it was taught, and if not
how shall I correct”

Was I right, was I wrong, will I be
forgiven, can I do better?

Will I ever be able to sing, even the
sparrows

can do it and I am, well, hopeless.

Is my eyesight fading or am I just
imagining it,

am I going to get rheumatism,

lockjaw, dementia?

Finally I saw that worrying had come to
nothing.

And gave it up.  And took my old body

and went out into the morning,

and sang.

Don H. left us with these thoughts:

“Spring is natures way of saying “Let’s
party!”  –  Robin Williams

“Just living is not enough….one must
have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.” 
–  Hans Christian Andersen

SPECIES OBSERVED APRIL 14, 2016

 Here’s the link
to Don’s Facebook album for today’s Ramble. (All the photos in this post are
complements of Don.)

Today’s post was written
by Dale Hoyt and Don Hunter.

Twenty Ramblers met today
– a glorious spring morning!

Today’s readings: The
first, read by Tim, from Trailside
Botany: 101 Favorite Trees, Shrubs, and Wildflowers of the Upper Midwest,
by John Bates, 2004, p. 111:

Daisies are named logically, “the day’s
eye,” from the English daisy, which closes at night and opens at sunrise.

Next, Lee, who can ferret
out the most ancient texts, read an excerpt from the For Sale section of the
Georgia Gazette, August 15, 1765 (yes, 1765!):

Continue reading →

Today’s post was written
by Dale Hoyt.

Twenty-eight Ramblers met
in the classroom of the Conservatory/Visitor Center today to avoid the
forecasted thunderstorms that never appeared. Linda Chafin presented an
illustrated lecture: Spring Wildflowers
of the Georgia Piedmont.

Today’s reading: Bob Ambrose delivered another of his wonderful,
seasonally appropriate poems:

Continue reading →

Here’s the link to Don’s Facebook album for today’s Ramble.
(All the photos in this post are complements of Don.)

Today’s post was written
by Don Hunter, Linda Chafin and Dale Hoyt.

Twenty-eight Ramblers met
today – a glorious spring morning!

Today’s reading: Jackie Elsner sang a poem by Byron Herbert Reece,
a north Georgia poet (1917-1958). Jackie has been adapting Reece poems to the
music of Christian Harmony Shape Note songs. This one is sung to the tune of
“Watchman” (No. 255 )

Continue reading →

Here’s the link to Don’s Facebook page for today’s Ramble.
(All the photos save one in this post are complements of Don.)

Today’s post was written
by Dale Hoyt.

Twenty-six ramblers came
dressed in green today to match the emerging leaves – or was it some other
holiday?

Today’s reading: We had two contributions, the first from Mary Ann
who read an excerpt from Hal Borland’s Twelve
Moons of the Year, p. 27:

Continue reading →

Today’s
report is written by Dale Hoyt.

Here’sthe link to Don’s Facebook album of today’s Ramble.

Today’s reading:

Rosemary
read an excerpt from The Essential Guide
to Nature Walking in the United States, Charles Cook,1997, p. ix.

The most recommended way of
walking?

Do it your way. With
walking there’s plenty of room for
individuality, personal proclivities, and changes in your energy level from
one time to another. Walk the way that works best for you.

And what exactly is nature
walking? It’s any and every kind of walking
you can do in the natural world. The
activity encompasses strolling, striding, sauntering, stepping, treading, tramping, traipsing,
traversing, rambling,
roving, roaming, racewalking, hiking, meandering, wandering, wending, pacing, peregrinating, perambulating . . . in natural surroundings.

Continue reading →

Today’s
report is written by Don.Here’s the link to Don’s Facebook album of
today’s Ramble.

28
Ramblers braved the chilly weather for the second ramble of the year.

Today’s reading:

Linda read an excerpt from The Forest Unseen by David George
Haskell, page 24:

Continue reading →

 Here’s
the link to Don’s Facebook album of today’s Ramble. Today’s post was written by Dale Hoyt.

Our first ramble of the year started with 32
Ramblers including 1 new rambler and 1 guest. This is a record turnout for us.

Today’s
readings

I read
an excerpt from Nature Near Home by
John Burroughs. This was one of Hugh’s favorite passages. It reflected his
belief, developed over the years he led our group. I wanted to read it on this,
our first ramble without Hugh and Carol, as a tribute to Hugh’s years of
leadership. (I’ve changed some words, replacing he and his with more
inclusive language.)

Continue reading →

Today’s report
was written by Hugh Nourse. Most of the photos that appear in this blog are
taken by Don Hunter; you can see all the photos Don took of today’s Ramble here.

Announcements:

1.    
   Emily
   is putting in the T-shirt order tomorrow, so if you wish to purchase one you
   need to get your money and order to her quickly. 
2.   
   There
   is a special ramble on December 3, the Thursday after Thanksgiving, on
   Herbarium Specimens. Wendy Zomlefer, the Curator of the UGA Herbarium will
   demonstrate how herbarium specimens are prepared, and let us press a few plants
   ourselves.
3.    
   Walt
   Cook will be leading a walk at Sandy Creek Nature Center on December 2, at
   9:00AM, the first Wednesday in December.

4.   
Update to the Hike
Inn opportunity:

• Ramblers
  can send an e-mail to “reservations@hike-inn.com” with their name, phone
  contact information, and “January 27 Georgia Forest Watch.” The
  Reservation clerk will then call back. We cannot book our room through e-mail
  messages, but it helps reduce the phone tag.
• The
  Hike Inn has reserved all rooms for Ramblers at this time.
• The
  cost is a little more than quoted in the notice you received: Double occupancy,
  $102.75; Single occupnacy, $72.28
• ·        
  [Note:
  Jackie Elsner is the person responsible for initiating this field trip; I am
  just the guy that sends out the emails. Give her the credit, not me. — DH]

Continue reading →