This is it! A year in the making! I’ve been walking around the same lake, once a month for a year, documenting the seasonal changes, the animals and the plants. Last night I took my final picture of this lovely, little lake path. Below is a photo compilation of the wooden bridge that crosses the lake. The photos start in October 2011 and ended last night, the last day of October 2012.
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Original publish date: January 19, 2012
Last nerve frayed? Winter weather dried out your skin? No problem. The chamomile in this mask has natural anti-inflammatory properties that will ease your nerves. The honey is a natural humectant, pulling moisture from the air and drawing it to your skin. It will leave you feeling calm and moisturized, and who wouldn’t want that?
You’ll need:
2 1/2 tsp. powdered milk
2 tsp. ground oatmeal
1 tsp. honey
2 chamomile tea bags
Brew…
Place the chamomile tea bags in your favorite mug and pour in 1 cup boiling water. Put a saucer over the cup to trap the escaping steam, which is now infused with the beneficial constituents of the chamomile flowers. Let this steep for 10 minutes.
After the tea is done steeping, remove the tea bags, squeeze out any excess water and place them in the refrigerator to cool.
Mix…
In a small bowl, mix together the powdered milk, ground oatmeal, honey and 2 tsp. of the warm chamomile tea. The warm water will draw out the beneficial elements of the oatmeal and milk, while liquefying the honey, creating a thin paste.
Relax…
Using your fingers, apply the oatmeal mixture to your forehead, then gently sweep down your temples, under your eyes and around your nose. Move your fingers in small circles as you apply more mixture to your cheeks, around your mouth and down your neck.
As you apply the mixture, pay attention to your breathing, take slow, calm breaths. Enjoy the light scent of chamomile and honey as you inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Feel the warm sensation of the oatmeal mixture as you gently spread it over your face.
When you’ve finished applying the mask, rinse your hands in warm water. Get the cooled tea bags from the refrigerator, then lie down with the tea bags placed over your closed eyes. Relax for 20 to 30 minutes and let the chamomile calm your skin and soothe your nerves.
And Rinse.
To rinse the mask off, use warm water and a wash cloth. You do not need to use soap or a cleanser. The mask will rinse clean without them and you want to allow the delicate essences of the chamomile flowers to linger on your skin. The honey will rinse off, leaving your skin feeling moisturized, without clogging your pores. Pat your face dry.
Dispose of (or compost!) the tea bags and finish your facial by sitting with a good book or magazine and sipping on the rest of the chamomile tea that you brewed earlier. If you’ve got the ingredients on hand, this entire process takes less than 45 minutes and can really replenish your mind and body after a draining day.
Happy brewing!
P.S. Who knew? Tea vs. Tisane
Did you know that in order for a beverage to be called “tea,” it actually needs to have tea leaves in it? So all of the herbal brews, like the chamomile tea you just made, are not actually teas…they’re tisanes, water infused with herbs. But seriously, who would ever call them that?? Chamomile tisane?
Regular Nature Walk posts will return next month with the unveiling of the results of my yearlong photography project. In the meantime, please enjoy the photos and this recounting of my recent adventures in the Christopher B. Smith Preserve located in Naples, Florida, USA.
I recently had the opportunity to go on a tour of the Christopher B. Smith Preserve located in Naples, Florida, USA. The preserve is owned and managed by The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, an organization that works to preserve the natural habitats of southwest Florida. The preserve is “an eight-acre endangered upland and scrub habitat” and “is home to native plants and wildlife including the gopher tortoise, a threatened species in Florida” (Conservancy).
Ian Bartoszek, a biologist for The Conservancy and a friend of mine, lead the afternoon tour. As we carefully stepped through the fence and into the preserve the first thing I noticed was that the ground is made up of fine, white sugar sand. It is a soft sand compared to the type often found along the beaches of the Atlantic and it is pure white. The sandy ground made the scrub habitat feel so different from the areas of asphalt and manicured lawns that surround it. The white ground, a leftover seabed from millions of years ago, made this area feel like I was stepping into another world and into another time. Covering most of the sand was a light-green species of lichen, Foliose Ground Lichen (Parmotrema spp). As we walked through the preserve Ian asked all of us to stick to the paths, so as not to disturb this ancient species.
Looking around I noticed that The Conservancy had installed small wildlife cameras attached to the base of a few trees. The motion activated cameras are able to capture animal activity that people wouldn’t normal get to see and the biologists are able to study these photos and share them with visitors of The Conservancy.
Also dominating the landscape are the beautiful purple flowers of the Chapman’s Blazing Star plant, also known as Chapman’s Gayfeather (Liatris chapmanii). These pretty flowers are typically a pretty purple color but every now and then, a white one will bloom. Among the sea of purple we found two of these white blooms very near each other. It felt like something special to see these rare flowers. Ian told us that seedpods from 
established plants like these could be harvested by conservation groups and used in other habitat reclamation projects. The use of these seeds is typical when reestablishing an area that may have had the natural scrub habitat devastated by logging, land clearing and other development.
As we walked through the scrub we could hear a gopher tortoise or two shuffling through the palms and undergrowth. The tortoises were camouflaged in the thick growth and I wasn’t able to snap a photo of them on this trip. However, I was able to get a few photos of the entrances to their underground homes, which I put into the slideshow below. In addition to the threatened gopher tortoise, Ian told us that there is a very diverse group of animal and plant species (about 250 of them), from tiny spiders and amphibians to bobcats and coyotes, which live in this protected habitat.
We also found this amazing beehive that covered a good portion of a palm tree. I was lucky enough to have a good zoom on my camera and didn’t need to get to close too these amazing, buzzing pollinators in order to get a good picture (also in the slideshow below).
The preserve is part of The Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s new Nature Center. The center is currently being upgraded and when it is complete it will be open to the public later this year. Ian was able to give our group a quick tour of the progress so far, along with a visit to some of their animal residents, which I included in the slide show below.
I had a wonderful time on my nature walk and can’t wait to come back soon. If you’re going to be in Florida, be sure to stop by The Conservancy’s Nature Center and get a tour of this unique area of Florida. Thank you to our guide, Ian Bartoszek, for showing us around and teaching us about the importance of preserving natural habitats.
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[slideshow]
Not sure what I’m talking about? Catch up on the 30×30 Challenge here.
Another great week outside! This project is fun because it reminds me to look around and really enjoy everything that I’m seeing when I go for my mini-Nature Walks. I’ll continue to post this week’s 30×30 photos on Twitter and Facebook.
Where you able to get outside much in the last couple of days? Does it make you feel happier?
Location: Orlando, Florida, United States from 10:30am-11:30am
Weather: Sunny, windy and very low humidity, 75°F – High: 86°F Low: 73°F
Catch up on The Nature Walk Project: Month 1: October, Month 2: November, Month 3: December, Month 4: January, Month 5: February, Month 6: March, Month 7: April, Month 8: May
It’s officially hurricane season in Florida and there is no shortage of wind or rain. During a typical Florida summer we get a rain shower every afternoon, for about 20 minutes and nearly at the same time everyday. As I walk around the lake today, the wind is strong and constant. A downpour last night left everything very damp with a wonderfully earthy aroma coming from every direction, as the sun heats up the damp ground. I can’t actually photograph the wind for you, just the objects that it blows around, like the pages of my notebook above. I took this short video with my camera to give you a sense of the breeze as it whips through the cypress trees that grow along the lake. About 6 seconds in you can see one of the many birds that lives here, flitting from one tree to the other. I hope you’re enjoying the weather and nature where you are! This is June.
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvHeEN69kuM]
Materials Needed: bleach or hydrogen peroxide, scrub brush, rubber gloves
I have always loved the look of mold and calcium buildup on my terra cotta pots. Unfortunately that wonderful patina can mean unsanitary growing conditions for your potted plants. Give your plants their best chance for growth by sterilizing your clay and terra cotta pots before you plant. This easy process will help eliminate the possibility of fungal or bacterial diseases that may develop.
Soak the pot(s) in a solution of ten parts water to one part bleach or hydrogen peroxide. I like to use my kitchen sink but you can use a plastic bucket or basin. Allow the pots to soak for a minimum of 3 hours or you can leave them in the solution overnight if you prefer. After the pots have soaked, put on your rubber gloves and use a stiff bristled scrub brush to thoroughly scour the pot, inside and out. Rinse the pot and allow it to dry.
Your pots are now ready, and your new plants will have a great growing season!
Location: Orlando, Florida, United States from 10:30am-11:30am
Weather: Sunny and slightly overcast, 70°F – High: 76°F Low: 63°F
Catch up on The Nature Walk Project: Month 1: October, Month 2: November, Month 3: December, Month 4: January, Month 5: February, Month 6: March, Month 7: April
Spring continues to bloom around the lake. Every time I visit this bit of nature I see more and more signs of life. The birds are more active, the tall grasses that line the pathways are bursting out of the ground and have begun to drape over the walkway. The fresh, bright green growth on the cypress trees is already filling in and beginning to darken. For months now, I have visited this lake and marveled at the different types of animals that live in and around it. It turns out, that even after 8 months, there is still something new to discover. During my recent walk, I saw a family of otters making their way along the edge of the lake to the island in the middle and I was able to snap a couple of pictures as they bobbed in and out of the water. This family of otters and all of the other little bits of life and nature that I saw are in the slideshow below…this is May.
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Location: Orlando, Florida, United States from 10:30am-11:30am Weather: Sunny and windy, 77°F – High: 86°F Low: 63°F
Catch up on The Nature Walk Project: Month 1: October, Month 2: November, Month 3: December, Month 4: January, Month 5: February, Month 6: March
It’s April and Spring is official, even though the weather in Florida has felt like spring since late February, but that’s why so many of us love it here. It was a warm winter so there wasn’t ever a time where the landscape looked completely baron, but what little did turn brown and die, is now coming back in pretty shades of light green.
The animals are busier than they have been. I saw the first bunny of the season and with Easter a week away, it seems like perfect timing. This little bird stopped to cool off along the edge of the lake, it was fun to watch him splash around.
Location: Orlando, Florida, United States from 5:00pm-6:00pm Weather: Sunny and windy, 84°F – High: 85°F Low: 68°F
Catch up on The Nature Walk Project: Month 1: October, Month 2: November, Month 3: December, Month 4: January, Month 5: February
I spent last month looking down, taking photos of the water’s edge and all of the tiny bits of nature that live along it. Today, I looked up…
Seasons By The Bird
Every month when I visit and write about this lake and my walk along the crushed shell trail, I almost always mention the unbelievable amount of bird song that you can hear. It comes from every direction, birds of every size are tucked and nestled among the branches, completely unseen as they call and sing to each other. As winter continues to thin the branches of some trees, I can catch glimpses of these birds and get a sense of the vast variety of birds that call this little bit of nature, home.
It was this sense of home that got me thinking about these birds and the seasons. I was born up north in Pennsylvania. We got “real” winters up there, with lots of snow and ice. It was toward the end of winter, when you had just about had your fill of cold weather and runny noses, that a sign of spring would appear. The first birds of the new season, the robins, would return to our woods and you knew that spring wasn’t far behind. Next we’d start to see the blue jays coming back, followed by the cardinals that would streak across the landscape in brilliant blazes of red.
Now that I live down south in Florida, the arrival of blue jays and cardinals mean something different here, they mean winter is on its way. This is the place the birds would come to when they disappeared from our wintery Pennsylvania woods. As I sit here listening to the birds, I catch glimpses of blue jays flying between the trees and I realize that it’s when the blue jays leave, that I now know spring is on its way. So this month I pay tribute to the original “snow birds” and I’ve created a slide show full of the tree tops and the many birds that live above and below them, even if only for a short season.
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[slideshow]
Ditch your dryer sheets and embrace the latest trend in simple, sustainable living…dryer sachets! These chemical-free, all-natural alternative to dryer sheets have been growing in popularity as people try to eliminate unnecessary chemicals from their homes, but have you ever wondered how they work? In this week’s column, I’ll tell you why they work and show you how to make your own.
What Is A Dryer Sachet And Why Does It Work?
A dryer sachet is a lot like any other sachet, it’s a bag or pouch made of porous fabric that is filled with fragrant herbs. What distinguishes dryer sachets from their culinary counterparts, is the type of herbs that are used in it. Most dryer sachets are made exclusively with lavender because it is a highly fragrant herb that eliminates static cling, and the residual smell left on clothing, repels moths. I’ve added fragrant rose petals in the custom herbal blend below, because I enjoy the light scent in combination with the lavender.
Dryer Sachet Herb Blend
The ingredients for this dryer sachet mix are gentle enough for sensitive skin and can be used when laundering children’s and infant’s clothing.
You’ll Need:
*Dryer sachets can be purchased online or you can make your own using an old sock or stockings. You can also sew your own reusable and refillable dryer sachets, using fabric scraps or an old t-shirt.
Assembly:
Place the herbs in the dryer sachet of your choice and add the essential oil drops. If using an old sock or stockings, add the herbs and securely tie the end, or ends, into a knot. If you have enough fabric, you can tie a double knot to be safe.
To Use:
Each sachet can be used 7-10 times (the sachets can be used more than 10 times if you don’t mind a reduction in scent). Before each drying cycle, remove the sachet and pinch it between your fingers a few times, to release the herbal essences.
When you’ve used the bag and no longer notice a strong scent in your laundry, you can deodorize and freshen your vacuum cleaner by sprinkling the herbs on the floor and vacuuming them up!
