I came down with a long-lasting cold the weekend after Thanksgiving. It hung around for a good three weeks. I had recovered, just enough, to take a walk in the snow on Christmas Day, but family festivities were out for me this year. I usually come down with something after the holidays, so I guess I got a jump on it this time around. Thems the breaks, right?

And now it's January, 2025, and I'm already struggling with the seasonal blues. January, in my experience, is always rough.  So, I'm going to try something different, and take a look back at some of the highlights of 2024, and conjure up some positive vibes.  

OTHER NOTABLES

TheParkNextDoor celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024. To commemorate it, I started publishing a quarterly magazine based on blogs and features of the website, and more.  So far, first issues for Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter have been issued. As well as a special best of the blog compilation. They can all be found on the website, under The Magazine tab. These publications are all free to read online. And they can be downloaded to your tablet or computer as well.

We talked a bit about other things he enjoyed on the walk - sharing photos with the other photographers, learning about the fungus that grows on fallen trees, sitting on a tree stump that looks kind of like a chair. He enjoyed the StoryWalk, which is an ongoing, and changing feature at the FEC along the Community Spur trail.

Partway through the walk, the batteries ran out on his camera (we've all been there). So, he switched to using his mom's phone camera.  He took it in stride, and got some amazing photos.  He also shared a couple photo tips:

1)  Set the phone on the ground, facing straight ahead, for a low to the ground style photo.
​2)  Lay your phone flat on the ground, facing up, beneath a tall tree, to get a cool photo of a tree against the sky.

​Finally, here's a gallery of some of Karson's photos from the walk.  Enjoy!

I'd call this first photo walk a success. I want to thank the FEC for partnering with me on this event, and everyone who joined us. I hope everyone enjoyed it.  I certainly did. If you've never done a photo walk, I'd encourage you to get out on the trail and enjoy a photo walk of your own, with family, or friends. It's a great mix of art and nature. And a peaceful way enjoy an afternoon in the forest. ~ Kimberly

When it comes to nature, learning is infinite - So many plants, trees, insects, birds, and animals are part of this planets diverse ecosystems. Part of our  local ecosystems. So when I had a chance to take the Coexisting with Wildlife guided hike at Forest Exploration Center (FEC) this summer, I took it.

The guided hike was led by Wisconsin DNR Wildlife Educator, Jessica Knackert.  As we walked the trails in the forest, Jessica pointed out different signs of local wildlife, including their tracks, evidence of a deer trail, animal scat, hiding spots for smaller creatures like frogs, chipmunks, and nesting spots for birds. She shared models of coyote and fox prints, a variety of bear paw print models, and a model of a coyote skull, which is much smaller than you would think.

She impressed upon us the importance of giving wildlife proper space when coming in contact with it, but also shared that in most cases it's not necessary to feel threatened. Even by coyotes. Most urban coyotes will stay a safe distance from people, though, due to necessity, they have become more comfortable surviving in the city landscape.

Our parks and local green spaces make for safe spaces for them, and, most often, if they spot a human, they will turn off in the opposite direction. I, myself, have come across a coyote while walking the trail at Forest Exploration Center. The moment was fleeting, however. The coyote saw me walking down the trail, and in a split second it was gone. Taking shelter in a quiet space inside the woods, no doubt.

Of course, it's always good to be aware of your surroundings. If encountering a coyote, Jessica offered a few suggestions: use simple scare tactics to ward them off like talking loud, shaking a noisemaker of a sort (a soda can filled with coins or something similar), tossing a ball or a shoe, a stick, or another harmless item towards them, blow an air horn, or a loud whistle. Coyotes are generally nocturnal animals, so they are more likely to be spotted between dusk and dawn. For more detailed information on living with coyotes, and many other animals, visit the DNR website. Or take one of their guided hikes. I can definitely say they are worth the walk.

This year marks the 80th birthday of legendary Smokey Bear. Smokey has been teaching generations of people the importance of preventing forest fires. Last weekend Forest Exploration Center hosted a celebration for folks of all ages in honor of Smokey.  And fans of all ages showed up to meet Smokey, get their picture taken with him, and to enjoy fun activities along the walking trail within the forest.

I was impressed by how many people showed up wearing Smokey t-shirts, bandanas, or who brought along their beloved Smokey Bear stuffed toys - some generations old. The sentiment runs deep when it comes to Smokey.  And if you aren't familiar with Smokey's story, an illustrated storybook of Smokey's beginnings is on display along the storybook walk within the FEC. 

When I finally went inside to go to bed it took me a while to calm down and fall asleep. I was already making plans for the next night, which was supposed to be an even stronger storm.

But, like I said, the aurora is not fully predictable. We watched the alerts the following day, checked the strength of the solar storm about 50 times. We weren't sure it would be as intense. But we opted to go anyway.

We drove out to Kettle Moraine around 10:30 pm, arriving at Paradise Springs Nature Trail parking lot about 11:30.  I was relieved to see others there already, looking to see the lights. Our eyes adjusted to the  darkness after a few minutes. I did bring my regular camera, ready to take some photos, hopeful to get more clarity than I did with my phone. But that spectacular universe had other plans.

This morning, I am happy to report, the blooms that had closed up after sunset last night, have opened up to a new day. They look sunny and cheerful, and full of springs potential. Have I convinced you to go outside and pick yourself a bouquet of dandelions yet? 

I am a novice gardener. No doubt about it. But, every year I do manage to learn a bit more, and try something new. The great thing is, there is a community of gardeners out there that are willing to share the joy that gardening brings them, and what they have learned along the way to creating their gardens and wild spaces.

​No matter what your media of choice is - books, magazines, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, there are lots of wise and worldly gardeners and naturalists out there worth a read, a watch, or a listen. 

I have them to thank for inspiring me not to give up on turning our backyard into a beautiful space for wildlife. And for us as well.