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Native American Heritage Month

Native American Heritage Month

When I was a kid,  westerns were the most popular shows on television.  Often these shows pitted cowboys against Indians.  That led to kid’s play along the same lines.  In my case,  I was an Indian.  We didn’t actually have many gun battles, but we did dress up in our best native imitation and wander […]

Delorme Atlas and Gazetteer

Delorme Atlas and Gazetteer

There is a Delorme Atlas and Gazetteer for every state in the U.S. and they cost around $20 each.  These are outstanding tools for developing plans for your adventures.  They include a series of topographic maps mostly 1:150,000 (2.4 miles per inch), although scales vary, with 300 foot contours. They are not as topographically detailed as […]

Mushroom Identification for Explorers

Mushroom Identification for Explorers

One thing you will find among the serious explorers of the world is an ardent interest in identifying the things they come across in their adventures.  Among foragers,  identification of things they might ingest becomes of critical importance.  Whether you are an explorer, a forager or just someone with an interest in mushrooms,  you will […]

Healthy Parks Healthy People

Healthy Parks Healthy People

Mardie Townsend, Claire Henderson-Wilson, Elyse Warner and Lauren Weiss, School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, recently prepared Healthy Parks Healthy People: the State of the Evidence 2015 for Parks Victoria (Australia).  The 103 page document reviews the post-2008 scientific literature in relation to the health benefits of parks and natural spaces.  The attempt is […]

Nature Play

Nature Play

The Pennsylvania Land Trust Association (PLTA) says: “Unstructured, frequent childhood play in informal outdoor settings powerfully boosts the cognitive, creative, physical, social and emotional development of children. It also engenders deep conservation values; more so than any other factor.”  Continuing research is supporting this statement. In an effort to explain the idea further and to […]

Horses, Canoes and Gift Fish: the Writings of Patrick McManus

Horses, Canoes and Gift Fish: the Writings of Patrick McManus

You can’t always be out and about exploring during your adventures.  Sometimes it’s imperative that you sit on the ground, put your back against a tree and open a great book. Well, Patrick McManus’ books aren’t great in the sense of being an essential foundation in the literature of Western culture, but they are hilarious and, […]

Izaak Walton League

Izaak Walton League

Basis of The Isaac Walton League As the author of The Compleat Angler, Izaak Walton’s (1594-1683) name is synonymous with fishing.  He thus became the perfect namesake for The Isaac Walton League, an association originally formed to preserve fishing opportunities for future generations. The group was founded in Chicago in 1922 and by 1924 had […]

Earth Day 2015

Earth Day 2015

 Earth Day Facts and History Earth Day marks its 45th Anniversary in 2015.  What began in the USA on March 22, 1970 as an environmental education initiative, supported by Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-Wis.) and Congressman Paul McCloskey (R-Calif.), is now celebrated in nearly 200 countries around the world.  In many places it has expanded to Earth Week and […]

The Science of Playgrounds

The Science of Playgrounds

Susan G. Solomon has written a book titled The Science of Play: How to Build Playgrounds That Enhance Children’s Development. In her own words: “I have been frustrated by recent discussions about play. These have been well-meaning but not very effective in improving venues for kids and their families. I have tried to shift the debate […]

Born to Explore

Born to Explore

Born to Explore by Richard Wiese I wrote a full review of this book in the eMagazine, but wanted to mention it here for those that missed the article.  I summarized my review this way: “Overall, this book brought back memories from around age ten or twelve when I made bread-on-a-stick, built an iglo0, learned […]

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