Crawling like a baby on sticks, through sticks, and with sticks in my hair.  Branches grab my shoelaces and refuse to let go, trapping me in a maze of manzanita, chamise, and coyote brush so thick it's difficult to see my friend just six feet away.  But today we're on a mission, and even the new rips in my pants can't stop me.  Finally, the extreme bushwhacking pays off, and I find my prize: a small patch of Layne's butterweed (Packera layneae), a small and…

Grand Portage National Monument - LWCF

So, I've lived in northern Minnesota most of my life. There was a short stint in Alaska and a month in Costa Rica, but other than that, I've called this great place my home forever. I've even worked for the National Park Service in Minnesota! Yes, for one season I was a Naturalist/Interpreter at the great and beautiful Voyageurs National Park. So, you'd think that with that background, I'd be interested in visiting Grand Portage, to kind…

     When speaking to other Outdoor Nation members I feel as if I am preaching to the choir. These folks are already excited about being active and their curiosity has led them to become extremely knowledgeable about the world. What can I offer them? Today's post is not a travel advertisement for a distant…

Just outside of Escalante, Utah you'll find a massive National Monument called Grand Staircase National Monument. Having grown up in Utah, I remember at age 11 when President Clinton designated this area as a National Monument. I had been camping there many times with my dad prior to the National Monument designation but my most recent trip there was my first time since the designation. I was so pleased to see how well the area has been preserved. The area is managed by the Bureau of Land…

The hustle of a busy day, traffic, noise, man-made light drowning natures color palate, and the ever growing cityscapes and urban sprawl. All these things are wonderful in their own right, but if left unchecked will continue to grow and force their will upon the land. While it won’t seemingly affect most people at…

Just so you all know, I keep a nature and music blog with one of my good friends over at http://bardowls.blogspot.com/ Please check it out from time to time for free music downloads and my modest attempts at insight into nature. :)

Key Log from capture studios on Vimeo.