It's the time of year that Calgary vegetable gardeners hopes are high: prepping the soil, planting seeds and hoping for a good harvest. About three-quarters of my garden beds are planted. I'm also making time for citizen science projects related to birds, pollinators, plants and lake health.
Spring is an ideal time to boost your Nature connection. The short-lived bird migration season increases both the absolute numbers and number of bird species around. Maybe you'll add a bird or two (or more) to your year- or life-list! It's also when gardeners finalize their seed orders, start seeds and hope for the most bountiful harvest and prolific blooms ever. Of course there's snow melt, mud and spring yard clean-up to contend with. But for me, the joys far outweigh the work.
February's the month for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count. And we finally spotted one of the two bobcats that have been wandering in our suburban neighbourhood.
Reading the book "Forest Walking" enhanced my nearby nature experiences this month. And adding a suet block holder attracted new visitors to our backyard birdfeeder set-up.
This edition of the Nearby Nature Project talks about the abrupt transition of summer to fall to winter in the Bow Valley. Plus, I review James Raffan's "Ice Walker" and explain the troubles we've had with our backyard birdfeeder.