The Wrack

How can small little bits persist or have any effect?

Bad things can happen when we don't pay attention to what's happening in the world around us. Is there a good way to snap attention back to nature?

It takes a village to raise a child. It takes a team to save a raccoon.

Over the past three years, it has been the practice of the Wells Reserve at Laudholm to publish a bit of make-believe each April Fools Day. We have posted hoax articles to draw attention to real issues like staff changes, invasive species, and the health of local rivers. Unfortunately, this year the truth-blurring antics of President Trump and his staff have convinced us that adding fake news to the local scene, even if only in jest, would be counter-productive and irresponsible.

Weatherization has always been held up as one of the easiest and first solutions to climate change; why not pick that low-hanging fruit?

Its morning in Antarctica. Its high summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and warmer ocean water and breezes have lifted the temperature on the Larsen C ice shelf to a balmy 32 degrees. Like a rifle shot, the ice occasionally gives off a pop that finds no place to echo across the flat, white,?featureless plain.

If the first casualty of war is the truth, then truth never stood a chance.

Its too early to tally the full damage from Hurricane Matthew, but I watched closely as four research reserves in our national system took the brunt of the storm.

The following was published in the Biddeford-Saco?Journal Tribune Sunday edition, 10/2/2016, and?Making It At Home's 10/5/2016 issue.

When my wife, sons, and I went away to our annual family reunion over Labor Day Weekend, we never expected to return home to find a party raging at our house. Wed left our cat, Greenberry, in charge of the homestead. When we got back from our trip, she was playing host to hundreds of obnoxious guests.

Fleas.

The following was published in the Biddeford-Saco?Journal Tribune Sunday edition, 8/21/2016, and?Making It At Home's 8/24/2016 issue.

August 21^st is my 38^th birthday. The odometer keeping track of my trips around the Sun just rolled over 22.2 billion miles. Theres still plenty of tread on the tires. I am beginning to notice a few twinges of maturity, though. Joint pains, hair loss, reflexive stubbornness, the irrepressible need to give advice  the signs of creeping codgerdom.