In these short publications, I write directly to kids, in the form of a letter. We don’t send letters so much any more, but a good letter can feel like part of a long-distance conversation, informal and personal. Readers might be ten years old, or in their teens, or maybe adults who enjoy reading a little informal letter about something or somewhere in nature. I don’t get very in-depth – the idea is for it to feel informal but also include interesting stuff about anything from wasps to turtles to trees.
The pdf-format letters will be free, though I note in the fine print that if you want to make some small donation to help keep the walks and road trips going, I will certainly be grateful. You can donate through PayPal.
Download the first letter here. I write about a walk that includes a great egret, a red-eared slider basking on a cloudy winter day, and the beautiful fallen leaves and how they smell as they return to soil. Lots of photos help to illustrate the walk – and then there is some information about going on your own walk at the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge.
The second letter can be downloaded here. In this letter I talk about a walk at the Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve where I found cricket frogs. These are cool, interesting little frogs that can be found nearly year round.
The third letter can be downloaded here. This one tells about a great walk on a warm winter day (but the water was cold!) at a nearby creek, with mosquitofish, a baby clam, a very cold cricket frog, and fossil ammonites.
The fourth letter can be downloaded here. This describes a late winter walk at Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge, with mistletoe, a little about how a walk in nature can improve our relaxation and mood, and my finding a tiny bird nest (from last year).
The May, 2022 letter can be downloaded here. In this letter, I talk about a day spent at LBJ National Grasslands, with a killdeer watching me closely, a peek at a tarantula, ponds and prairies and a night walk with coyotes and gray treefrogs calling.
The June, 2022 letter can be downloaded here. I talk about venomous snake safety and related issues, using my encounters with cottonmouths as an example (and the ideas are applicable to other venomous snakes).
The August, 2022 letter can be downloaded here. This letter describes nature journaling, why it is useful and how a young person might do it. I provide a format with prompts for the things that might be included in a journal entry, although kids are encouraged to write and draw in whatever way works best for them.
Our Lives In Nature 