I can’t take credit for this photo – my better half was out there braving the flurry to get it.
This bad boy was originally chasing down a sparrow, but gave up and decided instead to just look regal. (I wish I could look that regal just by sitting and turning my head.)
Another good reason to keep lookin’ up, no? 
Keep it wild, world!
You can’t feel it right now, but there are bugs all over you.
Before you freak out and jump in the shower, rest assured that if it weren’t for some of these microscopic critters, you probably wouldn’t be here. Many of these bugs keep us healthy and on any given day, you’re sharing your body with about 90 trillion or so.
In other words, resistance is futile!
So, who’s setting up shop on your body? Here are 3 animals that call you home.
DEMODEX
Do you recognize this one? Eight-legged demodex is a worm-like mite that likes to hang out near hair follicles. Specifically, this guy is particularly partial to your eyelashes. Adults are only 0.03 mm long, so you won’t actually see them crawling around up there. The cool thing about these guys? Their bodies are so efficient, they only have a mouth. That is to say, ahem, that there is no exit. They use everything they eat without any waste!
LACTOBACILLUS ACIDOPHILUS
Don’t let the big name on this fella freak you out – lactobacillus is one of the good guys. In fact, I bet most of you have even walked into a grocery store and purposely bought food with Mr. Lactobac in it. You know all those commercials for yogurt that are pimping out the good bacteria? They’re talking about this one. Lactobacillus lives throughout your body, especially in your mouth and stomach. With this guy on the job, most people have improved immune function and a healthier GI tract. Eat up!
YOUR DNA
Yup, you read that right. Research has shown that 8% of our DNA comes from a virus and not one of our ancestors. This happens through a process called endogenization. These viruses (called bornaviruses) can cause disease in horses and sheep. Thankfully, we are not horses nor sheep. For the most part, we seem to be doing okay with this virus within us. It’s possible that this viruses causes mutation that leads to schizophrenia, but the labcoats haven’t ironed out all the details on that one.
So there you have it! We are walking, talking ecosystems. Just another way we are all connected… 
Have a wild Friday!
P.S Sorry if I made you itchy…
I’m rebelling. We got another lashing of snow last night and I’m currently dreaming of green grass, T-shirt weather and ice cream.
Ok, so I’m pretty much always dreaming of ice cream, but that’s another matter.
In one of my last posts How to Teach Snow a Lesson, we learned that you can show snow who’s boss by pretending it isn’t there. In the spirit of ignoring snow, I thought I’d tell you a spring and summer secret. My lovely readers residing in the southern hemisphere can use this one right now.
Crickets are handy little fellas. They serenade us for hours in search of a mate. Summer nighttimes become busier than Lava Life on Valentine’s Day. But you can use their love songs to do something pretty cool – cricket songs tell you how hot it is. That’s more than you can say for, oh… Justin Timberlake’s songs.
To get the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, count the number of chirps in 14 seconds. Add 40 to this number and voila, you’re done. So for 35 chirps, we end up with 75 degrees.
For us Celsius lovers, count the number of chirps in 25 seconds. Divide this number by three, then add 4. For 45 chirps, this gives you 19C.
Make sense?
Try it out on your next outdoor adventure and you’ll impress people so much, you’ll have no need for Lava Life.
Keep it wild!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (and again).
It’s all connected.
Now I know that that phrase is laden with Circle of Life cheesiness and most of the time people respond with eyerolls, but there’s no getting around it.
Why repeat myself so much? The sooner we accept it, the sooner we can move on and do something about this whole Save-the-Earth thing.
Here’s a little Monday thought for the day that ought to get you started.
I’m going to tell you about Argon.
If you’ve taken (and remember) a chemistry class, you probably know about Argon. Because it’s a Monday, I”ll save you the suspense – it’s an element. Likes to hover around the right side of the ol’ periodic table.
Every time you exhale, you breathe out approximately 30,000,000,000,000,000,000 Argon atoms.
Argon is everywhere. It’s in plants, animals, pastry, you name it. But Argon is also special. It’s one of those elements that doesn’t want to change. Argon is stubborn. Because of this, they stick around forever and stay exactly the same.
So, the Argon atoms that you’re breathing now are the same atoms that Leonardo da Vinci exhaled. They’re the same atoms Elvis breathed and they’re the ones that could be in China, the Antarctic or Italy about a year from now.
They’re also the same atoms that dinosaurs exhaled.
Think about it – atoms that entered a T-Rex’s system 68 million years ago are the same ones you’re breathing right now.
Incidentally, they’re also the same atoms your great-great-great (I could go on) grandchildren will one day breathe in.
What’s true for Argon is true for air and our whole planet. Everything on this Earth is connected by air in a very literal sense. It’s all the same.
Of course, we are also connected by water, soil and a whole bunch of other stuff, but that’s a story for another day.
Happy Monday, friends – Keep it wild!
Free stuff for nature lovers! Click the links underneath to get yourself a copy in yellow, blue or fancy shmancy purple.
You know, whatever matches your decor.
Magic Air Cleaner Yellow (157)
Magic Air Cleaner Purple (169)
I’m working on a series of these, which will be available in the Trading Post as I complete them!
Keep it wild!
Do you know what time it is?
Most people have internal clocks. Mine goes off everyday at about 10 am, telling me that it’s lunchtime. (I know, it’s weird.)
Other clocks let you know it’s time for bed, breakfast, or anything in between.
But you can also look to nature to find out what time it is. The next time you’re out, take a look at the flowers.
Blue chicory shuts tight at noon and white waterlilies close their blossoms at 4 pm. Marigolds open by 7 am and close at 7 pm. Pickerelweed is another that closes up at noon.
All of you botany friends out there can probably add to this list – what time do your flowers open and close?
Now, I realize that some of us are still in the middle of winter (no flowers for us!), but there are still natural clocks out there. Try feeding birds everyday at the same time. After a couple of days, you’ll probably be surprised at just how punctual your dinner guests can be. Soon, you’ll be able to set your watch by the birds!
Happy Wednesday, all – Keep it wild!
GAH!
Ok, I’ll admit it. I’m not much of a ‘winter person’. Sure I like winter as much as the next gal, but sometimes, after countless hours of staring at the gray sky and gray ground, while freezing my stuff off, one can go a little nutty. The shorter hours, curse-worthy temperatures and runny nose-sicles are just too much. Must. have. spring.
Now, I understand that some people love winter (and I am jealous of those people), and I also know that we must have winter to maintain any sort of balance in the natural world.
I’m cool with that.
But. That doesn’t mean that I don’t want to show snow who’s boss every so often. Join me in the revolt and together, we can teach snow a lesson.
Here are 10 ways:
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some sandals to find…
Keep it wild!
Oh, hiking boots.
We’ve been through a lot, you and I.
You’ve kept me company on a plane across the Pacific Ocean.You’ve kept me dry on the Atlantic sands and hoisted me up yet another tree branch.
For over 7 years now, you’ve been going strong.
Remember the days of wildlife rehab? You were clawed at, peed on, bitten and covered with mud.
At least I’m pretending it was mud.
What about New Zealand? Don’t pretend you weren’t afraid while clamoring over rocks with 80 degree inclines while planting trees. Speaking of trees, I wonder how many shovels you’ve helped propel into the dirt?
You took me to 5 years of University labs and classes. You even showed up the day I defended my thesis, even though you tracked a bit of dirt into the fancy room. That carpet needed a good cleaning anyways.
You’ve been in whitewater rafts (and got soaked), canoes (ditto), horse stirrups (smelly) and snowshoes (frigid). You’ve taken me through snow, sand, mud, water, grass and even a little bit of magma. As a result of all those adventures, you’ve also been in the wash. At one point, you were even told by family to ‘stay outside on the deck’ because you looked ‘questionable.’
Hmph.
You’ve steadied me across makeshift bridges of rotting wood – your tread gripping while I wondered aloud ‘how in the hell did I get in this situation again?!’ You don’t seem to mind that I attract heights that would give a mountain goat a run for his money.
It hasn’t all been carefree meadows with daisies and immaculate landscapes. In fact, I remember your first wound. A dog got a hold of you and used you as a chew toy. For shame. You never complained once while I stitched you back up, without drugs no less.
After all this time, you’re still relatively in one piece. Indiana Jones says, ‘It’s not the age, it’s the mileage’.
If that’s the case, I’d say you’ve earned your stripes.
So, boots – where should we go today?
Happy Friday everybody! I hope you (and your footwear) are ready for weekend adventures. Keep it wild!
**Winner Update! Congrats to Mel and Adrienne for winning The Great Goodall Giveaway! I’ll be in touch for addresses to mail out your prize!**
Winners were chosen by random number generator, because all of your answers were so awesome. Thanks to everybody for entering!Just a reminder:
I’ve been tagged! For an adventurous game of blog tag, that is. That’s right, Tripbase is putting together a series of posts on travel secrets. I’m a big fan of tag, so I’ll gladly accept this challenge!
Being a proponent of the motto ‘Go big or go home’, my first trip away was to New Zealand. After 23 hours on a plane (3/4 of which was spent listening to James Blunt concerts on loop – Lord save me), I found myself in what I can only describe as ‘a postcard on Earth’.
Put it this way – you could give a monkey a camera and set him free in New Zealand, and within a week he would return with the most gorgeous pictures you’ve ever seen. The landscape writes itself. As a zoologist, naturalist and writer, I was in heaven.
My 3 Wild Secrets to exploring this stunning destination? Read on, Frodo.
#1. Risk your life (in the presence of a trained professional).
A good place to do this is at the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Glowworm cave exploring sounds like a nice, safe adventure doesn’t it? That’s exactly what I thought when a feisty little tour guide named Snappy was describing our task. (Looking back, her name should have tipped me off).
I’ll let you in on a secret – when black water rafting to see glowworms, there is no raft. Instead, you are given an inner tube and propelled into the deep, black abyss of glow worm caves. You are told to hang onto your partners hand (if you don’t, you could actually float away) and that the water is quite cold, so don’t be surprised if you lose feeling in your hands. Yes, the very hands that are meant to keep you attached to your peers. Excellent.
The most harrowing part of the adventure is reaching an underground waterfall. Here, you are told to “turn around, face your butt (contained in said inner tube) away from the falls, and jump off backwards”. Of course, you can’t actually see the falls because of the inky blackness, nor can you judge exactly how high you are jumping from. At this point I was considering how quickly one must get medical attention after a concussion. What do you do? You take a deep breath, listen to Snappy and jump! I promise, this adventure is one for the books!
Why it’s worth it: Glowworms are nature’s reply to the constellations in the sky.
#2 Go glacier hopping.
Franz Josef Glacier is one of a handful of temperate glaciers in the world. This means it’s situated in a rainforest, but is somehow still a frozen block of ice that can be seen all year round. This is one not to miss on your trip to NZ, because of its sheer awesomeness. I mean that in terms of its actual size, and also its badass-ness.
Whenever you glacier hop, you’re given a pair of metal spike attachments for your boots. These will not only make you feel like a superhero, but will help you out immensely in those moments of sheer terror. (Did I mention I have a bit of a fear of heights?)
While climbing Franz Josef, you will learn you have muscles in places you only dreamed of. This glacier is a bit of an optical illusion – while climbing (and looking only at the white in front of you), you don’t realize how high you are. It is only when you arrive at the top and look out over the landscape that it hits you. For me, this realization was a mix of awe and ‘oh $#!t how am I going to get down?!’. Luckily, you have your superhero boots on and are free to enjoy the view.
Why it’s worth it: The paradox of being surrounded by snow while feeling hot is out of this world.
#3. Get up close and personal.
During my entire month-long stay in New Zealand, few places rivaled the natural beauty of Abel Tasman National Park. Here you are free to canoe, sea kayak, hike and generally traipse about feeling fantastic to have survived your previous adventures. As New Zealand’s smallest National Park, Abel Tasman is like the Mona Lisa of parks – it captivates everybody with its beauty, but is actually smaller than you’d expect.
It is also a great place to take some time and explore the local flora and fauna. New Zealand is home to many endemic species – those that live there and only there – so grab your camera (bring extra batteries and memory cards) and shoot to your heart’s content. Close by and not-to-miss is also a Sculpture Park and natural garden center, with mind-blowingly beautiful natural artwork like this:
Why it’s worth it: Two words: Photo Ops.
There you have it! I’d love to hear about your travel adventures, so leave your secrets in the comments! Kia Ora and stay wild!
