Blogs I Read
Blogs I Read… And Why I Read Them…
(This page will never be finished and will always be changing…)
Tom LeBlanc: Mon@rch’s Nature Blog
http://monarchbfly.com/
Tom LeBlanc works in Allegany State Park in Cattaraugus County, western New York. One day when we were hiking together at the park, he encouraged me to write a blog. I told him I didn’t have anything to say. He laughed at me. He laughs even more, now that he sees that I keep not one, but several blogs.
In his blog, Tom writes mostly about the natural world in and around the Park. As he is a bird bander and butterfly enthusiast, you will see many posts about birds and butterflies, but other topics as well. Tom is generous with his time and his knowledge and expertise. It is always fun to hike with Tom, or to attend one of his bird banding events. But if you don’t live close enough to the Park to do that, his blog is the next best thing… full of photos and even videos of the world around him.
Check out Tom’s Flickr photos, too.
Dave Bonta: The Morning Porch
http://morningporch.tumblr.com/
No pictures. No videos. Just words. From his sidebar:
The view & soundscape from my front porch first thing in the morning, in 140 characters or less.
I don’t know how he does it. I don’t know how he comes up with something different every single morning. I don’t know how he manages to create an image in my mind with 140 characters or less. But he does, and it’s wonderful.
No matter how busy my morning is, I never miss The Morning Porch. It’s poetry. It’s magic.
Dave puts some pretty awesome pictures on Flickr, too, and has several other projects, including Via Negativa and Festival of Trees. But I love The Morning Porch best of all.
Nina: Nature Remains
http://natureremains.blogspot.com/
Speaking of poetry, here’s another blog I rarely miss. Nina lives in an old farmhouse that has easy access to wonderful natural features including woods and a vernal pool – right outside her doorstep.
What I love best about her posts is that while they ring true from a scientific perspective, more importantly, they are full of her personality. She is fascinated by and compassionate toward the natural world and she writes with such poetry about her experiences outside. Creative nonfiction. It’s wonderful.
Ruth: Body Soul and Spirit
http://bodysoulandspirit.blogspot.com/
Ruth is one of those people who you wish you knew, and you feel like you already do. I think I first stumbled upon her photos on Flickr, then later found her blog. She lives with intention, caring for the whole person, as the title of her blog implies: body, soul, and spirit. Her posts are heavy on nature, but also include cultural history, human insight and a touch of spirituality.
She has a couple of other projects online: Birding with Ruth on Flickr and Come Home to Supper – a second blog that has delicious recipes from her family table. She has even embraced the video realm and posted videos on YouTube.
I’ve never met her, still… Ruth feels like a kindred spirit.
Montana Outdoors
http://montucky.wordpress.com/
Some blogs I read in the RSS feed format, just to save a few clicks. This one, I always go directly to the site. There is something about the sweeping Montana landscapes that draws me in and takes my breath away… and “Montucky’s” header captures that grandeur so beautifully.
In addition to his header, Montucky often posts photos of other landscapes, as well as closeups of flowers, butterflies, and so on… most unfamiliar to me. I have never been to Montana, though I’ve always wanted to go. I feel like this blog is giving me a preview before my eventual trip there!
Like many bloggers, he houses his photos at Flickr.
Seabrooke Leckie: The Marvelous in Nature
http://themarvelousinnature.wordpress.com/
Seabrooke writes a very well-researched blog! I learn so much from her. She lives just a bit north of me in the Toronto area, I believe, so much of what she writes about can also be found here and I can apply what I learn right away.
In addition to her blog, she also has her own website which features her beautiful photography and illustrations. A very talented person, indeed!
Toni Kelly: A Spattering
http://kellyinkstudio.blogspot.com/
Toni lives and works in Erie, PA. Her blog is a beautiful blend of her artwork, her passion for nature and gardens, and her life. Her artwork includes photography, watercolor, books, and papercrafts. I envy her skills!
I’m posting here her blog header as it appeared the day I updated this page. If you check in to her blog, you will find that she changes her header on occasion.
I should’ve said this a while ago, but I’m really honored by your inclusion of The Morning Porch here. This kind of recognition from a regular reader and fellow blogger means so much more to me than any of the standard blog-ranking metrics ever could.
I have just found this page and thank you for your kind comments. You are a blogger extraordinaire and a great teacher!
Excellent..i linked you.
Hi Jennifer, I very much like your pictures and web site. I must tell you to come and see my lupine patch this spring. I have approx an acre of them that come to bloom that are just gorgeous! I am not too far from riverside. I would also like the opportunity to discuss things with you. Thank you zoa
Here’s a nature blog with a little different approach:
middlewoodjournal.blogspot.com
Hope you like it.
Beautiful! I love it!
Hi Jennifer,
For a reminder of what it was like when all of nature was still new to you, try my photo blog, SilverLining (silverliningdays.blogspot.com)
Just a scroll through the pictures – which show what the eye sees – might be enjoyable to you.
I marvel at the photos in your blog. How do you manage to catch and hold a bird!? I’ll read more of it and find out I’m sure how it is that you and Tom “catch” them!
Keep loving the outdoors -
Mary McAvoy
i enjoyed your article on skunk cabbage and recommended it on my FB page http://www.facebook.com/saveourskills