Spring 2010 Issue - Vol. 7, No.1
Preview the Spring 2010 issue.
In this issue: we weigh in on the Internet; reach out through mentoring; take a look at the catalpa tree; feel lucky about restoring 125 acres; face up to global warming; see insects as art; and celebrate nature through Naturalist's Notebook.

More details below.

---Mrs. Woods

We weigh in on the Internet. Rollie Henkes reveals his inner grump on the commentary page this issue with a diatribe against the Internet. But I remind him that people are using the Internet to connect with each other as never before.
Reaching out through mentoring. Field days and seminars are great, but some groups are taking outreach a step further with one-on-one mentoring programs. Read how people who’ve established native gardens in their own yards are helping neighbors do the same. Some experienced woodland owners are sharing their knowledge in the same way. Their stories are part of our special report on mentoring this issue. It all shows that mentoring programs are a great way to reach new people, in addition to getting the job done on the land.
Catalpa: Tree of beauty and mystery. Tree guy Jack Knight spins a tale about a tree that deserves consideration for the forest or street. If you’ve never seen a catalpa in full bloom, with its huge, orchard-like white flowers, take a look at our center spread this issue.
Eaarth by Bill McKibben
BOOKS: Facing up to global warming. Alice D’Alessio reviews Eaarth, an important new book by Bill McKibben. Eaarth is the name McKibben has coined for our planet in an age of global warming. Greenhouse gas-induced climate change is no longer theory; it’s a reality we have to live with, according to the book. Read McKibben’s prescriptions for lifestyle changes needed to live “lightly, carefully and gracefully” in this new world.
How lucky can you get? Dick and Debby Baker are spending their retirement years fighting invasive species and doing whatever else it takes to leave their 125 acres in better shape than when they found it. They wouldn’t have it any other way.
Celebrate nature through Naturalist’s Notebook. Most of us have never seen an oak savanna filled with spring flowers. That’s because most areas with old oaks are grazed by cattle. Enjoy Carl Kurtz’s photo of the results after cattle are removed and controlled burns spark new life.
Insects in art. Not just subjects for entomologists, scarab beetles, dragonflies and other insects have stirred the creative juices of artists since time immemorial. Insects will continue to be part of our creative and cultural history, writes Jennifer Hopwood, the magazine’s bug lady.
Midwest Woodlands & Prairies is published four times a year by Wood River Communications.

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