The above high rainfall we’ve had past couple of years seems to have caused a boost in lichens. Lichens are those flat light green blotches or hair-like tufts you see growing on tree bark and rocks. Like all life on Earth, lichens have found a niche where they can grow without much competition. Most older trees in our area have at least a small colony growing somewhere.

Arbor Day is approaching for our local states (Tennessee March 6, Kentucky April 3, Virginia April 24), and it’s a worthy recognition of the importance of trees in our lives. Here in the mountains they are omnipresent, with every scenic vista tree laden. Every home is full of tree stuff, from bananas to the roof trusses, and every breathe we take has some tree air in it. What follows is some quotes and a little poetry spoken by wise people on the importance of trees.

Being well into winter, perhaps you are a thermophile (one who likes heat) and don’t really want to read about cold. But stay with me on this one and perhaps you won’t be so down on our own winter weather.

The most common owl that I run across locally is the Barred Owl (Strix varia) but have only seen them a handful of times. But I know they visit my woods regularly by their easy to recognize 8 or 9 note call that is remembered by the phrase “who cooks for you, who cooks for you-all”. When I hear the Barred or any owl call out, it gives me a shiver of wildness that is very satisfying.

“Browse” as a wildlife term is used as a noun and refers to food in the form of woody twigs and buds found on trees, shrubs and vines. Since more nutritious and palatable food is available during the growing season, browse is usually only consumed during the leaner winter months, which makes it critical in maintaining a wildlife population. Animals that utilize browse in our area include deer, elk, beaver, rabbit, mice and others.

With winter weather there are two distinct camps of people: those that love it and those that do not. You may have picked up in past articles that I am in the love winter camp, and cold/snow fans have actually been labeled. We are chionophiles (ki-own-a-files), those who thrive in cold winter conditions, especially in snow. It’s a Greek word that literally means “snow lover”.

With the leaves off the hardwood trees, plants that remain green show up more prominently and are a handsome contrast to the “dead of winter”. Two that you are likely to see in the mountains are rhododendron and mountain laurel, which look similar and are often confused.

I have never outgrown my love of a fresh snowfall, which takes a bleak winter scene and transforms it into a wonderland. The quiet a snow brings is both eerie and wonderful, and a walk in the snow on a moonlit night is something you simply must experience.

A lot of folks think that snow begins as rain that freezes on its way down and turns into snow. It's usually the other way around, with rain beginning as snow, which melts as it falls.

I don’t know the stats for our area, but on a national level, Americans are overstressed, and everyone knows this is unhealthy. The causes are familiar: fast pace of life, multi-tasking … you know the sound bites.
I’ve written in the past about studies that show that immersing yourself in natural settings can reduce stress, so I revisited the topic and found some new twists on natural stress reduction. Here are some recommendations that surfaced.