Rachel Woods
To All The Birds I Could Not Name...

To all the birds I could not name….I saw you out there, in your winter plumage and bird glory and you made my day!

To All The Birds I Could Not Name...
Rachel Woods
Owling in Suburbia

It sat and watched. Barked once more. Then, it flew away, somewhere deeper into the stand. I saw it land on another branch but couldn’t see the silhouette any longer. The morning light was still too new, too dim, too low on the horizon. Bark.

Owling in Suburbia
Rachel Woods
Inviting Hope Home: Let Leaves Lie

Let Leaves Lie.

In doing so you create shelter for wild creatures. You retain the eggs and larvae that are attached to the leaves as they fall. You provide a food source for many wild animals. You protect delicate plants by surrounding them in leaves, protected for the winter. You retain soil moisture and reduce the need for watering.

Inviting Hope Home: Let Leaves Lie

native plants

A Great Migration

A Great Migration

It’s a wonder to see how pleasantly symbiotic the whole relationship is. The milkweed relinquishes its leaves while maintaining life sustaining energy in its deep taproot and regrows. The caterpillar receives its nourishment, including the bitter toxin from the plant that provides a layer of protection from predators, even as an adult. Pollinators will be by eventually to pollinate the flowers which will create pods of wind-dispersed seeds. Human interactions don’t ever seem this smoothly cooperative.

Inviting Hope Home: More Like a Tortoise

Inviting Hope Home: More Like a Tortoise

I, am more of a tortoise. Slow and steady, a plain Jane of sorts, not trying to call attention to myself but certainly moving with purpose. And it is this strategy I relied on to change my one quarter acre property in suburbia to a wildlife oasis. I could have called in reinforcements, hired a landscaper, gotten it all done in one season and that too is an effective strategy for change. But I went section by section and years later it’s all coming together.

Inviting Hope Home: The Pond

Inviting Hope Home: The Pond

As the New Year often inspires us to consider what we can do differently this year than last, I wonder if you have it in you to reconsider your outdoor space. As you will see from my shared experience, this has been a process, one that started over a decade ago. I have worked at my own pace. I have had months where my yard was the last thing on my to-do list. I can assure you that this experience did NOT take over my life and it shouldn’t take over yours. But in so many regards, it has enriched my life and has taught me the incredible resilience of nature, which brings me hope.

Local businesses rely on word of mouth endorsements.

Follow, share, like, review…..little acts that mean the world to a small business.