Nature

The Northland Bioneers Conference will take place this weekend at the University of Minnesota. Produced by Northland Sustainable Solutions, the meeting focuses on environmental and social sustainability. For more information and a list of the speakers, see the TC Planet article about the event.

If you are inspired to cultivate your own plentiful garden next year, now is a great time to curl up with Buffalo Bird Woman’s Garden for tips on sustainable agricultural practices–and a chance to meet Buffalo Bird Woman, a master gardener of the 19th century. “I sometimes say to my son Goodbird: ‘You young folks, when you want green corn, open the husk to see if the grain is ripe enough, and thus expose it; but I just go out into the field and pluck the ear. . . . I do not think you are very good gardeners in these days!’”

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Photographer Layne Kennedy is in the Boundary Waters working on an upcoming MHS Press book scheduled to be published in the fall of 2010.

Layne is part of the author team, along with writer Greg Breining, who brought us A Hard-Water World: Ice Fishing and Why We Do It. Greg and Layne are teaming up again for a the book on the Boundary Waters.

Layne is currently writing a blog about his work, giving a behind the scenes look at his process in creating the new book. He also has a great entry about our friend Will Powers. Check it out.

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We have our five winners—Jennifer from Minneapolis, Jed from St. Paul, Owen from St. Paul, Thomas from Cedar Lake, IN, and John from Minneapolis. Your free books are on their way

Here are the answers, in case you were wondering: Flower 1 is Purple Pea (Lathyrus venosus); Flower 2 is Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis); Flower 3 is Broad-Leaved Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia).

Thanks to everyone for playing!

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Well, the Wildflower Challenge has been exactly that—challenging. So far, we have only one winner (Jennifer from Minneapolis—Yay!).

So, to help you along, I am going to give you some hints from our books Wildflowers of the Boundary Waters:

Flower #1: “As you might expect, its seedpod resembles the pea pods you’ve picked from your garden or purchased in the grocery store, but in miniature.”

 Flower #2: “Its oil has proved promising in the treatment of asthma, migraines, arthritis, acne, weight loss, and other maladies.”

  Flower #3: American Indians sliced and dried the tubers to fill a major portion of their food supply.”

Again, you may email me your answers at mary.poggione@mnhs.org with “Wildflower Challenge” in the subject header. the first people four to get them all right wins a free book.

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In honor of the new MHS Press book Wildflowers of the Boundary Waters: Hiking Through the Seasons, by the wonderful Betty Vos Hemstad, we would like to offer a free book to the first five people who can identify the following flowers. E-mail your answers to me at mary.poggione@mnhs.org and put Wildflower Challenge in the subject line. We will accept the common use name for the flower. Ready?

For more information about Betty and her new book, check out this great article in Edina Magazine.

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Get out and celebrate Lake Superior Day this weekend! Lake Superior Day is officially on Sunday, but there are events all around the great lake the entire weekend as noted by the Lake Superior Binational Forum and the Minnesota Environmental Partnership (pdf). You can also show your appreciation of the lake and of conservation efforts for the lake by grabbing your familiy and friends and flying a kite on the lake this weekend.

If you are interested in learning more about Lake Superior, check out these MHS Press books: Lake Superior’s Historic North Shore: A Guided Tour, Shipwrecks Along Lake Superior’s North Shore, or Shining Big Sea Water: The Story of Lake Superior.

Excerpt from Norman K. Risjord’s Shining Big Sea Water

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Borealis Books author Cary J. Griffith and his book Opening Goliath were  featured in the June issue of Natural History Magazine.

“For the great silent majority who prefer to cheat death by staying aboveground–in other words, for those who don’t suffer from that peculiar mental affliction called caving–Griffith provides a safe and sane way of exploring the underground realm.” Natural History Magazine

Excerpt:
The last thing John Ackerman wants to do is dive another cave sump. But he and John Preston have worked throughout the last month preparing for this moment, reviewing the entire trip more times than he can count. They have carefully compiled just the right mixture of scuba gear, surveying equipment, and survival provisions. And here he is, suiting up with Preston to scuba dive a tight, difficult crossing into the newly discovered cave—now named the Iconoclast Section.
Continued…

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