Summer Scavenger Hunt

Today is one of the hottest days of the summer in southern Illinois.  But I needed a break from the air conditioned environment.  I needed to feel the heat, to sweat, and to connect with nature.  The scavenger hunt I had been developing for a teacher workshop seemed like the thing to do, so I went outside with my camera for a look. 
The first item on my hunt was to find something colorful.  The beauty berry bush that I had planted less than two years ago provided just the color I was looking for.  The berries were shining as the sunlight hit them on this summer afternoon.

 I loved the shiny bright color and the contrast with the green leaves.  This plant will feed the birds in the middle of the winter when the berries turn to black and become edible.  For now, they give me the color I am looking for on this green summer day.

Next, something small.  I turned my camera setting to close up and looked for something small, but living.  It is amazing how much of the insect world is active in the summer.  This one was on a leaf in the same garden as the beauty berry.  The plant is a native, though I'm not sure which one it is.  I am disappointed with the photo because it doesn't seem in focus.  The veins of the leaf are clearer.  I guess I will have to practice more with this feature of my camera.  Any suggestions?

 Something gross in nature was easy to find--my cat.  I love him dearly, but he has a negative impact on wildlife in our wooded property.  He has brought home snakes, skinks, birds, mice, flying squirrels, bats, and more.  Although he may not look that ferocious now, WATCH OUT.  This cat is a hunter.  If I ever get a cat again, it will be one that is totally indoors.  I have tried to convert this one, but no luck!

 I'm off to look for something strange or unusual....strange can be a good thing as this photo will illustrate.  This is an oak stump that has rotted out and a new seedling emerges.  I like the thought of new life from something dead.  While this isn't strange in nature, it is strange to us humans.  We don't usually think of something good like renewal when we see a dead tree.  But it is a fact of nature.  To add to the strange aspect of the photo, I left the image in a horizontal rather than vertical view.  It is my attempt to be artistic!

 Finally, something important in nature:

Of course, everything is important.  Important is a value system we humans use to classify things, but nature doesn't care.  It is all connected and works together.  But since I had to take a picture of something, I chose this one of prairie grass with trees and vines in the background.  This illustrates the importance of green plants.  They are the base of the energy pyramid for ecosystem dynamics.  Most of us recognize that these plants produce oxygen (which we use) and use carbon dioxide (important in keeping CO2 levels low).  There are many products that we use which are derived from plants....including the food we eat.  So plants are important to us and the entire ecosystem.

My scavenger hunt finished, I return to the house for a cool glass of water.  But it is the time spent exploring nature that has refreshed me more than I can express.

Close Up in Nature

I have been exploring safety and ethics in nature while taking photographs.  When I took this photo, I was at the edge of a pond.  Safety considerations included not getting too close to the edge and not moving too fast.  I didn't want to fall in the water even though this August day in Missouri was very hot.
The dragonflies were swarming all around me but moving too fast to capture with my camera.  Instead of me getting close to them, I stood still near some appropriate habitat, and they came close to me!!

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Even though dragonflies are carnivorous, no one fears them.  They do not harm humans.  Most humans consider them delicately beautiful.  And this specimen was no exception.  So I took my point and shoot camera, and snapped the shutter before the resting animal could move.