Search
Close this search box.

Connections: Make a literary nature snapshot. Today. With us. Now.

Maine Audubon’s mission is to conserve Maine’s wildlife and wildlife habitat by engaging people in education, conservation, and action. Today, that mission seems more important than ever. Our educators, scientists, advocates, and naturalists are committed to keeping you connected to the natural world as we deal with the coronavirus situation together. Check in every weekday on our Connections page for family activities, parent/teacher tips, backyard birding, nature exploration at our sanctuaries, and live events.

Social distancing–and physical distancing–is hard. And the longer it goes on, the harder it gets. Even if we can enjoy nature in solitude, sometimes deeper meaning can be found when that enjoyment is shared with other people. For today’s Connection, let’s observe nature together and build a collective impression of the day, for this last day of March. Like a flash mob, but with words, and online, and over the course of the day. A literary nature snapshot, created by a community.

Let’s go! Look out the window and tell us what you see. Send your nature observation to media@maineaudubon.org, or add it in the Comments below. Your observation could be a phrase or just a single word. The only rule: keep it short–25 words or less! We’ll put them all together and see what we come up with. It’ll be epic. Check back tomorrow to see what we have observed and created together.

____________________

Thanks for answering the call! Here’s what we wrote together.

MARCH 31, 2020
–by everyone

Today we see birds.
We see
Timberdoodles,
And Dark-eyed Juncos with zugunruhe*,
And three chickadees munching berries.

We see Goldfinches, House Finches, and Juncos jockeying for feeder positions, until a female Red-bellied Woodpecker flies in and scatters them.

We see
A flock of robins,
And a Ring-necked Duck swimming with a Mallard,
And a Black-chin Hummingbird, spending the winter in Foley, Alabama

Today we see winter’s passing.
We see
A dusting of snow and ice,
Poor man’s fertilizer.
A yellow goldfinch bright on the overnight snow.
Leafless trees, stronger sun, hoping for green soon.

Then a fox walks through the yard, picks up a dog toy, and slinks off with it.

Today we see color.
Bluebirds have made their first nest of the season, earlier than expected.
Cardinals visit the suet early today in Texas, where a Carolina Wren makes her presence known with her song.
A bright red cardinal, no camouflage, calls from a bare tree branch.
Goldfinches and House Finches bring cheery colors.

Today we see plants.
We see
Tulips and hyacinths breaking ground in Michigan,
Bees on the crocus,
Swelling daffodils.

Today we see the sunset.
Setting sun through maples, lettuce growing in cold frame, crocuses, early iris, leaves not yet cleaned up, and a garden ready to be planted.
Setting sun shining on the pine branches, a squirrel looking for food, a stone wall, and a fallen tree.

Today we see hope.
Buds on the lilac bush.
Not tears but rain, new growth the gain.
Clouds break. On the horizon, a bright spot.