Are plants singing and making music? TikTok led me down an interesting path. Isn’t it a charming idea? Plants are out there creating symphonies that we simply cannot hear.
There is evidence that plants communicate with each other, read more in this research from National Geographic. They can send signals when they are stressed, which sometimes cause pests to attack but can also warn other plants. Read more about that here.
But are they making music, like some TikTok accounts claim? TikTok accounts that might like to sell you a device to listen to said creations? Science seems to say no, they are not making music. They are releasing electric impulses which can be construed as tunes, when put through a synthesizer. Check out this piece or the study done by the music department at Pittsburgh University.
Some creators on social media are turning this into a ‘mystical’ experience. Listen to the mushrooms, listen to the music of the universe and such claims are being made. As always, careful what you accept as fact!
Are you looking for a gift for someone who likes to get out in nature? The Japanese have a wonderful term: Shinrin-yoku. It literally translates to ‘forest bathing’. Just getting outside in Mother Nature, walking or sitting, breathing fresh air, hearing the natural sounds is good for your health. Time Magazine has a lovely article here. Nature lovers aren’t necessarily gardeners, so it’s a whole different set of gifts.
One of my favourite purchases as we were able to travel a bit more was a pair lightweight of binoculars. We had excellent binoculars but they were heavy and cumbersome to carry in a hard leather case. We have these and they are so easy to take along on a hike. They can go in a pocket and are much more discrete, if you’re travelling to a local that’s a bit wild.
If your Nature Lover is getting into photography, consider a close-up lens attachment for their mobile phone. It can help make fantastic zoom photos among other things. This kit here has a number of different attachments.
If they are getting into photography, it may be time to help them get their first camera. If they own a camera, consider providing the close-up lens or macro lens, even a telephoto lens. Maybe they’d appreciate a photography course at the local community college.
Now that they have all these photos and memories, now they need some reference material! In the photo above is our much-loved book on Manitoba Birds. Second copy actually, misplaced the first copy. Lone Pine Media has great reference books on birds, trees, mushrooms, all kinds of things for across Canada! The Manitoba book seems sold out on Amazon, although I recently got my copy at Riverbank Discovery Centre, where there is a great selection of books for naturalists. This series looks very interesting, too. Where ever you are, there are books written for your area. I also like the brochure style, we have a number for Costa Rica for hikes when we might not get phone service to just ‘Google’ something. The Pocket Naturalist is just one company making them and they’ve got them for around the world. Anywhere your giftee may be thinking of travelling you can find some reference material.
What else for the Nature Lover? Well, how about a membership in a group supporting Mother Nature? Nature Conservancy Canada has an adoption program, so one can adopt a species or a habitat. Every adoption comes with a certificate, a booklet on your choice and a calendar. Pollinator Partnership Canada is celebrating ten years and is offering again the Pollinator Steward Certification. It’s an online course, perfect for someone wanting a more active involvement in nature.
There is a few things for you to think about! Hope that helps!
Most of my links lead to further information. This post has affiliate links which, if you purchase through the link, I may make a teeny tiny commission. All prices as of the day of publishing and may change.
Probably Philodendron, at Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica. Photo PeaceSignsPruners.
One of the most fantastic things about travel, for me as a plant geek, is seeing plants in their native habit. Or seeing things we think of as houseplants or annuals out in the landscape as perennials. Hibiscus hedge? Oh, yeah! Arriving in Rome and seeing those iconic pencil thin Cypress (Cupressus) and then stroking them and inhaling the fragrance. Lovely!
This love of plants is one of the reasons Costa Rica has become a favourite destination. It is known to be one of the most eco-diverse places on the planet, with more plants, birds, butterflies and more critters, including the famous sloth. You can get up in the morning, catch the sunrise in the evergreen jungle of the east coast, drive to high elevations and be in misty cloud forest for afternoon tea and still catch sunset in the deciduous forest of the west coast.
Merlin’s, Playa Cocles, Costa Rica. Photo PeaceSignsPruners.
I love the mix of tender (for us) plants you can find in the landscape. Peace lilies and ZZ plants in the border, creeping fig climbing a six foot concrete wall. Yes, a hedge seven feet tall of flowering hibiscus, which I have struggled with as a houseplant. Too many photographs are taken just walking down an alley.
Want to do some good while you travel? We still can’t choose if our airline is using ‘eco-friendly’ fuel but we can choose more sustainable hotels on many of the apps. Have you heard of Pack With A Purpose? If you can make a little room in your suitcase you bring to your destination something the local community needs. You can choose from different groups including animal rescue, for example, who may be needing puppy pads or tick medication. Or simple search the area you’re visiting for dog rescues, schools, botanical gardens, beach clean-ups. They’d appreciate something you could slide in the suitcase. Large garbage bags, heavy duty gloves, crayons are just some of the things that might be needed. Leaves you a little extra room for the souvenirs on the way home, right?
Bee City Brandon in Manitoba has created a beautiful calendar for 2024. It’s a fundraiser for the re-wilding of Eleanor Kidd Garden, a treasure destroyed but flooding. Orders should be in by November 18th.
The calendar would be a great Christmas gift for so many people! First, it’s beautiful; the photography by local artist Cynthia Korman is stunning. Any nature lover would adore this. Any gardener interested in beautiful, hardy plants would love this, and learn new things all year! Anyone interested in helping pollinators would make good use of this. Anyone interested in native plants on the Prairies would value this calendar. Teachers could use it in the classroom.
The calendar is raising funds to rehabilitate the now derelict park. The City of Brandon has no funds available (think new bridge), and must consider the costs of investing in a park that may flood again in future years. That is why they invited Bee City Brandon to develop a pollinator-friendly, native garden that could be beautiful and withstand flooding.
The calendar is just one of the many ways Bee City Brandon is raising money. The committee has been applying for grants and working on other projects. The work will be almost entirely be done by volunteers so if you’re in Brandon, with fond memories of Eleanor Kidd Garden, sign up here to volunteer some weeding or planting new year. Hopefully I’ll see you there!
Are you uptight about climate change? Are worries keeping you up at night, or invading your dreams? You are not alone. According to Statista.com 74% of Canadians are worried about global warming. A poll in April 2021 showed 80% of respondents considered climate change a present danger.
Wikipedia defines eco-anxiety as ‘chronic fear of environmental doom’. The term seems to have been coined by philosopher Glenn Albrecht in 2011, yes that far back. The attention to the problem increased around 2018 when Greta Thunberg discussed her own issues in the media. In 2018 the American Psychological Association issued its’ first report on the topic.
The symptoms can be many. Obsessive thoughts, existential dread, guilt, anger and frustration toward authorities, depression, anxiety, panic, sadness, trouble sleeping. Solastalgia is a yearning for the way your area, neighbourhood or country used to be. It’s a term that was first used, again by Glenn Albrecht, in articles in 2003 in the wake of ecological disasters such as mining accidents.
Research indicates Gen Z and Millenials are most affected. They are the people who have had the greatest access to the internet since a young age. The way the algorithms work on social media, if you stop to look at one disaster posting you will be shown more. Doomscrolling is a vicious cycle of seeing more and more bad ‘things’.
I don’t have a cure but I can offer an antidote. You need, in your inbox and on your social media sites, more good environmental news! Every day! There are many people out there in the world inventing new solutions, taking action, making a difference. You need to hear about it more.
Find Sam Bentley on almost any social media site or on his website. Nothing but good news for the environment and his British accent is lovely. On Tik Tok find @acorn_land-labs for sustainable solutions. As you may know, from this post here, I get a lift from watching groups getting out there to clean rivers and oceans. Find Sungai Watch, The Ocean Cleanup or 4ocean. A fellow that gets out and ‘tidies nature’ is Josh ‘Earthdrop’ Donaldson. Another lovely accent and beautiful music. I get a newsletter a couple of time a week from The Cool Down that is always full of interesting developments. And how about Re-Wilding Magazine; it comes into my inbox once every couple off weeks with stories about restoring Mother Nature.
There’s lots of great things happening; you just have to search out that news. Hopefully, it will make you feel better about what’s going on.
Peace Signs and Pruners 