Skipper butterfly (small tan/brown color) on Mealy Blue Sage flowers

Red Admiral Butterfly resting on rocks with wings extended

Sonoran Bumblebee foraging on Mealy Blue Sage flowers

A few pollinators spotted yesterday on a trip to Pedernales Falls State Park Tx. Two butterflies (a skipper-Julia's vs Dun, and a Red Admiral Butterfly) plus a Sonoran Bumblebee.
Look at that heart shape on the bumblebee. 🐝 Bee love❤️ y'all!
#bumblebees #butterflies #pollinators #nativeplantmonth

Sonoran Bumblebee🐝 foraging on Mealy Blue Sage at Pedernales Falls State Park Tx for a hummingbird class trip. Video from park area with lots of native plants and bird blinds. Love bumblebees! ❤️
Birdsong background🐦
#bumblebees #pollinators #nativeplantmonth #stateparks #texasstateparks

Sharing a bit of nature from my trip to Pedernales Falls State Park yesterday for a birding event.
Peaceful 💦
#nature #stateparks #Texasstateparks

Screen capture of Writers' Rumpus website showing an article with an interview of author Diane Muldrow, showing her headshot and covers of 2 of her books: Once a Wasteland and We Planted a Tree.

Check out my Writers' Rumpus interview (Writersrumpus.com) with award-winning and bestselling author Diane Muldrow about her new book Once a Wasteland: From Toxic Dump to National Park, illustrated by Amy Jindra Hodgson
Perfect to share for 🌎Earth Day
#nationalparks #earthmonth #earthday #kidlit

Nature photos from a few pathways I have enjoyed- hrough Bluebonnet and wildflower fields in Texas, across an Atlantic beach (Outer Banks NC), a path in the Desert Botanical Garden in Az at twilight surrounded by towering cacti, paths through Texas wildlife preserves and a wildlife sanctuary (Blair Woods, Chaetura Canyon), and a full moon through trees while walking in my Austin neighborhood.

What pathways have you taken?
What pathways will you choose?
Life is full of twists and turns. Through it all, time in nature brings us peace and solace, healing and hope, wonder and joy.
Connection 🌻
#natureforall
#naturelovers

Orangish brown small butterfly or moth (unsure, I think a Skipper?)on Dakota Mock Vervain, a lavender/ purple wildflower, in a local park Austin Tx

Bumblebee clinging to Mealy Blue Sage- tall purple wildflowers, local park in Austin Tx

Caterpillar clinging to stem of Palmleaf Mistflower,a purplish/lavender wildflower, taken in an Austin Tx rain garden where I was volunteering, planting native plants.

Happy Easter for those who celebrate! 🐣 Follow up to my haiku yesterday for pollinator and native plant fans out there. Adding a few more spring pollinator photos I used for an Instagram carousel. Can only add 3 photos at a time on Bluesky, correct?
#pollinators #nativeplants
#texaswildflowers

Texas Bluebonnets, a small light colored (whitish/tan/blush) butterfly is on one bloom, and a haiku printed on the photo

White-lined Sphinx (hummingbird) Moth hovering next to Yellow (Carolina) Jessamine blooms.

Celebrating pollinators of all types 🦋 🐝 and life stages 🐛 thriving with the arrival of spring. Native plants support new pollinator babies that keep habitats healthy around the world 🌎
Photos-Austin Tx, more on Instagram
#haikusaturday #nativeplants #pollinators #springblooms #texaswildflowers

Photo of a brochure "passport" for Shoal Creek Conservancy Waterwise Landscapes Tour and a packet of native seeds.

Yard sign by Shoal Creek Conservancy with Waterwise Landscape Tip advising about how excess fertilizer on yards washes into creeks and can cause harmful algae blooms, so skip fertilizer this spring or apply sparingly.

Yesterday was @shoalcreekconservancy Waterwise Landscapes Tour featuring some amazing waterwise innovations in Austin neighborhoods.
Do you know your local watershed?
Check out your local water conservation groups for info.
#worldwaterday 💦
#waterconservation #waterwiselandscaping #waterwise

Photo of a cat with grey/black/creme coloring sitting on a fleece blanket in a large woven basket next to a sofa in a living room setting.

Interior of a catio (patio made for cats) with cat perches, baskets, and multiple cat-friendly features and a tree in the center (tree trunk is coming through the floor and branches extending out through holes in the catio roof).

Photo of partial view of a catio (patio for cats) with a connecting bridge for cats to travel from the house to the catio.

Happy Caturday! Posting late after a busy day yesterday at Travis Audubon's catio tour and Shoal Creek Conservancy's water-wise landscapes tour. Both organizations help to protect wild spaces & wildlife. I am sharing my rescue cat and a few of my favorite catio tour pix. #caturday #catlife

Photo of rows of rows of plants in a field at Farmshare Austin

Photo of rows of plants in a field at Farmshare Austin

Photo of field at Farmshare Austin with newly planted rows of onions

💚Volunteer farming yesterday morning at Farmshare Austin. Met great people, helped add compost, plant onions, and more! 🌱 #nationalagricultureweek
#csa #organicfarming

Photo collage of early spring blooms in Austin Texas, all from native plants and trees in a variety of colors- purples, blues, yellow, and white blossoms

Sharing a collage I made with Canva to capture some favorite early spring blooms in Austin, Texas. Photos are from late Feb to mid-March and taken at The Wildflower Center, Travis Audubon's Chaetura Canyon Wildlife Sanctuary, and Blair Woods.
#wildflowers #nativeplants #springflowers

Going Green: Writing Books about Nature and the Environment to Inspire and Delight Youth with Award-Winning Author Sue Fliess René Bartos: I am so excited to be able to chat with author Sue Fliess today! Welcome to Writers’ Rumpus, Sue! I am honored to talk to such an accomplished author. You are an award-winning, bestsel…

Celebrating Green 💚 with author @suefliess.bsky.social on Writers' Rumpus blog- Going Green: Writing Books about Nature and the Environment to Inspire and Delight Youth with Award-Winning Author Sue Fliess writersrumpus.com/2026/03/10/g...
#kidlit #girlsinstem #stemeducation #oceanconservation

Photo of a blank sketch pad page with rosemary sprigs from my garden arranged in a shape of the symbol for peace with small leaflets (from a ground cover plant from my yard) in each corner.

Gardening, making random nature art, and cooking comfort food are all things that bring me peace. Rosemary, it turns out, can be used for all three.💙
#nature #herbgarden #natureart

Spotted at LBJ Wildflower Center at the spring NPSOT symposium this weekend. Yellow jessamine, Gelsemium sempervirens and White-lined Sphinx, Hyles lineata (hummingbird moth) Many butterflies and bees too. Lots of pollinators at Wildflower Center! #pollinators #moths #nativeplants #wildflowers

Image created by myself using Canva featuring book cover, Wild Women For Good: Stories of Conservation in Texas by Jennifer L. Bristol with 5 stars and my comments next to the book cover: celebrating courageous women, stories of conservation, how to get things done in challenging times

Last week, my son and I were fortunate to attend an event at @bookpeople.com in Austin featuring the amazing Jennifer L. Bristol sharing her new book published by
@tamupress.bsky.social
Wild women for conservation getting things done! Highly recommend ❤️
#womeninconservation #conservationstories

Picture of a slide from a presentation entitled "Fostering Intergenerational Birding and Writing" with photos of books covers by author Jane Yolen and Heidi EY Stemple, including Owl Moon and Heidi's latest release, Snowy Owl Rescue, Raptor Recovery

Catching up on cross posting from Instagram- Loved presenting about owls recently and sharing the joy of family reading, writing, and birding. Thanks to Jane Yolen, Heidi EY Stemple @heidieys.bsky.social and all the family writers and birders for sharing their stories. 🙏
#kidlit #birding #owlbooks

Happy Valentine's Day collage using framed photos of a variety of wildflowers. Flower colors-light pink, darker pink, lavender, purple-blue

Happy Valentine's Day! ❤️
Sharing a photo collage with some of my favorite wildflowers.

Great Egret standing still in a park pond, with surrounding tall grasses.

Spotted this Great Egret on a quick walk in a nearby park. Fish catcher extraordinaire! #HaikuSaturday #naturepoetry #birding

Collage using Canva template: my happy cat doodle/sketch, photos of my rescue cat upside down in a sherpa fish-shaped cat bed, a Northern Cardinal perched in a tree, a birdhouse, a Northern Mockingbird in a bush, a Live Oak Tree in a local park in Austin Tx, and a few feathers.

Adding from my Instagram acct. Great idea from an amazing @writersloftma.bsky.social class with editor Karen Boss, who mentioned authors creating a storyboard or folder with content/images to share with their illustrator. I was inspired to create a story spark collage using a Canva template. #kidlit

graphic about webinar entitled The Importance of Hooks in Nonfiction with photos of Stephanie Gibeault and Anna Luketic

If you write nonfiction for kids, join me and Sourcebooks editor Anna Luketic for an online webinar with @thewritingbarn.bsky.social on Thursday, Feb. 12 at noon CT. We'll discuss the power of hooks to grab readers and editors.🪝
#kidlit #cankidlit
More info here:
thewritingbarn.com/class/webina...

Thanks! I am not sure if it is any specific poetic form. I don't have formal poetry training, just started writing haikus on Saturdays to celebrate nature. I guess I could have made a concrete poem with clock face or hands. This is just what popped into my mind looking at the photo.

Reposting for #NationlInspireaYourHeartwithArtDay
Valentine's Day idea to help wildlife. Owl box + ❤️ from wood shavings.
Check with your local Audubon Chapter or other organizations supporting birds 🐦 and wildlife for opportunities+resources to make bird boxes, bee boxes, or even bat boxes!

I can't believe this book will be here very soon! I hope you'll check out HAPPY SONGKRAN DAY!: A Thai New Year Celebration. You'll meet spunky Tida and her big sister Lek as they celebrate this special holiday. From Viking Children's Books. #newbook #songkran #thai #kidlit #picturebook

Photo of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks and Egyptian Geese hanging out on land near a pond.

Photo of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks resting and Double-crested Comorant holding wings out to dry on land near a pond, with an Egyptian Goose swimming in the pond.

So cute! Love it. I have a few from here in Austin too! I posted a reel on Instagram with more.

Photo of trees and cacti in foreground at twilight with gorgeous blue-purple-pink toned sky (the blue hour) in the background just after sunset at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phx Az taken in December 2025.

Not a haiku today for #haikusaturday, but perhaps share any you come up with? Desert Botanical Garden in Phx and memories of my son's amazing high school marching band performance "The Blue Hour" embedded the magic of the blue hour forever in my heart. 💙 #poetry #naturepoetry #arizonasunset

Yes! Amazing place during the day as well. I have so many pix but can only post 4 on Bluesky. I was visiting family in Az (lived there previously).

Photo of Great Egret in flight travelling away from the camera over calm water (Brushy Creek). Taken at Brushy Creek Lake Park Dec 27 2025 during Christmas Bird Count.

Eastern Bluebird perched on top of a tree branch at the top of a tree. Taken at Brushy Creek Lake Park Dec 27 2025 during Christmas Bird Count.

Treetop flock of Cedar Waxwings. Taken at Brushy Creek Lake Park Dec 27 2025 during Christmas Bird Count.

Great Blue Heron standing on a small area of land surrounded by water (Brushy Creek)with grasses, brush, and deciduous trees (some bare branches, some still with leaves), along the banks of the creek on both sides and a fallen branch/log visible in the creek beyond the heron.Taken at Brushy Creek Lake Park Dec 27 2025 during Christmas Bird Count.

Participated in Audubon Christmas Bird Count for my area 12/27/25. In addition to hundreds of birds and other wildlife, there were many beautiful green and blue spaces with native trees and plants. Sharing a few of the many photos.
#christmasbirdcount #birding #nature #audubonsociety

Photo of welcome sign at the entrance of the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix Arizona. Succulent plants are growing from the sign display and some are blooming. Taken Dec 22 2025

Photo of sunset at Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix Arizona with Saguaro cactus and desert plants in the foreground and crescent moon visible in the sky. Taken Dec 22 2025

Photo just after sunset of a path surrounded by stone walls and a variety of plants and trees. The path is illuminated with paper bag/candle luminarias and string lights on the nearby trees. Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix Arizona, Dec 22 2025

Photo of deep blue, purple, and pink sky just after sunset with cacti and trees native to the Sonoran desert at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix Arizona taken Dec 22 2025

The Desert Botanical Garden's Las Noches de las Luminarias event makes the holidays magical. Garden pathways with luminarias, musical performances, gorgeous desert sunsets, the wonder of the blue hour, and time in nature with family. Priceless.
#nature
#botanicalgarden
#luminaria
#arizonasunset

A flock of birds perched in upper branches of a deciduous tree in fall that has lost most of its leaves. Details of the birds are hard to make out given the morning fog, grey sky, and distance (taken with phone cam).

Poetry birding-haiku in photo and a free form version.

I can't clearly see your crests, colors, or facial masks.
But I heard your high-pitched whistles.
I saw you swoop in to land together in the treetop.
Social birds, I know you are
Cedar Waxwings
despite morning fog.

#poetry #haikusaturday

Photograph from a path overlooking the Colorado River in fall on a foggy morning. Roy G. Guerrero Park in Austin Texas

For our Travis Audubon poetry birding event today we tackled epistolary poetry in the early morning fog. Here is my first try!
#nature #epistolarypoetry