June phenology

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCare for the Earth, Friends of Wisdom Prairie, Phenology 1 Comment

By Sylvia Marek Phenology is a science focused on observing and recording biological events from year to year and their relationships to the change of seasons and climate. These are the “normal” phenology events we expect to see here and in the Madison area this month. We would love to hear about what you are seeing on the grounds of Holy Wisdom Monastery. Please comment on this post with what you are observing, where at Holy Wisdom and the date you observed the event. I have kept monthly phenology records for many years and the following are from my June …

Spring prairie tour

Car McGinley Leave a Comment

Join Sylvia Marek and Greg Armstrong for a tour of the prairies at Holy Wisdom Monastery. May is a wonderful time for a tour as we may see migrating warblers and other birds. We also hope to come across lupine, shooting star, prairie phlox and spiderwort in flower as we walk the prairie. Leaders Sylvia Marek, expert naturalist and one of the best birders in our area. Greg Armstrong, director of land management and environmental education at Holy Wisdom Monastery. No registration necessary, just come. Learn more about what we might discover on the tour in Sylvia’s May phenology (monthly nature …

Sylvia Marek leading a prairie walk - storing September

Storing September

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCare for the Earth, Friends of Wisdom Prairie, Phenology Leave a Comment

As we drank in the sights and sounds of a glorious September day on a recent Wisdom Prairie Walk, Sylvia Marek stopped to share the following poem, Storing September, which she said her mother often read to her. With deep gratitude for all the people and places that show us the way, inspire our hearts and souls, and work to preserve these places and moments of beauty, we share this poem with you: Storing September You ask me what I did today. I could pretend and say, “I don’t remember.” But, no, I’ll tell you what I did today— I stored September. …