Air's Wild Acres
Small goats and small batch cheesemaking on a small farm, all with big laughs.
Category: Conservation
-
2021 is an existential crisis.
The first time I remember feeling like I had an existential crisis, I was 16. I had just read The Stranger for my high school English class, and had one of those “Wait, so I’m supposed to go to school for a long time, go to work, then have a couple of kids and take…
-
It’s not my turn anymore.
Of my many faults as a human, my tendency towards nostalgia is probably one of my traits that annoys me the most. I am so easily sucked into a photo album or an old blog, and can then spend hours, or days even, thinking about whatever experience and how much I miss that particular time…
-
Earth Week Action Items: Partnering to Motivate Change
I need to start this post with a disclaimer: I make a lot of mistakes. I’m human, and we’re subject to a variety of outside forces that will affect our likes, dislikes, personal biases, economic situation, decision-making processes, etc. etc. Too, I recognize that everyone has different value sets and priorities, and what works for…
-
“I’m going to be a good food farmer,” but with the help of my friends
As an extrovert, I thrive on the type of informal exchanges I can have via good conversation with people: the sharing of good ideas and excitement, gaining motivation to continue in fields that can be somewhat daunting at times, getting feedback on how to move forward on a project, etc. Having the opportunity, then,…
-
New Year’s Day on the side of a Mexican mountain
When I first booked this trip to Mexico a few months ago, I was looking forward to spending some time in a place I love with some people that I love. I was also in deep need of processing some emotions about leaving this beautiful country a year and a half ago and to acknowledge…
-
Money isn’t everything when it comes to conservation
Lately, there has been a great deal of coverage on pollinator health in the media, and the need for conservation of bees in particular. Obviously, as a conservationist and an interdisciplinary agricultural professional, I am strongly in support of conserving any species, especially those with huge economic impacts in agriculture, like the pollinators. However, I…
-
Camel spiders for the win!
Since I’m writing and analyzing my data these days, and haven’t spent hardly any time in the field since 2013, I figured it would be a nice time to have a #flashbackfriday to a video I took of a Solifugid eating a waxworm. Solifugids are amazing little animals, something I could have only dreamed of…
-
The environmental effects of war and peace
I’ve been spending some time in the last few weeks reading “The Murder of Nikolai Vavilov” by Peter Pringle, which I have wanted to read for some time due to my mad science crush on Vavilov. After learning about the centers of origin of different crops in an introductory international agriculture course at Davis, I…
-
Monarchs at our Great Insect Fair!
For many years, Penn State’s Department of Entomology has collaborated with community partners to deliver a very large outreach event every year, the Great Insect Fair! It’s a wonderful time to share our work with families, friends, and the community. I spent the morning in the butterfly tent, with live monarchs. A few pictures below!
-
Patterns and pastures.
In the recent weeks, I passed my comprehensive exam, visited with a fantastic Carabidae specialist at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (another #loveyourtaxonomist post is likely to follow about this trip), and camped at one of the most beautiful places in PA (“It feels like we are hiking into ‘The Hobbit!’” said a young hiker…
Air's Wild Acres 