Notes from a Beginning Birder: Chasing False Idols through the Woods

I was looking and listening for birds as I walked on a trail through a small patch of woods near my parents' assisted living facility. But every time I heard a bird call, their song would be drowned out by the thunderous rumbling of an overhead plane, the whirling, and whooshing of a car, or the banging of a hammer and grinding of a saw from a nearby construction site. While I knew there were birds in these trees, I was unlikely to hear them.

Then, much to my delight, perhaps only thirty feet in front of me, I spotted a pileated woodpecker perched on an old cedar tree. I couldn't believe my luck -- I was in a noisy city and seeing this beautiful woodpecker for the first time.

Slow Down, Slow Down, Slow Down.
by Liz Melville

This is my new mantra that I am committed to repeating this year. I wish to live at a pace that allows me to see the birds and the trees, and to be present for my loved ones. A hard ask for my ADD brain.

This Week’s Focus: Try to Buy and Give Extraordinary, Ordinary Presents
by Liz Melville

Every year I say, “I am going to buy less.” And most years, I still feel pressure to buy more. It is as if I need to prove my love to my family and friends. I worry that if I don’t do enough they will be disappointed or worse, feel like I don’t care.

Goal for over the holidays: Waste less food
by Liz Melville

Who wouldn't want a tidy, clean kitchen and an organized refrigerator? Who wouldn't want a plan for shopping, cooking, and meals? Who wouldn't want to avoid food waste?

These seem like simple, easy accomplishable goals. But for me, they are hard. I have had issues with organization and clutter for as long as I can remember. The back corners of my refrigerator often contain green, slimy things and odd items bought for special recipes. I save what I don’t want to eat until it is no longer edible and then throw it away.

Welcome to Small Change
by Liz Melville

This week, I am showcasing and celebrating the work of the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy (INLC), the Spokane Audubon Society (SAS), and the power created when organizations and individuals with shared values work together.