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Exploring the outdoors

Photo by Christina Myer

Imagine a meandering trail through the woods as I jot down a few of the passing thoughts I had about the natural world this week. The weather seems finally to have changed over, and the world outdoors is both more inviting and a little scarier — and the light is lasting a lot longer for those parks that close at dusk.

I had been hearing from a coworker about a new social media activity, in which folks paint rocks, “hide” them with a note written on the back, and then watch Facebook to see who finds their rock and where it travels. During a trip to North Bend State Park, a splash of color caught my eye. At my feet was a beautiful little rock, of which I snapped the picture here, with this written in a note taped to the back: “WV Rockers on FB; Post a pic w/ #mamarocker — then rehide me.”

I fully intended to do just that. But I did not want to hide the rock out in the woods somewhere, so I left it where it was, thinking I would pick it up when I got back to my car in a couple of hours. Someone beat me to it.

So I know I’m not following the rules of the game, Mama Rocker, but your painted rock was gorgeous.

***

A couple of news items this week also drew my mind to the outdoors (it’s not hard to do). First, I saw a story with the headline “Help for Controlling Honeybees in West Virginia.” It turns out the state Department of Agriculture is so worried about the health of the honeybee population that it is trying to discourage people from killing swarms of bees they see on their property. The story said the abundance of early blossoms has prompted swarming, and they want to help people relocate the swarms (bees seeking a new home), rather than eradicate them.

There is actually a list of beekeepers on call that can help retrieve a swarm — 304-558-2212. More power to them. I’m not sure I would be able to intentionally approach a swarm of bees, even in a special suit.

***

Speaking of seeking a new home, a friend mentioned to me an article in “The Atlantic,” about American trees literally “moving west.” (And, by the way, despite an incredibly misleading headline from “USA Today” that said climate change was the cause, “The Atlantic” headline says ” … And No One Knows Why,” though there is a sub headline that says climate change can explain 20 percent of the movement.)

“About three-quarters of tree species common to eastern American forests — including white oaks, sugar maples, and American hollies — have shifted their population center west since 1980. More than half of the species studied also moved northward during the same period,” according to “The Atlantic.”

I love reporting in which the authors are honest enough to admit “The results are fascinating in part because they don’t immediately make sense.” So, rather than chalking it all up to climate change, the author noted there are “a patchwork” of other possibilities: “Changes in land use, wildfire frequency, and the arrival of pests and blights could be shifting the population. So might the success of conservation efforts.”

Or, as my friend said, “Ents are real!” (Ents are the race of walking tree-like beings from the J.R.R. Tolkein books.)

***

And one more things, where ever you are outdoors this spring and summer, take precautions against ticks. Use bug repellent, if you desire; wear light colored clothing; tuck your pants into the tops of your boots; do a thorough tick check before getting back in the car; and wash your clothes (and yourself) as soon as you get home. The same weather that has left us all mowing our lawns earlier and more often than usual has also produced a bumper crop of ticks this year. So use a little common sense and caution, but don’t let them keep you out of the woods. There is all kinds of amazing out there.

Christina Myer is executive editor of The Parkersburg News and Sentinel. She can be reached via e-mail at cmyer@newsandsentinel.com

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