For the mushroom enthusiasts, spring means only one thing.  Morels!  The morel season is in full swing within the Midwest and many hunters have been spending their days moving brush and parting grass in search of the elusive morel.  

The magnificent taste of sautéed morels brings thousands of people into the woodlands every year to scour the ground and be the first to fill their bags to the brim.  Parks and private lands overflow with hunters of all ages who enjoy the “chase” as much as the flavor of their find.   The morel means many different things to many people.  To some it is just a delicious mushroom, to others it represents the time they spend with family and friends searching through the woods and seeing nature up close and personal.

I have personally spent 5 of the last 7 evenings gathering nearly 7 pounds from our own private timber.  The one thing I have learned is that as soon as someone hears that you have morels, they naturally will be more than happy to relieve you of any excess.  I added a tool to my morel hunting arsenal this year and purchased a small handheld GPS unit to keep track of my hot spots on a roughly 75 acre plot of timber.  Though I have been running around this land since I was young, I found this extremely beneficial.  

In the past, my motivation for hunting year after year has been to see the looks of amazement from family members when trotting in with more morels than most will see in an entire lifetime.  The morel for me means getting to spend time exploring nature, photographing animals, and sharing a treasure with friends and family.

Even though much of the information about morels is contested, their are many great sites that can help you learn a few pointers and maybe even find a few morels in your area this season.  Check out http://www.naturealmanac.com/archive/morels/morels.html for some history and facts or http://www.morels.com for reports and tips from your area.

I did manage to get quit a few pictures and will post a few more a bit later.  These are from my early trips.

When you hear the term “green living”, you may get an image in your head of hippies living in communes making everything they use. Truth is:  the definition of green living has changed. The concept simply includes doing things to help the environment be viable for future generations. If you don’t feel like shedding your worldly possessions and living in a mud hut, here are a few steps you can take to make your life a little greener.

Buy local organic products. Organic farmers not only use little to no chemicals, they also take steps to reduce water and soil degradation, along with other problems caused by traditional agriculture. Grocery store vegetables have usually been shipped a long way, which causes environmental pollution trucks and planes. Buy your produce from a local farmer’s market or coop. If you can’t find one, start your own organic garden.

Use natural products. Household products that don’t contain chemicals are not only better for the environment; they’re safer for your family as well. You can make various cleaning products from stuff in your kitchen, like vinegar. If you don’t have the time, there are products you can buy. Just make sure they’re all natural and don’t just have a few natural ingredients. 

Reduce. We’ve all heard the spiel about reduce, reuse, recycle; however, most of us focus on recycling and completely ignore the reducing. Try to use products that don’t end up in landfills like cloth diapers instead of disposables or regular towels instead of paper ones. Buying concentrated products or products in bulk also helps reduce packaging materials, production and distribution costs.

Reuse. Many people have gotten in the habit of sending their recyclables away in the bins, but there’s more supply than demand in the recycling market. That’s why it’s also important to reuse items if you can. Before you throw something in the recycling bin, consider whether you could reuse it for something else. Also consider programs like freecycle, Craig’s list or garage sales which allows you to offer your gently used (or even broken) items to someone else. You really never know when your trash is someone else’s treasure or learning tool. 

Recycle. We should all have a recycle bin in our homes, but you can do stuff to recycle on your own. Make your own rich soils with a compost pile and you can recycle plants, shredded paper and uneaten bits of fruit or vegetables. You can also use products like shredded plastic bags to mulch your garden.  If you get creative, there’s lots of recycling you can do on your own.

Conserve Energy. There are so many things you can do to save energy. The big plus on this is that it also saves you money. Get low energy light bulbs for your fixtures. You could also take more drastic renovation steps by getting new energy efficient windows or installing solar panels. Even small steps like setting the thermostat a degree higher or lower or unplugging appliances not in use can make a big difference. A big way to conserve energy is to get a more fuel efficient car, or get rid of your car altogether. If you don’t need a big SUV, then don’t get one. You’ll be doing the environment a big favor.

Teach your children. You might not be able to change the world on your own, but you can start a trend by teaching others to be more environmentally friendly, starting with your own kids. Make sure your children know what steps you are taking to improve the environment and why. And most importantly, make sure you are all doing all you can for a sustainable future!

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Source: solar energy