Wonderfull Earth

Can you imagine the snow-smell in the air? Have you ever heard anyone say "it smells like snow" or "I feel like it's going to snow today"? Are you one of those lucky people who can feel snow in the air? Could you tell last night that we were going to get this beautiful powder today, even without hearing a forecast? How is this possible? If you ask around, you are sure to find a range of people, old and young, scientist and amateur, who say they get a certain "smell" or "feel" hours before it snows. An online search will turn up dozens of discussions (like this one ) with people trying to put words to this snow sense. Words like fresh , crisp , wet , cold , sharp , and clean  are used frequently. Others mention smelling "ozone," "metallicness," or "electricity." Some feel "compressed air" or a "muffleness," and some said they can feel it in their bones or sinuses. What exactly is going on? Some...

"Snow is a gift to the tracker: a blank page upon which nature writes its stories." Paul Tappenden Dear Reader, Freshly fallen snow is the perfect blank slate on which the stories of nature can be written. Whether it be loop-de-loops around the yard, impact craters in nearby snowbanks, or trails leading to treasure troves and food stores, kids, adults and animals alike are tempted by a layer of fresh, clean snow, just asking to be tracked upon. So with all this in mind, we hope this issue of Nature Net News inspires you to go out and trailblaze your own set of tracks! Enjoy! Kathe, Sarah & Brenna The Folks at Nature Net Did You Know..... There are many different types of tracking in addition to finding footprints. For example, Large Scale Sign, used by the United States Search and Rescue Task Force , involves reading the landscape for traces of activity and habitation, such as resources an animal needs (food, water or bedding), signs of animal dens, or the presence o...