Hello Nature-Led Friends!

I know that many of us are busy with holiday preparations, but I do hope you will make the time to appreciate the nature around you! Whether you go for a walk or sit at a window please take some time to relax in the beauty of nature and be kind to yourself and others. We have two weeks before the submission date for this month’s photo submission request.

(There is a handwarmer hidden in the orange sleeve when the temperature is below freezing. I also bring the feeder in at night.)

December: Nature At Rest

Pictures due: December 31st, Midnight Pacific Standard Time

Submissions to be rounded up and posted before the end of day: January 1st.

What do I mean by “nature at rest” anyway?

I like to keep things open to broad interpretation. At rest does not have to mean sleeping, but that the cycle of life is merely demonstrated as being slowed down or contemplative even. Examples include, but are not limited too:

Birds, not flying. Deer, Elk or some other animal sitting in a field, by a pond, or in a forest. Snow in a field or a frozen pond. Dormant plants and trees. I have a Hardy Hibiscus that I love. In the summer it is green with beautiful pink flowers, in the winter the white bark and vase-like structure of the branches create an attractive architectural detail.

I hope this gives you some ideas. I feel with such a vague topic choice for the month, we’ll either get hardly any submissions at all or a hearty diversity of interpretations. I’m really champion for the latter! Hence this post.

What about January and February?

January and February often feel like such a drag around here in the Northern Countries, so let’s brighten these two months up with some unexpected greens and defiant flowers! If you’re living in the Southern Hemisphere, that’s cheating! Ha,ha,ha.

January: Moss

Photos Due: January 31st (see guidelines below)

I love moss! There are many varieties. In the U.S. people fight to get the moss out of their lawns and in Japan, people fight to get the grass out of their moss. I find it all rather amusing. It’s no secret, I’m on team Moss! One should not discount their ability to act as carbon sinks and they do it all without need of mowing or fertilizers!

February: Unexpected Blooms and/or Ferns

Photos Due: February 28 (See guidelines below)

I’m carefully watching my Pink Dawn Viburnum. It’s one of the first things to bloom in the new year and it smells amazing! This Fall I also planted Snowdrop bulbs on the hillside. We’ll see if anything comes of it, maybe the squirrels have feasted like kings this winter. I’m new to bulb planting, but the directions sounded easy enough. At any rate, I have no shortage of Ferns here at Fernmire to keep me company!

Photo Submissions Guidelines

Email to: natureledlife@gmail.com

Subject line: Photo Submission for [month] (Multiple months of photos in one email is fine.)

Image: Attached as a .JPEG or .PNG file preferred.

Captions each picture: Subject in the photo (if known), State/Providence & Country, Date (optional). Your name as you want it to appear, Your blog link (if you have one)

Feel free to add any interesting notes about a picture. I love interesting stories behind things! Let me know if it’s just for ‘my eyes only’ or if I can share any part of it with your photo.

Pictures must be your own or you have permission from the Photographer to share it. All copyrights belong to their owners. This is just a free, fun, community site about nature.