Lava Leaves

Each year, Autumn leaves rain down from trees. . .

. . .lava-like upon the pavement. . .

. . .completing the life-cycle begun last Spring. . .

 

Nature's fiery "coins", laying there just for the taking! 

Get 'em while they're hot!

PoetryPeek: Under the Sea

Passenger's soda
spills on the platform. Result?
Underwater scene

Soft or Hard Landing?

In permaculture, “edge”— that is, the place where two landscapes meet— is a very interesting place.

For the little berries here, what happens to them next. . .

. . .depends into which landscape they've landed.

Smashed upon the pavement. . .

. . .or absorbed back into the earth to complete their cycle?

PoetryPeek: Reminders

by J. Lanier

That great big puddle at the corner
obstacle to my crossing

Reminds me that
this stranded spring shower remnant 

also seeks its purpose:

to return to earth and nurture life

That sludgy liquid
pooled around the sewer grate

Reminds me that 
this stagnant trickle was once 
part of a million clear raindrops

falling urgently from the sky 

during a summer storm

Those piles of leaves

rustling along urban concrete

eddied by autumn winds

Remind me that
they too seek to complete their cycle 

beginning / ending in the sky and 

ending / beginning in earth's crumbly dark womb

That slushy, icy snow
slippery winter nuisance to older bones

Reminds me that 
      we all have a place and purpose

If we can only find

 how we fit

            together

Traces

Even amidst powerful ebb and flow. . .

. . .of water's tide,

 



our own traces intrude--









. . .overpowering its pristine beauty.

Organic Currency

It's that time of year again. . .

. . . who says money doesn't grow on trees?

  

. . .Pssst! It does!

So do help yourself!

When It Rains...

Seed Blanket

Gone Fishin'

This weekend, I participated  in one of the Lower East Side Ecology Center's (LESEC) "catch & release" fishing clinics. The LESEC is a local non-profit, providing programming to teach the public about environmental issues facing New York City.


The clinic was held at Pier 42, a recently opened green space along the East River. They sponsor programs and activities to help the public reconnect with the waterfront and show that it can be a valuable amenity and educational resource.

I was able to successfully bait my hook without goring myself
and practiced casting my line, which is not as easy as you think!

A fish was caught. . . (to eventually be released). . . but unfortunately not by me!

My "catch" of the day consisted of a bit of discarded cable that ended up in the river (seen dangling from my fishing rod, in the picture immediately above).

However, various marine life had taken up residence on it and made it their home. . .
. . .sort of like an artificial cable reef!

That's good enough for me!

Battle!

Times Square: Solar in the City

A waste management, reduction and recycling initiative. . .

. . .in one of the world's most heavily trafficked public spaces. . .

. . .supported by the sun.

Leaf Drop

It's that time of year again. . .

free for the taking. . .

Get 'em while supplies last!

Earth Bound

Liquid Assets

Here in the Big Apple, it's been an unusually rainy summer so far, with more predicted next week.

However, the urban hard-scape makes it difficult for the rain to 
find its way back into the earth. Instead, it is channeled 
into the city's sewer system. This system can quickly 
become overwhelmed, especially during 
heavy rain (or snow) storms.

This often results in CSOs ("combined sewer overflows"), which cause untreated waste-water to discharge directly into local waterways.

The use of "green infrastructure", gradually being implemented through PlaNYC and other programs, can help to mitigate this problem. By storing these excess flows for slower release back into the environment, or for future use, which can also be thought of as "yields".

But until such strategies become more widespread, every time it rains, it's like leaving money on the table!

Hmmm. . . .maybe clouds really do have silver linings!

RePeek: A.T(ree).M.

It's that time of year again. . .

. . .the leaves are falling. . .

Don't miss this year's give-away!