Wonder Walks

09/03/2026

Wendell Berry past from this mortal realm but he leaves us with so much to appreciate and learn from. Here is another poem about the course of nature and our inextricable place in it. 💚

September 2
In the evening there were flocks of nighthawks

passing southward over the valley. The tall

sunflowers stood, burning on their stalks

to cold seed, by the still river. And high

up the birds rose into sight against the darkening

clouds. They tossed themselves among the fading

landscapes of the sky like rags, as in

abandonment to the summons their blood knew.

And in my mind, where had stood a garden

straining to the light, there grew

an acceptance of decline. Having worked,

I would sleep, my leaves all dissolved in flight.

09/01/2026

It’s Self-care September! Take a moment everyday to take care of yourself so that you’re able to care for others.💗👟😴🥗

08/18/2026

So many take-aways in this article!

Stressed out, endlessly scrolling and never satisfied? Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, the Buddhist monk with off-the-charts levels of contentment, may have the answers …

08/12/2026

Lots of celestial goings on today! There was a partial solar eclipse in our area, a new moon and tonight you can see the Perseids meteor shower!💫

08/02/2026

On yesterday’s walk in the forest I found these beauties!

08/01/2026

Welcome Altruistic August! Here is this month's calendar for daily inspiration to live a happier life! 😍💚🌻🌺

07/29/2026

I wanted to share this offering from Aimee Gelinas of Tamarack Hollow Nature and Cultural Center - Family friendly drumming at the Botanical Garden!
https://www.facebook.com/share/1DnRYUTG1B/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Come explore this week at Berkshire Botanical Garden! On Monday, we host The Lucky Five at Music Mondays at 5:30 ( ). Tickets are available on our website until 3 p.m., then at the door. Bring a picnic or check out our Grab-and-Go options in the Visitor Center, prepared fresh daily by Chef Honor Harvey ( ).

Thursday, enjoy yoga in the Fitzpatrick Garden at 5:30 p.m., and on Friday, bring the family for Aimee Gelinas' African Drumming performance at 11 a.m. for Family Fridays. Admission is free for members and children under 12.

On Saturday, join Sam Mercier of Mercier Stone at his hands-on Stone Wall Workshop. Learn the basics of planning, prepping and building on a section of wall that will become part of the permanent landscape.

While you're here, check out out 'Grounded in Nature: Paintings by Adam Van Doren' in the Leonhardt Galleries, and 'Grand Gesture: Monumental Vessels in the Garden,' Stephen Procter's outdoor exhibition. We have daily tours at 11 a.m. (FREE with Garden admission.) Did we mention Grab-and-Go meals in the Visitor Center? Prepared and delivered daily! Come Explore!

For more information, to register for classes, buy tickets for Music Mondays or to simply plan your trip, visit BerkshireBotanical.org.

07/13/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HPkGRMqym/?mibextid=wwXIfr

This week, my heart has broken twice for the exact same entirely preventable reason. 2 turtles were moved out of the road and left on the side of the road and disappeared before I could get there this week.

I am writing this because we need to clear up a dangerous misconception about injured wildlife—specifically turtles—before more suffer!

I understand people are busy and have things to do and places to go, but please don't leave a turtle behind hoping I'll come and find it right away. This happens often and most of the time I have been unable to locate the injured turtle.

Please: If you hit a turtle or find an injured one on the side of the road, do not just move it to the side of the road and drive away. Don't assume it won't crawl away because it looks "too injured"

Turtles have an incredibly strong, deep-rooted survival instinct. Even when they have suffered catastrophic injuries—including severe shell fractures and visible internal trauma—they will use every ounce of energy they have left to crawl away to find a hiding spot.

They are not crawling away because they are "okay." They are crawling away to find somewhere safe to hide.

When people leave turtles behind, thinking the animal will figure it out, what actually happens is that these turtles end up dying a slow, excruciatingly painful death over days or even weeks in the brush, completely out of reach from the medical help that could save them or peacefully end their suffering.

What to do instead:

Stay with the turtle if you can't secure it in a box.

Secure them: If you can safely place them in a high-sided box or plastic bin to keep them from wandering off, please do so, and remember big turtles like common Snapping turtles will try to climb out of the bin and often when scaling the side of a bin, box, or tote their weight will tilt the box sideways and will crawl away.

Place the turtle on the floor of your car if you don't have anything to put it in.

Call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator immediately: Don't guess if the injury is survivable. Let a professional make that call. Take the turtle with you or stay with it if you can't, PLEASE do NOT leave it there.

I can tolerate a lot of tough things in wildlife rehab, but knowing an animal is out there suffering slowly because someone didn't take five minutes to secure them is one of the hardest parts of doing this.

​Please share this. It could literally save a life, or prevent an agonizing end for a turtle that deserves better.

07/03/2026

Here is July's Action for Happiness calendar. The theme this month is Resilience. Couldn't we all use more of that! 😍