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About Chris Helzer

Chris Helzer is Director of Science and Stewardship for The Nature Conservancy in Nebraska, where he conducts research and supervises the Conservancy’s preserve stewardship program. He also helps develop, test, and share prairie management and restoration strategies. Chris is also dedicated to raising awareness about the value of prairies through his photography, writing and presentations. He is the author of The Prairie Ecologist blog, and two books: The Ecology and Management of Prairies and Hidden Prairie: Photographing Life in One Square Meter. He is also a frequent contributor to NEBRASKAland magazine and other publications. Chris and his family live in Aurora, Nebraska.

Photo of the Week – February 5, 2016

Now that this week’s blizzard has come and gone, we are left with knee-deep snow all around us.  I made it to a small local prairie yesterday morning and trudged around with my camera for a while.  There was plenty to see, but I spent quite a bit of time just photographing the tracings made by grass leaves blowing in the wind.

Snow

An arc in the snow made by wind-blown grass.

It's rare that I see a complete circle made by grasses, but I found several yesterday morning.

It’s rare that I see a complete circle made by grasses, but I found several yesterday morning.

Another one.

A broader mark made by a curve in the leaf blade rather than the tip.

Multiple marks made by

Multiple marks made by curly leaves.

After two days of hearing the wind howl outside and the kids howl inside, it was a pleasant relief to be able to walk in relative silence, hearing only the muffled sounds of my own footfalls.  The morning was calm, but the grass leaf tracings and snow drifts testified to the strength of the winds during the previous days.  I’m hoping to do some more walking in the next few days before the snow starts to melt too much…

Boys and Sticks

My wife and I are both biologists.  She’s a high school biology teacher and I’m a prairie ecologist.  You won’t be surprised that we think it’s important for our kids to get outside and explore nature.  However, we don’t often take the kids out with any particular agenda or curriculum in mind.  We usually just take them out.

This last weekend, we decided to spend our Sunday afternoon enjoying the pleasant weather preceding what we’re being told might be the blizzard of the century. (C’mon man, it’s just snow and wind!  Having said that, if I don’t make it through this storm alive, this will be an ironic last blog post.)  Anyway, we took Atticus (age 10) and Calvin (7) out to our family prairie for several hours.  Once there, we pretty much let the boys do what they wanted, with the exception that we kept them off the softening ice on the wetland/pond.

Boys with sticks. Helzer family prairie, Nebraska. Atticus (left) and Calvin Miller - stepsons of the photographer.

Atticus and Calvin displaying sticks they found at the prairie.

I didn’t watch the boys closely the whole time, but as far as I could tell, they spent about 92% of the time they were at the prairie whacking sticks against dead trees.  I’m not kidding.  Sure, they poked around the prairie and wetland a little, saw some animal tracks, found some bones, practiced getting through barbed wire fences, and played with the dogs a little.  But the majority of their experience, and what they’ll probably remember most from the day, was stick whacking.

And that’s just fine with me.  They came away from the afternoon with a positive impression of spending time in nature, and they’re excited to go back.  That’s just perfect.

Boys with sticks. Helzer family prairie, Nebraska. Atticus (left) and Calvin Miller - stepsons of the photographer.

Climbing on a dead tree.  With sticks.

Boy with sticks. Helzer family prairie, Nebraska. Calvin Miller (Photographer's stepson)

Calvin and his stick.  (Yes, I was having fun with the sun.)

Boy with sticks. Helzer family prairie, Nebraska. Calvin Miller (Photographer's stepson)

Calvin again.  And the sun.  Again.

Outing at the Helzer family prairie, Nebraska. Kim Helzer with Atticus (left) and Calvin Miller - stepsons of the photographer.

Heading home.  Tired and happy.