Last one of the year!
pocket guide: Beneficial Insects on NYC Farms (Cornell University). 28-page PDF. Sections on insect parts, beetles (ground, rove, soldier, lady); wasps (tiny, predatory large, parasitoid large); flies (hover, robber); spiders/harvestmen; lacewings; stink bugs; pirate bugs; and bees.
essay: A reflection about getting into compost (Cass Marketos/The Rot) “What I think it came down to is that I needed to localize at least some of the problems with which I engaged. … Even if the work I was doing with compost didn’t matter in the grand scheme (and believe me, I know that it doesn’t), it mattered to my sense of hope. I was working on a small problem, which allowed me to have a big impact—and I was doing it with a bunch of my neighbors.
images: Color Story: Lilac Season (SFGirlByBay/Substack). Scrolling through these images is soothing and energising for me. (You may need to sign in to Substack to access.)
ID guide: Commonly Misidentified Species: Cold Weather Sparrows (Maine Audubon). Including Dark-eyed Juncos; Song Sparrows and lookalikes; White-throated Sparrows and White-crowned Sparrows; and American Tree Sparrows and lookalikes.
essay: You Could Use a Morning Routine: Insight Meditation (Jessica Wildfire/OK Doomer). “Sadness reveals your values. … While other cultures make grief and sadness a part of everyday life, Americans have done everything they can to eliminate it.”
