h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Have we lost the frogs and lady slippers because of global warming? if so, what level of heroism would it take to slow that?

I don't know if we get lady slippers around here, but there are lots of frogs not far from where this photo was taken.

Some frog species seem to be doing okay. Or maybe it's cyclical.

Over here some frogs, at least, are doing exceptionally well. With the abundant rains we've been having, we're seeing ridiculously huge
'herds' of baby African Giant Bullfrogs - a species considered endangered, but now there are literally millions of new young ones.

But Paulh, we really, really, really need to be doing more as a species to preserve wild lands and their inhabitants wherever they can still be found.

Amen to that!

That makes three of us.

I remember when the ozone hole seemed to be dooming amphibians.

The thing is, if a frog species survives at all, it can reproduce itself back from the brink. I'm happy to hear about the frog resurgence. I love frogs.

I agree with Willem too.

I think every child should have this kind of childhood. I was born in the city, in Pretoria, in a small apartment. We moved out to a real house with a yard when I was about three or four years old. I loved it ... played in the compost heap, digging up beetle larvae and pupae, catching spiders and lizards and showing them to my parents. the country was safe and I could go wherever I wanted, finding chameleons and frogs in the veld (we kept a chameleon for a short time, and I have an enduring love for them), playing in a riverbed, finding porcupine quills, digging an underground 'den' in the veld, exploring far and wide, wading into ponds - picking up leeches in the process, keeping frogs and fish in a small concrete pond (and also marveling about things like dragonfly and mosquito larvae that found themselves in there ...

In short, having hands-on experience of the wonders of the living world around me. I don't know how people can survive without this appreciation or interest or curiosity about the planetary life from which we all came, not so long ago. I really think that such an appreciation is spiritual medicine without which the soul can't be very happy or healthy.

I hope that you read my story in this week's Post about the wonders of the woods around my home when I was growing up, Willem. Ladyslippers, and frogs, and a tall pine tree that I could climb. If you haven't read it, please do.

I planted some beautiful woodland plants around the edges of my trailer. They will soon awaken from their winter's nap, and brighten the area around me during the Spring.

Here is a list of native plants that I love:

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By the time Summer comes, these delicate plants will have already begun to die off, as they can only thrive when the tree leaves are not fully out.

Correction: they don't die, they just finish forming their seeds and dial back their activities. I planted six Canadian Anemone plants, but they have formed a huge carpet by sending their underground rhizomes everywhere.

Of course I've read it Paulh, this conversation thread is about your story!

How soon I forget. I should have reread the suject line.

I have cataracts in both eyes, and I'm, well, forgetful. Also worried about being misunderstood or not perceived.

I'm still the little kid who wandered in the woods because the human race was either not interesting enough to connect with, or not really interested in me.

I still feel closer to my plants than to anything else.....

Don't sweat it Paulh! I find you interesting and enjoy reading your stuff.

I love my plants also but I'm really working trying to connect better with people ...

Trying to connect better is a lifelong pursuit.

And you can use nature and your love of plants to connect with other people with the same interests. And there are actually many out there! I just had a wonderful outing to the Leolo Mountains, with a bunch of plant-loving people. You couldn't ask for better company. We all felt after three days as if we'd known each other for years.

Sasha loves Echinacea and some of the other plants I've written entries about.

I connected with three other plant-loving people here. Two have since died. Some newer people seem to like the flowers I planted around the park. I've seen people photographing the dwarf spruces at he entrance.