If you like the weekly posts of Kaw Valley Almanac, you might be interested in purchasing a compilation of these kinds of posts that Ken Lassman has put together into a book, along with essays on the land and the ecosystems of the area. This book was designed not to be just another coffee table book full of pictures; rather it was designed to be used as a guide to accompany you when you take your treks outdoors to observe nature first hand. You can get this book at a number of local bookstores or order it here for $15 + $2 shipping (regular price: $20). Click here to purchase your copy via Paypal.
Ken Lassman has been keeping this almanac for over a decade, He invites you to share your observations and photos in the comments section. You can find his book Wild Douglas County at The Raven Bookstore in Lawrence.
Baby Bear Moon: December
The Osages noted the presence of black bears in this region, and black bears are increasingly wandering in from Missouri, where they have been spotted in all western Missouri counties. Cougars or mountain lions have also been spotted in Kansas, with some even having raised young in the state. We can plan for green corridors that allow all forms of wildlife safe passage, something essential if we want our natural legacy to remain in the lives of future generations. In the Lawrence area, for instance, it would be great to create private and public corridors connecting Hilldsale to the Baldwin Woods and Douglas County Lake as well as providing safe green corridors along the Wakarusa from the Baker Wetlands west to Clinton, then north to the Kaw River floodplain forests on upstream to Perry Lake. We can dream, can’t we?
Bald eagles have returned to the area, where they have overwintered along the Kaw since time immemorial, adding the reservoirs to their winter retreat areas after they were built in the 60s and 70s. December’s cold weather concentrates wildlife along the Kaw due to the ice cover on most open water. The end of the month is also a time to look for deer antlers which are falling off as mating season winds down, and if we get snow, tracking the activities of wildlife in area woods and prairies. And if mild temperatures persist, don’t forget to enjoy some of the most beautiful constellations of the year as Orion, Andromeda, Taurus, and the Pleiades are often seen under much less comfortable conditions!
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I enjoy your almanac and have been keeping a daybook of my own. I also enjoy Poor Will’s almanac in Countryside and Small Stock Journal.
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Fantastic, Carol! Feel free to share any of your observations (and/or photos) either in the comments or email them to me to include (if they are about the Kaw Valley region) in the Nature Notes. I find such observations to be an excellent way to develop and deepen a lifelong relationship with the land and the life that it holds and hope that it does the same for you.
Ken
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