Sometimes you are just in the right place at the right time. I had the pleasure of showing a guest around Irvine yesterday managing to escape from my desk for a bit of time in the field. As we toured the land and discussed current and future projects, we were lucky enough to see some of… Read more »
By Irvine Executive Director Brooks Paternotte About a month ago I went to check my hives on an unseasonably warm day to see how the colonies were fairing this winter. What I found was both good news and bad news. The good news was that one of my hives was still full of bees; the bad… Read more »
When I woke up this morning to reports of wind chills in the teens I was reminded that it is probably time to empty my rain barrels for the winter. If you are like me, you use these water saving devices for a wide variety of things. Around the house, mine capture rain as well… Read more »
If you are like my family, you probably have a few pumpkins lingering on your front porch or steps that will soon turn into a liquefied mess. Before this seasonal icon becomes a chore to clean up, consider a few green ways in which you might recycle your Jack-o-lantern. One of the easiest things you… Read more »
By Brooks Paternotte, Executive Director As I eagerly await the arrival of winter, I have started with my family to prepare our small farm for winter. This year, I insisted that we try a green spin on each of our fall chores to see if we can be even better stewards of our property. Like… Read more »
By Brooks Paternotte, Executive Director At this time of year we traditionally give thanks for the harvest and spend time with family and friends sharing its abundance. But here at Irvine we also have something to be particularly thankful for this autumn. Less than a month ago we received one of the most generous gifts… Read more »
By Executive Director Brooks Paternotte A few years ago a very generous donor approached Irvine about building a butterfly enclosure. We gladly accepted the donation and started the planning process. After considering a few designs and weighing the expense of construction, we decided upon retrofitting an existing yet underutilized space. With a limited budget and… Read more »
By Executive Director Brooks Paternotte Here at Irvine Nature Center we like to abide by and promote the “Leave No Trace” principles. However, we have found that sometimes it poses a challenge, particularly with a range of participants from cradle to grey. As a result, I asked my team to sit down and discuss the… Read more »
By Executive Director Brooks Paternotte In previous posts I have encouraged the parsimonious use of things like ice melting salts, yard fertilizers and weed killers. But today I want to direct your attention to something we really should consider not using at all if we want to sustain the diversity of fresh foods we eat.… Read more »
By Executive Director, Brooks Paternotte For many of us the arrival of spring means getting outside and back in the garden – something I enjoyed immensely this past weekend. Yet the change of seasons also is a great opportunity for some spring cleaning inside of the home. If those April showers force you indoors, try… Read more »
