December, the Doorway to Winter: Call of the Chickadee

Exploring the outdoors during the winter months often provides unpretentious yet spectacular views of our natural world.  The winter months reveal nature’s basic structures as we marvel at the complexities that exist within.

“When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” 

Aldo Leopold

Aldo Leopold, captured in black and white on a frozen Wisconsin waterway, exemplifies this reality, as do his words in from A Sand County Almanac which remind us of the imperative ecological work that lies ahead. Aldo Leopold is considered by many to have been the greatest influential conservation thinker of the 20^th Century. Learn more about the Aldo Leopold Archives at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“Chicka-dee-dee-dee”- this beloved little bird sings its name for the whole world to hear. Black-capped chickadees are small plump birds, just 4 to 5 inches in length with 8-inch wingspans. Both males and females look alike with soft gray backs and tails, white cheeks, a white chest and belly, and a splash of buff-colored feathers below the wings. Their most distinctive characteristics are their black caps and black masks and throats. Learn more about these little birds and the complex communication patterns in this resource.

Download the full PDF here.

This resource was created by Joanne Vogel and Kate Reilly.