7/26/2021 | This resource was created by Stewart Hallman and Kate Reilly,
Summertime will sizzle on the Duke Farms Distance Learning Portal through an eclectic array of environmental topics that feature the sights, sounds, and smells of this sensational season as was artistically captured in Dunbar’s historical work. We hope that you are inspired to find your own nature-based adventures and create reflections and memories to last a lifetime.
Summer in the South
The Oriole sings in the greening grove
As if he were half-way waiting,
The rosebuds peep from their hoods of green,
Timid, and hesitating.
The rain comes down in a torrent sweep
And the nights smell warm and pinety,
The garden thrives, but the tender shoots
Are yellow-green and tiny.
Then a flash of sun on a waiting hill,
Streams laugh that erst were quiet,
The sky smiles down with a dazzling blue
And the woods run mad with riot.
Paul Laurence Dunbar, born in 1872, is the author of numerous collections of poetry and prose.
He is one of the first African American poets to gain national recognition.
It's no secret that we love the outdoors. The only thing we might love more than the outdoors is sharing our love for the outdoors. However, it's important to stay safe and educate yourself about nature - the pros and the cons. One of the cons of nature is the "poison" plants that have afflicted millions over millennia. The main culprits? Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. Each of these plants contains urushiol, a substance that, when in contact with human skin, causes an unpleasant allergic reaction in the form of a rash. Strangely enough, our loss is nature's gain when it comes to poison ivy - the plant is valuable to pollinators and makes an attractive food source for birds, rodents, and even bears! Learn about the pros and cons of some of these poison plants - from a safe distance, of course.