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Van Waffle

Writer, Naturalist, Photographer

Two diseases invade Ontario beech trees
Finding the soul in a place
From the Blog

A golden mystery: Chrysopilus thoracicus

Posted on June 10, 2019October 20, 2021 by Van Waffle

Golden-backed snipe fly, Chrysopilus thoracicus, an eye-catching mystery.

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Magenta spreen, a worthy spring green

Posted on May 29, 2019October 20, 2021 by Van Waffle

Magenta spreen (Chenopodium giganteum) is a delicious spring vegetable readily available from my garden. It is a close relative (same genus) of lamb’s…

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Nature’s gift of exercise

Posted on May 22, 2019October 20, 2021 by Van Waffle

The mud in the woods has evolved from chocolate cake batter to bread dough. It feels like kneading to walk. This morning was…

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Supporting native insects is easy

Posted on May 17, 2019October 20, 2021 by Van Waffle

Yesterday I planted two drought-tolerant native Ontario wildflowers in my front garden: Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly milkweed) and Antennaria dioica (pussytoes). I wanted to…

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Leatherwood a subtle but useful native shrub

Posted on April 25, 2019March 15, 2022 by Van Waffle

One of my favourite native plants is leatherwood, Dirca palustris. It’s a modest shrub, easily overlooked in the shadowy understory of mature woodlands….

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ION LRT set to launch this spring

Posted on March 27, 2019October 20, 2021 by Van Waffle

I encounter Kitchener-Waterloo’s new ION LRT on my morning rounds.

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The creek runs through a crystal palace

Posted on March 13, 2019October 20, 2021 by Van Waffle

A crystal spectacle invites separate reflections in photography and language.

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Tracking the elusive muskrat

Posted on January 29, 2019April 6, 2022 by Van Waffle

A muskrat lives in the creek under the bridge where I cross into the woods every day. Ondatra zibethicus are particularly reclusive, so it…

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Festival of frost

Posted on January 22, 2019January 22, 2019 by Van Waffle

The cold weather has kept me more housebound than usual, but it also provides some fantastic frost formations. This morning I bundled up and went to the creek.

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Quick Asian peanut soup

Posted on January 10, 2019March 15, 2022 by Van Waffle

This peanut soup was inspired by my hankering for ramen noodles, but includes vegetables locally available in winter.

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Latest Articles

  • Information box: Where We Spin
    Handspinning Seminar will nourish your soul
    May 24, 2022
  • Discover wilderness in a small urban creek
    Apr 6, 2022
  • A photo of a great blue heron taking flight is not part of my memory of the encounter
    Improve memory and take great photos
    Mar 30, 2022
  • Mud: a poetic meditation on early spring
    Mar 23, 2022
  • A calendula in my garden on a rainy day appears to emanate its own light from within.
    Check my new photo albums
    Mar 16, 2022
  • Three beech trunks to the left on the left show white fluff indicating the onset of beech bark disease.
    Two diseases invade Ontario beech forests
    Mar 9, 2022
  • Enchanter’s nightshade
    Jul 10, 2019
  • Cottage vignettes: flora and fauna around the dock
    Jul 5, 2019

Van on Flickr

  • Fundament of origin IV
  • Waiting for the thaw
  • Sunset over Singing Sands, Bruce Peninsula National Park
  • Two-Spirit celebrants at Toronto Pride 2006
  • Fundament of origin III
  • Fundament of origin II
  • Travel advisory
  • Communications
Genius Loci: The Spirit of a Place is a Flickr group curated by Van with 250 members and growing, exploring how places influence our lives.

Genius Loci

  • Landscape
  • ...Entre dos mares
  • Kolkata – Porters
  • Three
  • Grotte di Collepardo
  • Rockwood
  • Morning
  • Shivah - Archive 2019

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