nature – Christa Avampato

children, education, environment, learning, nature

This just in: Send me your pictures of kids enjoying time in nature

May 27, 2015May 27, 2015 Christa Avampato

“Teaching children about the natural world should be seen as one of the most important events in their lives.” ~Thomas Berry

Alright friends, I know you take AMAZING photos of the kids in your life. Do you have pics of them enjoying time in nature? I want these kinds of photos to decorate my ed tech company’s office. They will serve as a reminder of why we’re embarking on this venture to help kids realize that the natural world we live in has so much to teach all of us and deserves to be protected.

I’m looking for nature photos in which kids are truly interacting with nature and exploring it. Please send any photos like this to me at christa@steamengine.com and we will gladly credit you in the print!

animals, nature, Washington

This just in: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens and the National Aboretum are sanctuaries of peace in D.C.

April 21, 2015April 21, 2015 Christa Avampato

Phin and I found two more peaceful and beautiful sanctuaries within D.C.’s borders. Yesterday, we visited Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens and the National Arboretum. Plenty of wildlife sightings (including adorable otters!), soft winds, and spring vegetation to enjoy. Best of all, they’re only a 20-minute drive from our apartment. Phin did a bit of padding around (and rolling around) in the soft grass and we both soaked up the sun on this very summer-like day. Looking forward to spending a lot more time in these two places as the seasons change. Both are free, easy to get to, offer plenty of parking, and are part of the National Park Service. Picnics welcomed!

Phin, my faithful companion, always looking forward

A path through the woods at the Arboretum

Kenilworth’s lakes were joined together by the heavy rains last night to the delight of turtles, geese, and otters

nature, Spring

This just in: Eventually Spring will win

March 29, 2015 Christa Avampato

Even though it was freezing in D.C. yesterday, the buds on this tree couldn’t and wouldn’t be stopped. Winter can hang as long as it wants, and eventually spring will win. Spring plays the long game, and I respect that.

business, courage, environment, nature

This just in: Nature and George Carlin show us how to live our best lives

March 8, 2015March 7, 2015 Christa Avampato

George Carlin - an advocate for biomimicry — George Carlin – an advocate for biomimicry

“I like it when a flower or a little tuft of grass grows through a crack in the concrete. It’s so f*ckin’ heroic.” ~George Carlin

Plenty of businesses utilize biomimicry, the art of using nature’s adaptations to create superior products. For example, swimsuit material that replicates the skin of a shark as it efficiently glides through water. George Carlin gives us a different way of looking at biomimicry—replicating the bravery and courage of nature to grow and flourish in a place that seems unlikely if not impossible.

No one tells a flower it can’t grow in a crack in the sidewalk. No one tells a trickle of water that it can’t wear down a stone over time. Nature just finds an opportunity to spread its wings, and goes for it. There’s a lesson from nature we should all take to heart.

celebration, nature, Spring, Washington, weather

This just in: D.C. announces dates for the 2015 National Cherry Blossom Festival

March 5, 2015March 4, 2015 Christa Avampato

D.C.'s Cherry Blossom Festival is almost here! — D.C.’s Cherry Blossom Festival is almost here!

Today we’re getting a cold, icy, snowy mix of weather in the D.C. area. Here’s the thing – it’s temporary. Everything’s temporary. In a month, spring is going to be here (and almost everywhere else, too) and it’s going to be amazing. This city, and many cities in the Northeast, explode with life and joy once spring arrives. And why shouldn’t they? After this winter, we deserve to bask in the sun as much as we can.

D.C. will welcome its outrageously beautiful cherry blossoms from March 20th – April 13th during the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The end of the festival is supposed to be the peak time for these pink and white flowers that magically bring a smile to everyone’s face. Phin and I will be there. I hope you can join us. So hang in there. I’m going to chug some (very) hot chocolate now and dream about the spring that is only days away for all of us.

animals, creativity, nature, writing

Inspired: What Sea World dolphins taught me about writing and life

October 21, 2014October 20, 2014 Christa Avampato

Ever wonder how dolphins sleep without drowning? So did I so I asked one of the biologists at Sea World. Dolphins (and whales) are unihemispheric: one half of their brain sleeps while the other half stays awake because they must actively decide to take every breath. This idea is mind-boggling to me. Imagine what we could do with that kind of brain! There is no such thing as impossible, not even if you live in water and breathe air.Sometimes to live a good life with the situation that presents itself, we have to do something insane that’s never been done before. When there’s a will to live, there’s a way. Nature is flipping amazing.

Florida, imagination, inspiration, nature, New York City

Inspired: I see the stars in Florida

October 8, 2014October 7, 2014 Christa Avampato

Stargazing was one of my favorite activities when I was a kid. I looked at the stars for hours and they carried me away into my imagination. Were there creatures up there, out there, looking at Earth the same way I looked at the stars and planets? Did they know things I didn’t know? Did they have magic powers that I could only dream of? Maybe. Definitely.

In New York City there are hardly any stars. The city has too much ambient light and that light hides the stars from us. They’re up there of course, but New Yorkers can’t see them, or at least can’t see them very well. Here in Florida, they’re out there in brilliant abundance every night. They carry me away exactly like they did when I was a child. They remind me that I am only one very small speck in an enormous universe that is awash with secrets, truths, and discoveries yet to be made.

The sight of the stars in Florida keeps me reaching, and for that I’m grateful.

adventure, change, Florida, future, nature, photographs

Inspired: Find the courage to face change with photographs

September 16, 2014September 15, 2014 Christa Avampato

When I began to think about relocating, my amazing friend, Sara, suggested I make a Pinterest board of every city that’s interesting to me. She had done that when she decided to move to Austin and it really helped her look forward to the change. I followed her wise advice and it’s working like a charm. Check out the board I made for Florida. As you can see, I’m looking forward to more time in the natural world!

action, nature

Inspired: Judge your progress like a garden

September 15, 2014September 14, 2014 Christa Avampato

We’re only gardeners of our lives. We plant. We provide what nourishment we have. We wait. The sun, soil, and water do the rest. Then we do our best with what sprouts. It’s terrifying and freeing, frustrating and empowering. Do the right thing for you right now. Plant a seed. Plant lots of them. And let that be enough. The world germinates in mysterious ways.

change, nature, Spring

Inspired: Spring is a Time to Fly

March 22, 2014March 22, 2014 Christa Avampato

Spring always makes me feel like flying. I shake off my heavy coat, put aside the boots, and open up to the warmth. To fly, we have to let go – of the things that weigh us down and the fear that holds us back. Shrug it off. Let Spring transform you, inside and out. Then, get ready for take-off. The world is waiting for you.