– The Blog

Notes From Home

These are stories I lived and still carry: reflections on growing up on a farm, on what it means to leave and return, and on the urgency of preserving land, legacies, and a rural way of life.

Rhonda J. Ray 9/30/26 Rhonda J. Ray 9/30/26

Writing Deliberately About Nature

What does it mean to be a nature writer and to write deliberately about nature? I turned to a few nature writing courses to explore various approaches to nature writing over centuries. Two important contemporary nature writers who championed the observation and preservation of the natural world have died recently, leaving us to lift up their voices and to protect the voice of nature.

Rhonda J. Ray 6/30/26 Rhonda J. Ray 6/30/26

The Pond: Minnows, Memories, and Microcosm

The pond wasn’t always there. Among my earliest memories, I walked with my mother along a path in the woods, encountering a large puddle of water. I squatted and stared at a turtle that looked back at me before it retreated into its portable home.

Rhonda J. Ray 4/21/26 Rhonda J. Ray 4/21/26

Earth Day and Thoreau: Celebrating Nature!

On Earth Day, millions across the globe urge us to be mindful of nature, our atmosphere, and environment. Long before Earth Day began in 1970, Henry David Thoreau proclaimed the need to know and honor nature and acknowledge our connection to it.