Author & Ecologist
Just a few months ago, I was walking barefoot along the beach. Salty mists buffeted my face. Cold waves stung my toes. I had arrived here for Dollbaby Week, a gathering of women writers and friends. Once a year, the Dollbabies come together at Virginia Beach. We share stories, laughter, love, and tears. We celebrate... Continue Reading →
My bee page is now updated - check it out for details about our 2020 field season. I'm excited about my projects, coordinated as always with KC Wildlands, KC Parks, and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). We're going to conduct a standardized survey of a unique habitat in the Kansas City area, the rocky... Continue Reading →
About four months ago, this lovely photo by Joe Neely of Diadasia bees sleeping together in a flower appeared on Bored Panda and promptly went viral. Based on my experience as a biologist, I concluded at once these individuals were two adult females, perhaps sisters, cuddled for warmth as they were sleeping. Recently, it occurred to me others... Continue Reading →
Last fall, I wrote in a bee update that about 40% of our 2018 summer bee collection belonged to one species of small, metallic green bee: Augochlora pura. Turns out I was wrong. With a little more experience and a fresh look at our collection, I've been able to determine that of the 70-some-odd bees I... Continue Reading →
I've been away from my blog and most things internet during July, enjoying a family vacation in Germany. By 'family,' I mean family in the broadest sense of the word. This was a very special trip, celebrating the 80th birthday of my father. We were able to bring together so many people over our three-week... Continue Reading →
All the true birders out there are going to say, "It's about time you got with the program!" And they're right. It's been a couple years since a friend and colleague introduced me to eBird, the wonderful app developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I'm not sure how long eBird has been around, but... Continue Reading →
It's been a month since I said good-bye to my friends at Virginia Beach, happy yet sad as we embraced each other in the bittersweet end to our annual gathering of creativity, womanly power, and meaningful companionship. I always come away from that week with a sense of renewal and at least one important lesson... Continue Reading →
Sunday I came across this article in the Washington Post that talks about what we traditionally call the "midlife crisis." Turns out it's not a crisis at all. It's a "psychological and emotional reboot" where "our values, our priorities, even our brains...shift away from competition and social striving and toward connecting and giving to others,"... Continue Reading →
We've been through some tough times for love. On a personal level, I've navigated fallout from a divorce, but more than that, as a community we've been bombarded by relentless forces of anger, division, and hate. Compassion, hope, and affection have had difficulty finding their voices in these confusing times, and all of us have... Continue Reading →
Once in a great while, a calendar year comes with a singular message; a lesson that seems to start on or near January 1st and come full circle by the end of December. If I were to articulate the big lesson of the last 365 days, it would be this: We must work hard to... Continue Reading →
Karin Rita Gastreich 