Tropical Leaves

Happy Dancing Blog

Introduction to Camping: Wilderness Camping

Aug 22, 2018
11 min

Introduction to Camping: Wilderness Camping

“In order to assure that an increasing population, accompanied by expanding settlement and growing mechanization, does not occupy and modify all areas within the United States and its possessions, leaving no lands designated for preservation and protection in their natural condition, it is hereby declared to be the policy of the Congress to secure for the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness.” -Excerpt from The W

An Introduction to Camping: The Why & The Where

Aug 13, 2018
4 min

An Introduction to Camping: The Why & The Where

We’re talking about camping all this month here at HDT. It’s a great time to squeeze in that last minute camping trip with the family before the school year starts, a trip with your best pals, or a solo trip all by yourself! Whoever is involved, it’s one last time to relax in your hammock, lounge at the beach, get your heart beating on a hike, or hang around the campfire while enjoying the summer weather. Time in nature has a multitude of mental, physical and emotional health

Nature Notes: Birding Bonanza in the Driftless Region

May 15, 2018
3 min

Nature Notes: Birding Bonanza in the Driftless Region

The Trempealeau Hotel, a quintessential restaurant of the Driftless Region located in a historic building from the 1880s. It is one of many restaurants featuring sustainably-sourced, locally grown ingredients on the menu. It also highlights the variety of live music events in the area, complete with an outdoor porch, beautiful gardens, and a bandstand overlooking the Mississippi and riverside bluffs. On Friday, after touring around Winona, Minnesota (including the historic d

Screen Free Week Observations

May 11, 2018
4 min

Screen Free Week Observations

Last week children, families, entire schools, and communities across the nation participated in Screen Free Week, endeavoring to not use any screens during non school and work hours. That meant no smart phones, no video games, no TV, no computers, no screens of any kind. Several of us here at Happy Dancing Turtle participated as well, including me and my two daughters, 8 year old K, and 6 year old B. Screen Free Week started on Monday, April 30, so the Saturday before that I

Vitamin N(ature)

Jul 24, 2017
3 min

Vitamin N(ature)

Neither “Natural Deficit Disorder” or “Vitamin N” are actual medical terms but rather two phrases coined by Richard Louv. The author of “Last Child in the Woods,” “The Nature Principle”, and “Vitamin N,” and co-founder of the “Children and Nature Network,” Louv claims our culture is experiencing a crisis of nature withdrawal. Today’s kids spend over 50 hours a week on an electronic device and 90% of their time indoors. But it’s not just the vilified electronic device to blame

Nature Notes: Spring Ephemerals

May 6, 2016
5 min

Nature Notes: Spring Ephemerals

May is a month of treasure hunts. I like to explore the outdoors with a specific treasure in mind. How many butterflies can I find today? How many turtles and frogs can I count down at the pond? How many bird nests can I see in our yard? My favorite treasures to find are the ephemerals – the earliest of our spring wildflowers. So where do you look to find these blossoms? First you have to know a couple of things about our flowers. Our native trees typically bear the first flo

The 30×30 Challenge!

May 2, 2016
3 min

The 30×30 Challenge!

Click here to view the full size. This month, many of the Happy Dancing Turtle staff have agreed to participate in the 30×30 Workplace Challenge! The 30×30 Challenge was started by the David Suzuki Foundation as a way to encourage people to spend more time outside. The goal is to spend 30 minutes outdoors for 30 days in a row (the month of May). Why? Because it’s good for you! The EPA estimates that Americans spend approximately 93% of their lives indoors (87% inside a build