August 2025 – a curious nature

NATIONAL DIATOMACEOUS EARTH DAY

Part 1 – Diatomaceous Earth

August 31, 2025

On August 31, National Diatomaceous Earth Day recognizes the diatom and the remarkable mineral it creates!

Have you ever heard of Diatomaceous Earth (DE)? If you answer “yes” then perhaps you brew your own beer, have a swimming pool in need of water filtration, or a vegetable garden that’s been invaded by a herd of hungry slugs. But did you know DE is a mineral¹ composed of the fossilized remains of single-celled, microscopic algae called Diatoms? (More about diatoms in an upcoming post.) DE is truly a remarkable mineral, found around the world in ancient marine and lacustrine (freshwater lakes, streams, and rivers) sedimentary deposits.

Early Discoveries and Uses of DE

The year was 1836; the place, Northern Germany …… One day, a peasant named Peter Kasten was sinking a well when he encountered a mysterious-to-him layer of rock. Curious what this soft powdery rock might be, Pete took a sample to a friend who was a friend of a friend learned in the science of geology. This geologist carefully examined the rock then exclaimed (in German, of course), “Why this is the much prized and never-before-seen-in-Northern-Germany mineral known as Diatomaceous Earth! It has remarkably unique abilities to absorb, filtrate, polish, and stabilize! These qualities make Diatomaceous Earth (aka Diatomite) valuable and much sought after by numerous industries!”

Well, word spread and immediate exploration of the area commenced. It wasn’t long before numerous substantial deposits of lacustrine DE were discovered; some up to 92 feet thick! Extraction began in 1863. Until WWI, these sites comprised the world-wide production of Diatomite. Mining these deposits ended in 1994, when all of the DE deposits had been extracted.

But long before Pete’s discovery, Ancient Greeks used DE as an abrasive as well as a building material in lightweight bricks. Even in pre-historic times, DE was used in the ice-age cave paintings in France.

DE Deposits and Extraction – Worldwide

When diatoms die and fall to the bottom of marine and lacustrine waterbodies, they form large deposits. Over time, the organic portions of the diatoms weather away, leaving behind their hard silica shells. These remaining shells, called Frustules, with their opaline-like quality are what forms DE. Some of the largest deposits in the U.S. formed in ancient lakes that existed in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. They also formed in oceans and occur along the coasts of North and South America.

Since WWI, exploration for and discovery of numerous DE deposits have occurred worldwide-wide, and are still on-going. Large mining companies have unearthed and continue to extract this mineral in substantial quantities, which is processed for use by industries that manufacture products for home and business (more on that below). DE deposits are (or have been) mined in many countries around the world, including the U.S., Mexico, Chile, Peru, France, Spain, Denmark, China, Canada, Argentina, Australia, Spain, Turkey, Libya, Russia, Mozambique, Ireland, and France. Today, the world’s largest DE mine, Colado Mine, is located just outside of Lovelock, NV, and has been in operation since 1959.

DE’s Modern Uses and Values

Today, DE is one of the most useful and durable substances known. The white to off-white powdery rock that makes up the more than 1 million year old DE deposits, is used in many common products likely encountered every day. One nearly universal use is in the filtration of liquids like the beer, wine and water. DE is also used to filter water in swimming pools, and to clean grease and oil. DE is used as an absorbent for hazmat spill control and in some kitty litters. As a filler in paint, it removes the sheen making flat paint flat; in plastics, it prevents blocking in plastic film. DE is used as an aggregate in construction, particularly in Portland Cement. And the list of specialty items that use DE for a variety of purposes is very long ….. including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, art supplies, in the medical industry for DNA extraction, as a non-toxic insecticide, soil amendments, in bath mats for quick drying, in toothpaste as an abrasive, and as food additives to control moisture and extend shelf life. There are hundreds of other applications for DE with many more yet to be discovered!

But the biggest use of DE is in filtration. In 2023, the beverage industry paid $720/metric ton for processed food-grade DE (amount used to filter a keg of beer??). Compare that cost to $10/metric ton charged in 2023 for lightweight aggregates used in construction (wonder if or how tariffs impacted the 2025 cost?), or the $1000/metric ton charged for some specialty items.

Ideas on How to Observe Diatomaceous Earth Day

Discover more about DE, and learn about its common uses around your home or work.

Read product labels to learn what you use on a daily basis that contains DE.

Consult the fda.gov website to learn more about labeling.

Visit a Diatomite mining operation.

Learn about unmined deposits near where you live.

Use a magnifying glass or microscope to inspect the contents of bag of insecticidal DE.

Stay tuned for NATIONAL DIATOMACEOUS EARTH DAY – Part 2 – Diatoms! They are ultra-fascinating!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

¹ Minerals are naturally occurring, inorganic solids with a definite chemical composition and internal structure, and are the main components of rocks. DE (Diatomite) is a naturally occurring inorganic mineral that forms from the fossilized siliceous (silica-based) skeletons of diatoms, which are single-celled aquatic organisms. While the organisms themselves are organic, the hard, porous mineralized skeletons they produce are considered inorganic.

Being an inorganic mineral, DE falls into the same category as minerals we’re all familiar with, such as Quartz, Feldspar, Mica, Pyrite, Hematite, Galena, Sulfur, Gold, and Copper. The chemical formula of DE is primarily SiO₂ (silicon dioxide), with traces of other minerals.

National Find Your Inner Nerd Day

You Might Be A Nerd If ………

August 23, 2025

*Zentangle patterns: Flukes, laced, TunnelVizion, Furrballs, Paradox, Sppedwayxtra, Shattuck,*

Today’s the Day! Embrace your Inner Nerd, and set her free.

Back in the 1950s, the term “Nerd” was frequently heard to describe someone in a negative sense: “He’s not attractive;” “She’s awkward at socializing;” “What dorky glasses he’s wearing;” “She’s so shy.” Before that time, “Geek” was the popular word in play. However, many of today’s Nerds and Geeks have proudly broken free of those decades-old definitions by tossing them aside and rewriting dictionaries.

While the terms “Nerd” and “Geek” are often used interchangeably, some dictionaries are splitters. You can find Nerds described as people typically associated with intellectual pursuits and academic achievement, often focusing on mastering skills and knowledge, where Geeks are known for their intense enthusiasm of specific hobbies or interests, particularly in areas like technology, science fiction, or gaming.

Not to nit-pick an officially-designated celebration, it appears National Find Your Inner Nerd Day has merged Nerd with Geek, matching a 2024 dictionary definition….. and I paraphrase: “Nerd” is someone who’s extremely enthusiastic and wise about a subject or something they’re passionate about, and who excitedly and obsessively talks about it while paying extraordinary attention to details.

Are you an Inner Nerd?

Deep down inside do you identify with parts or even all of those words and phrases that attempt to describe a Nerdy you? You do? Awesome! Still not sure (or “On the Fence” and)/or not willing to admit to your Inner Nerdiness? Being someone who’s a self-identified Nerd, having recognized and accepted my quirkiness for decades, let me help!

You might be an Inner Nerd if:

-you’re an academic, a book-worm, into classic movies, or a Trekkie;

-you knit holiday clothes every year for your dog, all your friend’s dogs, the neighbor’s dogs, and the humane society;

-you collect Pez dispensers, antique buttons, bars of soap, or banana labels;

-you collect Adventure Labs, GeoArt, EarthCaches, TravelBugs, and Geocoins;

-your house is full of stuffed toys from around the world; you ask friends to bring you a skein of yarn every time they travel somewhere new; the closet in your craft room holds more bolts of fabric than Hancock’s of Paducah, because you ‘never know;’

-you’re passionate about learning as much as you can about anything new and then sharing everything with everyone you meet;

-you’re obsessed about your daily creative practice in the fine arts (drawing, painting, music, song, dancing, acting), or creative writing (poetry, prose, essays, short stories), or in the culinary arts;

-you have a rock from every state in the U.S., a pressed leaf from every deciduous tree in your county, a photo of front doors from all your neighbors’ homes, and neighboring neighbors’ homes;

-you’re obsessed about scrapbooking, making botanical inks, filling journal after journal with nature sketches, storytelling, song writing;

-your collection of art supplies rivals Jerry’s Artarama; your own more ukuleles than Jake Shimabukuro;

-and on and on and on!

Being a Nerd is about embracing what you love and sharing all of your nerdy habits, collections, hobbies, and passions. Being a Nerd is about wanting to inspire others to embrace their inner nerdiness, too! Isn’t it time to show the world how amazing your differences are? Isn’t it time to embrace your quirkiness and share what you love?

And if you need more convincing, have no fear! Nerds are some of the coolest people in the world, if not the world’s most creative and successful. They’re always up for learning new things and love to share what they have learned with others. National Find Your Inner Nerd Day gives permission for everyone to explore their inner nerd, because everyone has a little inner nerdiness inside ready to be set free! Nerds aren’t weird, Nerds are wonderfully unique! So let’s celebrate our quirky nature and love ourselves for who we really are.

Let’s Celebrate Our Inner Nerd

If you’re a collector of things, take the day to share your treasures with other people. Give them a glimpse inside your mind and share your enthusiasm about your collection.
Join a local club that offers similar interests to yours. Book clubs, art clubs, bird watching clubs, nature clubs, car clubs, astronomy clubs, cooking clubs , and stamp collecting clubs can always be found. The best way to meet people like you is to find people like you.
Attend a convention, such as Comicon, Star Trek, Anime, QuiltCon, National Narrow Gauge, and Association of Speciality Cut Flowers, and see how fun and enthusiastic Nerds really are! Start by searching in your local area to find something that interests you.

And lastly ……. Are you a self proclaimed Inner Nerd? Are you ready to finally submit to your Inner Nerdiness? What are you obsessed about; passionate about? Do you have an insatiable curiosity about one thing; lots of things? Are you a collector (of what); a dedicated and driven learner? Please share your uniqueness with family, friends, and me! Oh how I’d love to know!

I hope this post was fun! As always, thanks for dropping by!

P.S. I’ve been a self-proclaimed Inner Nerd for most of my life (and that’s a lot of years!). It’s been an ever changing, non-stop circular journey of obsessions and passions involving art, music, science and nature. Right now I’m passionate about nature journaling on a daily basis, and the joy of non-stop learning and sharing the limitless diversity of our natural world. Oh, and I’m crazy about my daily connections with art, Flambé, and storytelling through Zentangle.

One of the Most Aloof Sunflowers Ever! The Cowpen Daisy

Part 3 ….. An Allelopath Declares Chemical Warfare

August 15, 2025

The more I learn about Cowpen Daisy (Verbesina encelioides), the more the words Intrepid (fearless and bold), Interloping (meddlesome and smothering), and Impertinent (pushy and rude) come to mind.

Cowpen Daisy is literally a plant at war …..

Its adversaries are neighboring plants …..

Its weapons of choice are chemicals ….. 15¹different Allelochemicals² to be exact.

Cowpen Daisy shows no mercy to its most susceptible victims, and given the right conditions in the right locations, Cowpen Daisy can cripple ecosystems, and unravel biodiversity.

Oh No! What Have I Done! Have I unleashed a formidable enemy to run amok, bullying its way through our mostly intact biodiverse high desert ecosystem?

Maybe not! (Spoiler alert…… Allelopathy³can be bad, but I still love this happy Daisy)

On August 6th, I received an excellent question from one of my blog followers, based on my first Cowpen Daisy post :

“Do you have any concerns about this becoming an invasive plant? Best wishes, Nancy”

In reply, I expressed my concern about the number of “seedlings coming up late spring,” and how “I was definitely alarmed and wondered about the need for early control.” Fortunately, “as the season advanced, it became clear the density of plants seemed self-controlling.” Based on my limited experience with Cowpen Daisy, I explained how during the summer of 2023 “the plant completely covered an extremely large field near our home,” causing me concern about its invasive tendencies. But upon “[R]eturning the following year (2024) and again this past spring (2025) to see if the same field was blanketed again in these plants, “I couldn’t find a single Cowpen Daisy anywhere! So no, this annual [doesn’t appear to be] “invasive, at least not in central New Mexico.”

But Nancy’s question prompted me to dig deeper into on-line research. I wondered: Is Cowpen Daisy invasive outside of its native range, particularly where conditions are ideal for its aggressive growth? Yes, it is! And its invasiveness is further enhanced where neighboring plants are susceptible to the impacts of the allelochemicals released by Cowpen Daisy’s leaves, roots and decaying leaf matter in the soil.

One example where Cowpen Daisy is an introduced species and has become invasive is in India. Fields of mung bean, corn, chickpeas, and sweet melon are being outcompeted by invasive stands of Cowpen Daisies. These food crops are severely impacted by two allelochemicals released by the both roots and leaves of the Daisy; steroids and phenols. Studies of these four crops demonstrated not only “the suppression of germination and growth in these plants” but “also revealed an antagonistic effect on [their] chlorophylls, carotenoids and protein levels.” In other words, Cowpen Daisy is winning the war against India’s mung bean, corn, chickpea and melon crops, and farmers are currently engaged in a battle to develop a strategy of control and run this biological enemy out of their country.

Cowpen Daisy is only considered a native species to the Southwest U.S. and Northern Mexico. However, it has been introduced (either intentionally or by accident) and is considered naturalized in parts of Eastern North America, the Middle East, Spain, Argentina, Australia and the Pacific islands. As such, Cowpen Daisy’s nature to drop allelochemicals everywhere it grows allows it to behave like an invasive plant in countries where it is naturalized. Without diligent management (via herbicide application or mechanical control), it can thrive to the detriment of their desirable plant species’ survival.

Have I defeated my goal of reestablishing a diverse native plant community in disturbed areas surrounding our new home? “Not likely,” says I, optimistically! In addition to Cowpen Daisy, the variety of native plant species I intentionally seeded last fall and early this past spring, have germinated, grown, flowered and seeded or are in the process of flowering and seeding, most of which are adjacent to a Daisy. Of course time will tell. Meanwhile, I’ve declared this to be a happy ending to this post and my stand of happy Cowpen Daisies! However ……. next spring, if germination rates from my reseeders are low or zero, but Cowpen Daisy returns with renewed vigor, then I have a control job waiting for me. And the best advice I’ve read is to “pull out old plants and roots and selectively remove new seedlings.” That’s acceptable! That I can do!

Until then!

Do you struggle with weedy, invasive plant species in your garden or yard? Have you seen fields of blooming weeds and wondered …… “what weed is that?” Do you know the names of those pesty plants and do they seem to keep your favorite variety of cucumbers from growing? It might be interesting to learn if your local invasives are one of the many Allelopaths happily growing in our world! Let me know!

As always, thanks for dropping by!

¹Cowpen Daisy is known to release up to 15 different allelochemicals² from its leaves and roots, such as guanidine, phytosterols, phenolic acids, tripertenes, flavonoids, dicarboxylic acids, phytophenols, steroids, phenols, and others. Fresh and decaying leaf litter leach 14 of those allelochemicals into the soil.

^2,3Allelopathy is a biological phenomenon by which an organism produces one or more biochemicals that influence the germination, growth, survival, and reproduction of other organisms. These biochemicals are known as allelochemicals and can have beneficial (positive allelopathy) or detrimental (negative allelopathy) effects on the target organisms and the community. Allelopathy is often used narrowly to describe chemically-mediated competition between plants. Allelopathic interactions are an important factor in determining species distribution and abundance within plant communities, and are also thought to be important in the success of many invasive plants. (source: Wikipedia)

One of the Most Edible Sunflowers Ever! The Cowpen Daisy

Part 2 ….. Ethnobotany, Etymology and Epicureans

August 11, 2025

While compiling last week’s post about the happy Cowpen Daisy party taking place outside our back door, it was no surprise to find way more interesting info about this sunflower than could ever fit on my journal page. Decisions …… decisions! To keep the August 5th illustrated page relatively uncluttered, I decided to include just the botanical basics (mostly), focusing on Cowpen Daisy flowers, leaves and seeds.

Then the past week I found my nature journal wide open to a blank page, ‘begging me’ for another Cowpen Daisy entry ….. “What about all those interesting info bits?” she asked. Replying* to my journal with a hearty, “OK,” I proceeded to locate and gather my rabbit-trailing notes. This scavenger hunt reminded me just how many pages there were; so many fascinating things about the Cowpen Daisy I wanted to remember and share. Decisions …… decisions! How to keep this next post to one page? By limiting the topics to only three, was it possible?

Barely! (after some clever editing, not a single word dropped off the page)

A little bit closer view for those without a microscope!

P.S. By the way, you may have noticed I’ve indicated this post is Part 2 of what’s now become my Cowpen Daisy series. Unless I start journaling on larger than 8” x 11” paper, there’s likely to be more Parts in store. And this multi-part series resulted in a minor edit to last week’s post, not titled “One of the Happiest Sunflowers Ever! The Cowpen Daisy; Part 1 ….. Can There Be Too Many Sunflowers?” In case you missed it, please check it out here.

*Yes, you read that right; I talk with my nature journals. Don’t you? After all, we do spend quite a bit of time together!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

The Cowpen Daisy ….. One of the Happiest Sunflowers Ever!

Part 1 ….. Can There Be Too Many Sunflowers?

August 5, 2025

It was the Fall of 2024. A small cluster of Cowpen Daisies (Verbesina encelioides) flourishing on the severely disturbed ground surrounding our new home was going to seed. Waiting several weeks until the migratory birds ate their fill, I spent an hour or so collecting as many remaining dried seeds (cypselas) as possible, stuffing full two quart-sized ziplock bags. About 1/3 of the seeds I scattered around the house where they would overwinter on the ground. The rest were poured into large pill vials that were labeled with species name, location, and date, then placed in the refrigerator to simulate cold storage until Spring.

Cowpen Daisy cypselas (seeds) 08/04/2025 at Punch

It was late April 2025. The chances of heavy frost seemed a distant memory. My fingers crossed, I chose a sunny 42 degree morning to liberate those refrigerated seeds from 6 months of cold storage, and scattered them in disturbed areas not seeded last Fall. Then I waited like an expectant parent, watching for signs of germination, worrying that runoff from late season snows might wash away my scattered seeds, expecting that flocks of migratory birds would gobble them all up, and hoping for gentle rain showers to swell those thousands of seed coats to aid those tiny embryos in growing their first roots (radicles) and first leaves (cotyledons).

Then early June 2025. Success! Cotyledons were literally popping up everywhere, which meant the radicles were already expanding into the soil. They were especially crowded where I’d scattered all the cold storage seeds, and germination was obvious where seeds had been scattered the Fall of 2024. By early July, those Cowpen daisies were crowding out many of the other native species I’d also seeded in the same areas.

Backyard and overflow Cowpen Daisies, robust growth after Fall 2024 seeding (08/03/2025)

And now it’s early August 2025, and what a dazzling show! Even though the sunflower yellow flowers of Cowpen Daisy are small (2” wide), there are up to 75 long-stemmed flowers on each plant that can grow from 4-5’ tall! They are so dense, the backyard fence is hardly visible, our walking paths are totally draped with 4” long leaves, and if there’s a rattlesnake lurking around under our massive Cowpen Daisy canopy, we’d probably (hopefully) hear him well before he slithered into view!

Goals and Lessons Learned

I’ve learned a lot by parenting these Daisies; from the best time to scatter seed (in the late Spring following cold storage) and where (not so close to other desirable natives or pathways), to managing the mass of growth (by organizing through selective removal). Our initial goal of seeding and growing native plant species was to attract and help feed wildlife (pollinators, reptiles, rodents, birds and mammals), and we are optimistic that achieving this goal long-term seems realistic with the success we’ve had to date. However, because so many of our native plants are losing the battle against habitat loss caused by invasive species encroachment and takeover, land development, and climate change, we will continue to explore ideas to expand our initial goal to address the habitat situation. As we gain insight about the best native plants to grow to help restore our disturbed soils, we will learn and share with our neighbors those species that: are drought tolerant; aid in building soils; are effective at invasive weed suppression; provide wildlife benefits; and increase plant diversity.

Cowpen Daisy and pollinator 08/01/2025 at Punch

Happy – Happy – Happy! Will I be collecting Cowpen Daisy seed again this Fall? You bet! Having all that sunshine yellow around our home is thrilling. Every morning all those thousands of sunflower faces looking East towards a new day are about the happiest sight ever! And having such wild, uninhibited growth of a native annual out our back door has been ideal for observing the pollinators that benefit from the abundant nectar and pollen, enjoying the aerial acrobatics of several phoebe families that have been feasting on those pollinators, and promises to be a perfect spot for bird watching this Fall when all those cypselas ripen into high protein food.

Can’t wait!

Do you ‘know’ a special native plant? How about a native butterfly garden? Are you a bird watcher? Maybe you enjoy the occasional deer, coyote, or bobcat wander through your yard? Please share your favorite wildlife encounter!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Bordered Patch (my photo/2023 – on butterfly bush)

National Sunflower Day

August 2, 2025

Zentangle patterns: Eeric, Dollpin, Alla, Citrus, Snowflower, Fancy Flower, Crizzy, Suru, KGI, Maryhill, Xplode, Lilyeyes, Odee, Sooflowers, Peaceout, Bulb Lantern, Arrowtree, Adobe

Sunflowers!🌻 Absolutely the happiest flower on Earth. Wouldn’t you agree?

Sunflowers, a symbol of adoration, loyalty, and longevity, represent happiness, friendship, and intelligence. Much like the sun, sunflowers reflect vibrancy and an energy of life. While National Sunflower Day is the official day to celebrate these beautiful flowers, why not declare the entire growing season reason a-plenty to radiate your inner sunshine and mirror the smiling faces of every sunflower encountered!

Then and Now

Did you know sunflowers have been around since about 1000 BCE? In the U.S. indigenous peoples used sunflowers as a valuable food source, for oil, paint, and textiles, and during ceremonies. Some archaeologists even believe sunflowers may have been cultivated before corn. Today, sunflowers are still used for food (seeds, salad mixes) and beverages (tea), cooking oil, in beauty and skin care treatments, for medicinal purposes, and for hobbies and crafts.

The sunflower crop

The U.S. is a mass producer of sunflowers, particularly in the plains states, and is a major crop in both North Dakota and South Dakota. The average cultivated sunflower plant is five to six feet tall, and the central face of disc flowers can grow bigger than a human head. As the weight of the sunflower head becomes heavy, it begins to fall forward causing the petals to fall off. Shortly after the harvest begins. On average, one sunflower can produce up to 2,000 seeds per head. In 2022, North Dakota produced 762 billion pounds of sunflower seeds!

The Happiest and the most Intelligent flower

Have you ever noticed sunflowers track the sun, from sunrise to sunset? It’s true! Sunflowers follow the sun’s movements throughout the day. You may notice that before sunrise, a sunflower is in sort of a sleeping position with its head slightly down. As the sun comes over the horizon, the flower awakens and slowly lifts its face to ‘look’ directly at the rising sun. As the day progresses and we observe the sun moving from east to west, so too does the sunflower by turning its face in sync with the sun’s apparent movements until sunset.¹ When the sun sets in the evening, sunflowers nod off to sleep, but not before untwisting themselves and slowly return to face the east. Ingenious!

¹However, on very hot days, sunflowers tend to avoid looking directly at the sun to keep from overheating. And I’ve noticed on cloudy days, sunflowers may appear confused about the sun’s location, seeming to make their best guess on which way to face.

A season of yellows and oranges

Although you can find flowers in the Aster (sunflower) family in the Spring, August is the peak growing and blooming season for these cheerful plants. Brilliant displays of yellow flowers welcoming the morning sun can be found wherever sunflowers grow. Witnessing fields of sunflowers is guaranteed to lift your spirits as you oooooh and aaaaaaaah at their breathtaking beauty.

Ideas to celebrate a day, week, month or year of sunflowers

Spend a day with a wild sunflower and watch its face track the sun.
Take a drive to view fields of sunflowers to see their true beauty in mass.
Give a bouquet of sunflowers to a friend to brighten their day.
Add sunflower petals and seeds to your salad.
Create a painting of your favorite sunflower and frame it to enjoy year-round.
Try your hand at a Zentangled sunflower bouquet ….. there are as many pattern possibilities as there are blooming sunflowers!
Plan a road trip to North Dakota in August and coordinate places to stop to visit sunflower fields and get updates from local farmers who cultivate sunflowers.

A collection of cowpen daisies in my backyard.

If you missed celebrating this year’s National Sunflower Day, no worries! Every time you come across any sunflower, of any size, anywhere, pause and hold a personal celebration in honor of its splendiferous magnificence!

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Sunflower photos were taken in our backyard ….. all volunteers too!