Comments on: Featured Blog: Coyote Crossing

By: Wren

Wren — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:17:10 +0000

Dave, greentangle, and April, I’m glad you enjoyed the interview. I love the dessert, and would glad live there given the chance – but then, I’d be contributing to the problem of development in a fragile ecostructure, wouldn’t I?

As Dave and greentangle’s comments illustrate, there’s room in the nature blogosphere for a variety of approaches, content, and styles. One of things I hope arises from these featured blog posts is exposure to a wide range of writers, photographers, and interests. Diversity is more comfortable when we know each other.

By: April Lorier

April Lorier — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 23:12:49 +0000

First, you did an excellent job of interviewing Chris, Wren. (I love your interviews!)

Second, although I would not personally want to live in the Mohave (dry skin, get sick from heat), I’m grateful Chris does. It allows me to read about some parts of nature I would not otherwise experience. I grew up in NM where we found all kinds of interesting creatures in the deserts. Since I’m related to Euell Gibbons, we learned how to survive on “cactus liquid” (had to have plastic and a penny to get it) and other things few knew. So I’m sure Chris knows all of those techniques, too. Great article!

By: greentangle

greentangle — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:18:40 +0000

One of my favorites. Field guide type blogs are fine, but I generally prefer blogs which don’t isolate nature from the human world but instead include values and consequences and quality writing. This one fits the bill.

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:56:14 +0000

Thanks for this interview. I’m afraid I’m one of those people who’s been heaping overblown praise on Chris’s writing over the years, and lately I’ve also been sharing some of his posts about Big Solar with email lists for Appalachian-based activists fighting Big Wind, where it’s generated some enthusiastic reactions. My only fear there is that people who don’t read blogs too often may get the mistaken impression that all blog posts are so thorough, and will be lured into spending more time online than they should. Which is a backhanded way I suppose of encouraging other nature bloggers to follow Chris’s lead and write meatier posts more often, with a conservation message whenever appropriate. Also, I’d have to say his advice in the next-to-last paragraph is far sounder than than the crap all the blogging gurus are always spewing about SEO and what-not: “A blog in a related niche that sends you ten readers is a treasure beyond price, because those ten readers may be more new long-term readers than you’ll get from that front page link from Daily Kos. And that’s where you ought to put your community-building energy.”