Hi everyone. This is to let you know that I will be leaving Skool. The platform simply does not allow me to create and engage with others in a way that feels professional and effective. Despite repeated attempts to call Skool’s attention to the issues I’ve encountered (which they acknowledge and say others have mentioned) nothing has changed. Especially concerning is the way they expect community owners to use other social media platforms to drive traffic to Skool. I simply don’t have the time or money to set up accounts on, master, and pay for ads on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (to name just a few) all the while struggling to create content and find members for my Skool community. Anyway, that was a long way to say thank you for your interest in and support of Wild Dialogs. I’ve had some wonderful conversations with each of you and hope you will keep in touch. You can always find me on Substack: https://wilddialogs.substack.com. I wish you all the best.

Welcome to the first of Wild Dialogs’ walkabouts where we showcase stories about the wonderful people, projects, organizations, and groups we’ve met on our travels over the past two weeks. Here's the link: https://wilddialogs.substack.com/p/walkabout

This is a juvenile Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens). Cute isn't it? But don't let its cuteness and size fool you. Even though it is less than 5 inches long, this amphibian is a poisonous carnivore with the ability to regenerate severed limbs! Eastern Newts begin their lives in ponds with dull-green skin, fin-like tails, and feathery gills. After a few months, they migrate from their breeding ponds to begin their terrestrial juvenile years, metamorphosing to an orange/red skin color with light spots/bumps outlined in black. At this stage, they develop a neurotoxin that can be secreted from these bumps, which is quite dangerous if ingested. After a few years in their juvenile form, they return to their breeding pond as adults, metamorphosing back to a dull green color and fin-like tail, though they retain their spots and some of the toxin. This serves as a warning to fish not to eat them. But what is most surprising about these newts is their ability to regenerate limbs, tails, jaws, spinal cords, eye lenses, and even heart tissue after injury. They are pretty tough little changelings. - Information provided by The Central New York Land Trust