America needs more volunteers; not just our trail systems are at risk. Volunteerism is declining as Americans spend more time at home and less time engaging with their communities. If only they knew: acts of service reduce stress and promote positive, relaxed feelings by releasing glorious waves of dopamine. Less stress = less stroke, heart disease, depression, anxiety and general illness.
Sonoma Overlook Trail, May 8, 2024
Words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, physical touch…the five classic Love Languages.
Lizards have their own seduction style. Redefining the term “love bite,” lizard courtship is known to include the male clenching his desired tightly behind the neck, for hours or even days, until she becomes ready to mate.
Sonoma Overlook Trail lizards are no exception; if you come upon a pair thusly engaged, please leave them undisturbed! The female will emerge from the ritual unharmed.
We Overlook Stewards revere lizards for their own sake as well as for a particular aspect of their role in the eco system that contributes to the protection of humans. Our local breeds of lizards, including the western fence lizard and the northern alligator lizard shown here, eat ticks and also contain a protein that kills the spirochetes in the guts of Lyme infected ticks. So if an infected tick bites one of these lizards, it’s cured of its Lyme Disease. This doesn’t preclude the need to take caution in regards to ticks, but it’s one more reason to appreciate our little friends on the trail.
“…if you ever do have to hoof it over a long distance, you’ll quickly come to see how essential it is to know how to keep your feet in tip-top shape; the health of your dogs can mean the difference between an enjoyable outing and a terrible one, and even between life and death.”
Sonoma Overlook Trail • Montini Open Space Preserve 