Dr. Amanda Foster

Last season I watched a neighbor spread three bags of lime across his lawn, then wonder why his grass still looked yellow. The problem was not the lime. The problem was that the soil test he relied on was based on a single scoop of dirt from one corner of his yard. That is the … Read more

Learning how to interpret a soil test report is the single most useful skill a gardener can develop. I have walked dozens of clients through their lab results, and the moment those numbers finally make sense, the whole process of soil amendment stops feeling like guesswork. This guide breaks down every section of a typical … Read more

To test soil texture with the mason jar method, fill a straight-sided jar one-third full of sifted garden soil, add water to nearly the top, mix in a tablespoon of dish soap, shake vigorously for three minutes, then let the jar sit undisturbed for 48 to 72 hours. The soil particles will settle into distinct … Read more

Last spring I lost an entire row of tomato plants to root rot because I skipped a 30-minute soil drainage test. If you want to know how to test soil drainage before planting a garden bed, here is the short version: dig a 12-inch hole, fill it with water, let it drain, then fill it … Read more

Nature journaling is the practice of recording what you notice in the natural world through words, sketches, numbers, or collected specimens. When you focus on your own backyard, you turn an ordinary outdoor space into a long-term laboratory for observation. I started keeping a backyard nature journal three summers ago, and the habit has changed … Read more

You step outside with your morning coffee and hear a chorus of bird songs coming from the trees. Some are familiar, but others leave you wondering what species is singing just out of sight. If you have ever wanted to put a name to those sounds, learning how to identify backyard birds by their songs … Read more

I used to walk through my local park and see maybe 8 bird species. Then I learned to birdwatch by ear, and that number jumped to 25 in the same hour. Many birds hide in dense leaves or sit quietly in the canopy, but their voices give them away every time. Once you train your … Read more

Project FeederWatch turns the simple act of watching birds into real scientific data. Every two-day count you log helps researchers track bird populations across North America through the coldest months of the year. I have been helping first-time participants get started for years, and the same questions come up every season. This guide walks you … Read more

I remember the first time I uploaded a house finch to iNaturalist from my backyard. I hesitated for ten minutes wondering if anyone cared about such a “boring” sighting. By the next morning, two identifiers had confirmed the species, and I realized something important: every observation matters in citizen science. If you want to know … Read more

If you have ever wanted to turn a holiday walk into real science, learning how to join and contribute to the Christmas Bird Count is the easiest way to start. Every December, tens of thousands of volunteers head outside across the Western Hemisphere to count birds, and their observations feed one of the longest-running wildlife … Read more