Wildlife tracking is one of the most elusive naturalist skills to learn. Although our oldest ancestors relied on tracking skills to survive, many modern folks have a hard time with it. Unlike birdwatching, where a simple pair of binoculars (and sometimes not even that!) is enough to enjoy dozens of species in an afternoon walk, finding tracks can be a …
All living things need to accomplish two things to keep the natural world running: (1) they need to survive, and (2) they need to reproduce. There are lots of amazing and bizarre examples of adaptations to solve the first problem. For example, camouflage and aposematic coloration help some animals stay hidden or advertise powerful defenses. However, wildlife also address the …
Getting to know your natural world can be like learning a new language. Nature experts like scientists and naturalists use all sorts of words that may not be familiar to readers. Learning some of these words can go a long way in building useful outdoor knowledge. One particularly useful term is “life cycle”. In this Deep Stuff post, let’s learn …
Invertebrates like spiders, insects, centipedes, and worms are some of the most abundant and diverse living things on Earth. While many people might find them hard to love, these “creepy-crawlies” help keep our planets ecosystems ticking, making life possible for all of us. Whether you appreciate that or not, running into invertebrates—let’s just call them bugs—is a common way that …
Fungi are among the most fascinating and mysterious living things in nature. Neither plant nor animal, their ways of life can be hard to understand, and seem counterintuitive. I tend to see this in the types of questions I get from readers and fellow naturalists about fungi. Rather than just, “what kind of mushroom is that?” I often hear lots …
Have you ever kept a nature journal? The nature journal is one of the best tools for naturalists of all experience levels. They are a great place to record your adventures, observations, and reflections on the natural world. If you are someone who enjoys spending time outside, keeping a journal is one way to get more from your outdoor time …
While I get frequent requests for bird posts, one group of birds has recently been the top. Owls are a fascinating and in some ways mysterious group of raptors that has captured peoples’ cultural imagination for millennia. It’s about time we covered these neat animals on Gulo in Nature! So in this Wildlife Spotlight post, let’s learn some fascinating owl …
Nature is filled with “exceptions to the rule”. Whenever we think we know something about the natural world, we are confronted with oddballs that break the mold. Carnivorous plants do precisely that. Although you may be familiar with the Venus fly-trap made famous by the musical Little Shop of Horrors, there are plenty of other examples of insect-munching plants around …
