Freshwater environments like rivers, streams, lakes, and wetlands are filled with fascinating nature. Teeming with life, they are great natural settings for outdoor activities and among the best for doing sit-spots. If you pause by a body of water in late Summer or Fall, you may be treated to the antics of our latest Wildlife Spotlight: whirligig beetles. Beetles are …
Australia is notoriously home to some of our planet’s weirdest and most dangerous wildlife. From highly venomous snakes to massive crocodiles, the continent has some fearsome animals. However, people rarely pause to consider that danger doesn’t have to come from the animal kingdom. On my recent trip down under, I was lucky enough to meet (at a distance!) the topic …
When you hear the word pollinator, often the first image that comes to mind is a bee. With good reason, too: bees are common pollinators in many natural habitats and are easy to recognize. However, they don’t deserve all the credit. There are plenty of other neat animals out there putting in the work and getting far less attention for …
People who love the outdoors often march to the beat of their own drum. While that can make for excellent conversation, it can also make gift-giving a nightmare. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or a outdoorsy person in your life, these holiday gift ideas for nature lovers will help you get started. Below, you’ll find 12 holiday gift ideas that …
I have a tendency to a be a bit of a busybody. While my preferred comparison for all that running around has always been the ever-mobile wolverine (the namesake for Gulo in Nature!) another animal is a frequent comparison. People often use sharks as an example of an animal that always has to keep moving. Supposedly, if a shark stops …
Pictures of a “baby crow” have been all over Pinterest and Reddit for a couple of years now, winning hearts with their poofy goth aesthetic. Notably not a single nature account is involved in all the sharing. Meanwhile, some experts have specifically highlighted that something’s wrong here. You guessed it: this isn’t what a baby crows look like at all. …
The difference between hawks and eagles comes up often when I take people birding. Dazzled by some large bird of prey, we’ll admire it through our binoculars for a while. Sooner or later, someone asks, “”well, is that a hawk or an eagle?” or, when I answer, they ask “well how did you know that?” As you’ll see, it’s not …
Fall is the time of year when I start hearing from homeowners about insect home invasions. My previous post, Why are there so many bugs in my house? explains this issue specifically. Stink bugs are among the most common unwelcome guests in peoples’ homes, and with a name like that, they are cause for concern. Folks frequently ask, “Are stink …
