A parent’s number-one concern is the health, safety, and well-being of their children. At a time when children are better at identifying pokemon than real animals, some wonder if kids are getting enough time outside. In the U.S., the average child spends about 4-7 minutes outdoors per day outdoors, compared to 7 or more hours in front of a screen. …
Every spring, I start hearing from people with a very peculiar problem. As the days start to get warmer and longer, some households get a new—and unwelcome—alarm clock. Every morning, they hear a sharp, drumming rattle on the walls, roof, or gutter of the house. It can be loud enough to echo throughout the living space! Perhaps you can guess …
Nature is filled with mind-blowing adaptations. From plants and animals to fungi and microbes, living things display an incredible variety of characteristics that help them get by. Many of these seem absolutely ingenious. In this Deep Stuff post, let’s learn about one particularly cool example: Batesian mimicry. Seeing is deceiving One common theme in nature is that often, not everything …
It’s a gorgeous summer day, and you’ve got some stale bread to get rid of. Why not bring the kids to the park and feed the ducks? After all, what better way to get some nice time outside and get rid of some trash while you’re at it! However, you may recall hearing from one of your nature-nerd friends that …
Did you ever play with roly-polies as a kid? You can find these slow, plodding little tank-like bugs bumbling their way around under logs and rocks in many back yards. Their defensive ability to roll into a perfect little ball is fascinating and cute. But there’s more to these harmless bugs than meets the eye! Here are some awesome facts …
Birds are some of the greatest fliers in the animal world. Their wings are wonderfully engineered for airborne movement. Being small also helps with flight, and most birds aren’t very big. However, there are some exceptions to the rule, some absolute units. But what bird has the largest wingspan? And how can they make that work? Let’s find out in …
If you live in North, Central, or South America, perhaps you’ve had the pleasure of meeting a hummingbird in some outdoor space. These energetic, aggressive, often brilliantly colored birds are a pleasure to watch. Additionally, they’re a welcome sign that winter is over in colder climates. Hummingbirds are a real capstone on any wildlife garden, and you can attract them …
While natural spaces like forests, meadows, and coral reefs popular destinations for outdoor adventures, other habitats get a bad rap. For example, wetlands are better known as stinky, mosquito-infested wastelands. From folklore to movies and video games, people view wetlands as sinister, unpleasant, and even dangerous. However, many laws and conservation organizations now protect them. Why is that? Why do …
