Binoculars are an unmatched tool for better connecting with the outdoors, letting you enjoy elusive wildlife without disturbing it, getting a look at the trail ahead, or getting a closer look at birds, butterflies, and other flying animals. Since birdwatching was my entry into more serious natural history, binoculars were what really started my naturalist journey. They opened up a …
This month, I’ve been thinking a lot about a question I’ve gotten several times from blog readers and on nature walks: specifically, why do animals have tails? Although I’ve heard this more often from younger children, plenty of adults also find it to be a head-scratcher when they really think about it. Tails, after all, are such a key part …
Bees are among the most recognizable, beloved, and sometimes maligned insects that people encounter in their everyday lives. Typically abundant in parks, gardens, and even densely developed areas, buzzing, busy bees are an important part of urban and agricultural ecosystems and a common outdoor acquaintance. Concerns over declining insects worldwide have recently brought bees more into the limelight, getting them …
You can only write and talk about animals for so long without touching on the topic of poop. While it’s not an immediately attractive topic, it’s a reality of how animals exist in natural and human-made spaces; just ask any dog owner! For the nature-curious, animal poop can be a surprisingly useful form of what we call “tracks and sign”, …
As a nature know-it-all kid, I loved talking to (more likely at) people about my favorite animals. One of those favorites was the rhinoceros, a dinosaur-like animal I loved to watch on nature shows. My go-to trivia fact was that rhino horns were not bones, but actually “made of hair”. Thanks to a recent reader request, we’ve now come full …
While the wildlife in our neighborhoods, gardens, city parks, and backyards is close and hand and can be fascinating, every nature enthusiast eventually wants to go further afield. Venturing out into new natural places can bring you into contact with new habitats, plants, animals, and much more. Of course, when we stray far from the conveniences of home, it’s worth …
Whether we find them intimidating or intriguing, people can’t deny some interest in spiders. They’re a part of our lives whether we like it or not, and play a critical role as insect predators in many ecosystems. Beyond that, spiders can be a homeowners’ or gardeners’ best friend for their ability to control potentially harmful insect pests. As someone who …
Everywhere in the world, you’ll find a few backyard wildlife “usual suspects”. These are species that turn up frequently in gardens, backyards or other outdoor spaces and attract attention—both good and bad. This weeks Wildlife Spotlight focuses a major example of such a usual suspect in the Americas: skunks! Given their stinky reputation and widespread presence in suburbs and even …
