Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Wildlife Spotlight”
Wildlife Spotlight takes a deep dive into individual species or groups of living things you’ll encounter outdoors. Here you’ll find cool facts about exciting wildlife, from wildflowers and grasshoppers to tigers, mushrooms, and whale sharks, and all that falls between.
Do you have a species or group you’d love to learn more about? Let me know on the contact page!
Have you ever owned an air plant or Tillandsia? These hardy, pretty, and low-maintenance plants are popular home, office, and garden decorations. However, they also represent a diverse, fascinating group of plants that live a very particular lifestyle. These epiphytic plants spend most or all of their lives in the air, sometimes never touching the ground! But how is that …
For those who don’t like bugs, winter is a great time to spend time outdoors. The usual biting insects are gone, and even ticks are less active. While insects have many clever ways of surviving winter, there are nonetheless a small number that stay active. These mind-blowing winter bugs are a real source of excitement for nature nerds like me, …
As the winter holidays approach, we are reminded of familiar, longstanding traditions. Even though they may be popular, they can also be mysterious. Where did they come from in the first place? One of my favorite examples is mistletoe. Between pop songs and Christmas carols, everyone seems to love the flirty thought of puckering up under the mistletoe. But what …
In many parts of the world, the familiar drone of insects is a welcome sign of summer. While crickets serenade us by night, cicadas are among the loudest and most active daytime singers of the bug world. These big, loud, and surprisingly stealthy insects are more often heard than seen, and have a truly alien appearance. In this Wildlife Spotlight …
With their terrific strength, mysterious nature, and stunning beauty, tigers have fascinated people for thousands of years. These incredible predators are the epitome of wild, and inspire awe and admiration worldwide. But how well do you really know tigers? With this Wildlife Spotlight post, you can become a tiger superfan by learning these 18 awesome tiger facts. 1. Their orange …
If you’ve done any research into wildflowers or wild gardening, you’ve probably heard about milkweeds. These pretty and widespread wildflowers are super important for native biodiversity and can attract a lot of fascinating pollinators. You can find milkweeds throughout most of North and South America as well as part of Africa. In the U.S. alone, there are more than 70 …
My friend Steve recently sent me a video of some mystery animals from his home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. When he walked outside on a spring day after some rain showers, he spotted a weird, blue-gray puddle on the pavement. It didn’t shine like water. He thought maybe it was an oil stain or paint mark. It seemed almost granular, and… …
Sometimes of the coolest things in nature are small and hard to notice. Using a magnifying glass, we get a window into entire micro-worlds in our back yards or on a bouldering cliff. In this Wildlife Spotlight post, I want to introduce you to an amazing organism that you have seen before if you’ve ever been outside. But, chances are …
