Books for the outdoor enthusiasts on your list
If you've got a few outdoor enthusiasts on you holiday gift list, a good book is always appreciated. Recommended Here are some recent titles...
The rut from two very different points of view
The breeding season, commonly called the rut, takes a differential toll on female and male white-tailed deer. Does are fertile only 24 hours every...
A new favorite bird to monitor: Saw-whet Owls
I have a new favorite bird — the northern saw-whet owl. Until last week, I’d never seen one in the wild. But on Wednesday,...
Critical responses to mandatory national service
Last week I suggested that mandatory national service in one of many different fields would be a good way to bridge the gap between...
Let me know why compulsory national service is a bad idea
Writer and historian Wallace Stegner called our national parks "the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our...
Deermice link plants to predators
When I checked my nest boxes this week, about half were still occupied -- by mice. When I gently probed the mass of dried...
Keep your eyes open for several fall visitors
A day after the first hard frost of the season, a flock of nomadic cedar waxwings appeared in the backyard. I counted 42, but...
Folklore is wrong: Woolly bears can’t tell future
The parade has begun. Yesterday I counted six as I walked from the house to the garage. This morning I spotted another handful crossing...
The fall of the bison population in early America
When Columbus discovered the New World in 1492, the approximately 1 million Native Americans who occupied North America probably never realized they were lost,...
Least among us: Weasel common, but seldom seen
Though most active between dusk and dawn, weasels hunt any time they're hungry. Their small size and secretive nature, however, make them difficult to observe.
