Tomato hornworm: Friend or foe?
Tami Gingrich tries to change readers' perceptions on the dreaded tomato hornworm, which is actually a large, beautiful sphinx moth.
The pileated woodpecker: A gifted carpenter
Tami Gingrich offers insight into the lives of pileated woodpeckers — the largest North American species still confirmed to be living.
The killdeer: A class act
Tami Gingrich highlights the killdeer's unique behavior known as “injury feigning" which makes it one of the best actors in the animal kingdom.
Mother Nature’s best-kept secret: Hickory nuts
Tami Gingrich shares her love of hickory nuts with readers, offering tips on collecting and eating them.
Eastern phoebe: The harbinger
Tami Gingrich is looking forward to the arrival of the eastern phoebe, a harbinger of spring with a distinct repetitive, two-note “fee-bee” song.
They fly in June, crawl in September
Tami Gingrich details the unique lifecycles of moths, highlighting the largest and most beautiful species in North America.
The truth about turkey vultures
Turkey vultures occupy an incredibly unique niche, playing an important role in our communities and keeping our environment clean.
The bucket: A lesson on the Osage orange
Here in the Midwest, the fruit of the Osage orange tree has yet another name, spider ball. But does it actually repel spiders?
Whooooo’s first? The great horned owl, that’s whooo!
Great horned owls are fierce predators with many unique characteristics. They are also the first nesting bird of the year.
Bald-faced hornets: Amazing arboreal artists
Tami Gingrich offers insight into the construction of the large, grey, pear-shaped, nests built by bald-faced hornets.
