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?
How to harvest milkweed seeds: A tutorial
Tami Gingrich offers tips for harvesting and propagating milkweed seeds.
The walkingstick: Master of camouflage
Tami Gingrich shares her experience rearing walkingsticks and the observations she made about their unique characteristics along the way.
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.
House sparrows: Cold-blooded killers
Tami Gingrich explains the devastation house sparrows cause and highlights strategies to protect bluebirds and other native cavity-nesting birds.
The mule: A healthy hybrid
Mules are a healthy hybrid, displaying hybrid vigor, a phenomenon distinguished by superior characteristics far surpassing that of either parent.
Fancy headgear: Horns v. antlers
Tami Gingrich details the differences between horns and antlers, which are as different from one another as the animals that display them.
The organ pipe mud dauber wasp
Tami Gingrich offers a window into the unique reproduction habits and lifecycle of organ pipe mud dauber wasps.
A bluebird contemplates: Should I stay or should I go?
Offering bluebirds a food supply can influence their decision to migrate. That's why you must continue to feed them throughout the winter once you start.
Birds and their battles with reflections
As male birds claim their territories and try to attract a mate, they try to eliminate competition during breeding season, which can lead to window battles.
