On September 22 at 8:05 p.m., the sun’s declination became zero degrees at the moment it crossed from the northern to the southern hemisphere. The summer season officially ended, and we are now …
I nearly stepped on a bird’s nest filled with tiny eggs recently. Thankfully, the miniature wonder was actually a delightful mushroom known as bird’s nest fungi (of the Nidulariaceae …
A couple of weeks back, a friend and I were talking near a garden at a therapeutic riding center when we spotted a tiny green creature hopping out of a cluster of small plants and onto a road. We …
Tuesday, September 8
My previous column about the poet and writer Mary Oliver opened with this sentence: “If there is one certainty about life, it is that for each of us, it will conclude.” For another cherished and …
Tuesday, August 25
If there is one certainty about life, it is that for each of us, it will conclude. Until that time comes, we are graced with an unknown number of days and the opportunity to choose how we will live …
Tuesday, August 18
Some of us are old enough to remember watching episodes of Roy Rogers and similar shows. One interesting thing: When a bald eagle was sighted, you heard the majestic call of a…red-tailed …
Tuesday, August 11
What has existed for 80 years and costs only 14 dollars? If you answered, “Nothing,” you would almost be correct! But subscribers to New York State’s Conservationist, the state’s official …
Tuesday, August 4
Anyone who has gone near a pond or lake during the summer has seen a green frog by the shore at some point. The caveat is that there are two different species of frogs that are green in color. Though …
Tuesday, July 28
Have you ever wondered if there’s a National Moth Week? Well—wonder no more—it’s a real thing, and it just transpired on July 18 through the 26th. If you already enjoy “mothing,” (the …
Wednesday, July 22
On a mild summer morning this week, I went to visit the shore of a nearby lake. The sun was out and it wasn’t too warm yet. I heard some birds, including a couple of red-shouldered hawks and a …
Tuesday, July 14
A peculiar thing appeared in my back yard recently—a carefully crafted globe-shaped object created from the top of a fern frond stitched neatly into a shelter with silken strands. A true work of …
Tuesday, July 7
It’s near the end of June, and some spring field trips have sent me far and wide across the landscape of eastern PA. There are a fair number of return visits to given places over the course of …
Tuesday, June 30
A bright yellow disc emerged as if by magic in my woodland yard following recent rains. Its luminous glow against the dark forest terrain caught my eye and encouraged closer inspection of this new …
