Pumpkins

On this day of the Jack-O-Lantern, it is interesting to look at the natural history of pumpkins. Native to Central America, the pumpkin is ...

Fishing Frenzy

One of the highlights of my recent trip to Longboat Key was the development of a feeding frenzy on Sarasota Bay. The event began when a sca...

Quarryland

Enroute to Tampa last week, my flight made a stop in Louisville, Kentucky. As we descended across the forested hills of southern Indiana, I ...

Flying South

Like many birds, I will be flying south this weekend. But, unlike the feathered travelers, I will be coming back next week. And, as one wh...

April in October

Yesterday felt more like late April than mid October. A potent Pacific storm had pulled out of the Rockies and, by late afternoon, was cent...

Rocks on Ice

Those of us who have hiked through forest or traveled across plains in the northern U.S. or Canada have occasionally noticed a large rock or...

Isolation Lost

The land that would become New Zealand formed along the western coast of Gondwanaland throughout the Paleozoic Era. Beginning 500 million y...

The River Otter

As the days shorten and the weather begins to cool, most of us feel energized and become more active. This is also true for wildlife; stirr...

Red Heads

Found throughout southern Canada and the eastern two-thirds of the U.S., red-headed woodpeckers favor open woodlands. While often seen on f...

Collision Zone

Looking at the weather map this morning, sunny skies dominated the Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and Northwest. But here in the Heartland...

Life in Perspective

Current scientific evidence indicates that life first appeared on Earth 3.6 billion years ago. To put this evolutionary span in perspective,...

Couteau des Prairies

The Couteau des Prairies (Highland of the Prairie) is a 200 mile swath of Precambrian Sioux Quartzite, stretching from eastern South Dakota,...

J.T.'s Gaia

As a fan of James Taylor since the late sixties, I have found that his lyrics always capture the essence of human nature. And, as a natural...

A Silent Front

A cold front pushed through the Midwest yesterday but, except for some clouds and a wind shift, was barely noticeable in central Missouri. W...

Terminal Moraine

New England harbors the greatest concentration of glacial terrain in the eastern U.S. and one of its most striking features is the terminal ...

The Powerline Falcon

Of the five falcons that inhabit North America, the American kestrel is the most common and the most widespread. This small raptor, formerly...

Autumn Wanderers

The words "autumn migration" bring to mind flocks of waterfowl, pods of whales and herds of large herbivores such as elk, reindeer...

Life on Earth

As I walked to work this morning, Venus gleamed below a crescent moon and stars faded in the predawn light. For those who know what their lo...

Western Trough

The first wave of winter has pushed into the lower 48 as a pro-nounced dip in the jet stream has developed over the western States. Curving ...

Seals and Bears

In recent decades, the study of evolution has been greatly advanced by the use of DNA analysis. Formerly based on fossils, geology, modern ...

Bugles of Autumn

As the first autumn snows dust the higher peaks, the Rocky Mountain elk begin their descent to wintering valleys. Along the way, their annua...

The Joy of October

Many people have their favorite month and I suspect that most naturalists would pick October; it is certainly my choice! With its mild, sunn...