The Virgin River Staircase

The North and East Forks of the Virgin River rise on the south face of the Markagunt Plateau, in southwest Utah, amidst colorful outcrops of...

Tornadoes, Geography & Natural History

The United States, especially that portion east of the Rocky Mountains, is the tornado capitol of the world, as this month has clearly demon...

A Royal Diversion

There's nothing like a royal wedding to divert attention from the many problems facing mankind. As wars rage on, economies crumble, eco...

Flint Hills NWR

Mention the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas and most of us picture broad, grass-covered ridges with narrow, wooded valleys, grazed by cattle a...

Tornado Central

Last Friday, during my road trip to Oklahoma, a swath of severe, tornadic thunderstorms developed across the southeastern corner of that Sta...

Salt Plains NWR

Driving across the semi-arid, sun-drenched plains of northwest Oklahoma, one would not expect to find many water birds. But, some 25 miles ...

An OK Road Trip

For my annual spring road trip, I decided to head to northern Oklahoma this year. Yesterday afternoon and evening, I wound southwestward th...

Illusion in the Gulf

One year after the Deep Water Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, all appears to be well. The blue waters and white beaches are no long...

Naturalist Philosophy

We naturalists may have our individual areas of expertise but our primary interest is in the diversity of life, the interdependence of plant...

Ocean Sunsets

Sunset, whether unfolding behind a range of mountains, amidst the painted skies of the Great Plains or beyond the jagged silhouette of a mod...

Why Fish Jump

On our regular visits to Longboat Key, I routinely spend a few evenings sitting along the edge of Sarasota Bay. There, in the hour before s...

Manipulating God & Men

Led by the Bishop of San Angelo, there will be a day of prayer across West Texas to combat that region's severe and persistent drought. ...

Fish Crows

Endemic to the Coastal Plain of the eastern U.S., from Texas to New England, fish crows are smaller than their inland cousins and commonly f...

April on the Beach

An April walk on Longboat Key's beaches offers many clues that change is in the air. Laughing gulls, now adorned in their black summer ...

Ted Sperling Park

On our regular trips to Longboat Key, Florida, we have visited a large number of State Parks and nature preserves along that region of the G...

Songbird Tsunami

While a few summer residents, such as tree swallows and eastern phoebes, arrive in March, the great majority return between mid April and ea...

The Scent of Green

Here in the American Midwest, it is usually mid April when we get our first whiff of freshly cut grass. Often spawned by the efforts of a f...

Unplanned Parenthood

It appears that the Republicans in Congress are willing to shut down the Government to prevent public funding of Planned Parenthood. Appare...

Annual Guess from CSU

Almost two months in advance of the 2011 hurricane season, the soothsayers from Colorado State University have released their annual guess r...

Canadian Ground Crew

They arrived last October, riding the cold north wind, content to spend their winter vacation in the chilly, gray confines of the American H...

Advantage: Underdogs

As became evident in the NCAA Tournament this year, the most talented teams and individuals do not always win. Indeed, one might argue that...

High Wind Warning

Much of the Heartland, from Dallas to Chicago, is under a high wind warning today as the latest spring storm pulls out of the Rockies. Thes...

Full-blown Spring

Twelve days after the spring equinox, we are enjoying the first convincing weekend of spring. A benevolent jet stream curves far to our nor...

Otter Slough Conservation Area

Established to protect wetland habitat on the Mississippi River floodplain, Otter Slough Conservation Area covers almost 4900 acres in south...