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Soooo quietly, the snowflakes drifted down around and over us, frosting the trees and our parkas. What better term to describe the woods than “winter wonderland?” The weather website has prepared us, forecasting several inches of the white stuff during the day. The red sunrise also foretold the coming storm. (“Red sun in morning, sailors […]

The critters knew. At dawn, the gray squirrels and fox squirrels already were busily rummaging in the dry leaves for a breakfast of walnuts to fuel up against the coming snow. The young red-headed woodpecker chattered incessantly as it poked and pounded on the dead elm in search of high-energy grubs and insects. A tiny

(Nov. 30 addendum to all you winter haters: You’re welcome! My earlier declaration that winter is here must have prompted today’s heat wave. I’ll take credit. But I reserve the right to say “I told you so” when the Arctic blast hits before next week is over!) WINTER? Not according to the calendar – but

Quetzals. Crocodiles. Volcanoes. Macaws. Iguanas. Rain forests. Monkeys. Waterfalls. Ants. Agoutis. Diversity only starts to describe Costa Rica. A recent visit there left us in awe at the array of life in this wonderful world. Retired animal ecology professor Jim Pease led our little band of 10 Iowa curiosity-seekers on a trip similar to those

A week of speeches and symposia, concluding with trumpet fanfares and appearances by world leaders, could not overshadow the controversy surrounding the awarding of the 2013 World Food Prize in Des Moines on October 17. Activists organized the simultaneous Occupy the World Food Prize event to protest the World Food Prize being given to three

Ah, the quiet (?) of a late-summer night – if you don’t consider the chatter of the katydids, the trill of the crickets, the yips of the coyote pups, the whirr of tree frogs, or the pattering baby raccoon feet on the deck as the little banditos make a midnight raid of the bird feeder.

In the eye of the beholder . . . What do a half-dozen outdoor photographers have in common? Not so much, judging from the images they’re likely to create. Not much, that is, except a shared satisfaction in using their imaginations (well, the cameras play a little part!) to tell stories about the natural world

Ahhh, spring! Or sometimes it feels like ARRRGGGHH, spring! We like the season – but we’re exhausted from trying to enjoy all that’s happening. Nature’s headlong rush to transition from a winter of rest and dormancy to a season of rebirth and change and life can be simply overwhelming. How can our senses absorb all

Now that spring has at least started to come to Iowa, I don’t feel QUITE as guilty sharing some of our fun and photos from a trip to Texas in March. From whooping cranes to roadrunners to blooming cacti to intriguing geology – it’s a fascinating state with plenty to keep us bird and botany

“Whirling wind month.” The cold moon. The hunger moon. “Sun has not strength to thaw.” “Bone moon,” because bones and marrow soup may be about all there is to eat. These are just some of the ways Native Americans referred to the months of January and February, according to the Native American website, www.snowwowl.com. Our