“Does anyone want to go outside to see a Black Saddlebag?” Statements of this kind are frequently heard around the offices at Audubon. We stop work at our desks, jump up with our cameras, and head outside. Being aware of what is going on outside is a major part of our jobs, so it is ...
On Sept. 5, 1975 CBS aired a documentary entitled The Guns of Autumn. It was a controversial anti-hunting program. A few weeks later CBS aired Echoes of the Guns of Autumn, a more even-handed follow-up to the subject. As autumn approaches 44 years later, let’s revisit the subject. Over the years I have often written about using hunting to manage wildlife populations. I remain convinced that hunting is be a legitimate tool to solve wildlife problems, but its popularity is fading. Today society places the welfare of wildlife above its recreational value to man. That seems a ...
“Zitch, Zitch, Zitch” The sound echoed through the darkness lurking outside of the window. “What is that?! I can’t sleep!!” My son came downstairs, grousing about the insect racket outside. My first thoughts were that this was the sound of a healthy, diverse habitat. It was ...
“All children, as long as they still live in the mystery, are continuously occupied in their souls with the only thing that is important, which is themselves and their enigmatic relationship with the world around them. Seekers and wise people return to these preoccupations as they mature. ...
The lack of four-season food sources is one of the leading causes of the world’s declining bee populations. At certain times of year, there simply isn’t enough nutrition in the natural environment to fill the collective demand. Rapidly increasing urbanization, fencepost-to-fencepost farming, and pesticide use are among the factors reducing the diversity and abundance of flowering plant species. So what’s a pollinator-dependent gardener to do? “Plant flowering plants,” said Rebecca Finneran, a horticulture educator with Michigan State University Extension. “People ...
Dear Audubon, Before beginning my internship at Audubon, my experience with nature was purely subjective. No doubt, I was appreciative of nature and extremely passionate about protecting the environment and all of the wildlife who call planet earth home; however, I could only imagine the broad perspective that I would gain by the end of the summer. Throughout various adventures such as rescuing a great blue heron from the terrifying death grip of a snapping turtle’s jaws, watching as a wasp carries a spider away to feed its young, floating around Big Pond hunting for invasive water ...
