When I was in college I usually ate my lunch at the Trailhead CafÈ, a little cafÈ just inside ESF’s campus center. The Trailhead doesn’t look like much to a random stranger just wandering through, but to the students at ESF the Trailhead was the closest thing we had to a dining hall ...
It’s been almost a year since my wife and I moved from West Virginia to Western North Carolina. Since then many readers have written to wish us well. We truly appreciate your thoughtful cards and emails. Thank you. Moving from a large old house on 95 rural acres to a suburban three-bedroom apartment has been an adjustment. We love our home, but I wasn’t sure how I would like an apartment community. Over the years I’ve heard from many readers who had similar concerns when they relocated from a rural area to a more civilized location. I shared many of their concerns. Would ...
An invasive species is an organism that has been introduced to an environment it is not native to and damages or impacts ecosystems, economies and/or human health. It can be plant, animal, fungal, viral or bacterial in nature. The negative impacts of these species can be extremely severe ...
This is the time of year that I fully understand the value of basking. Lying on the ground, cushioned by the newly growing grass, the kiss of the sun on my winter skin is deep and satisfying. I can feel my muscles relax and my mind wander. When I close my eyes, the season truly transforms. ...
Each spring many readers ask how to use nest boxes to attract eastern bluebirds, tufted titmice, Carolina and black-capped chickadees, and house and Carolina wrens. Many readers specifically ask how long the process will actually take. Here’s a specific example from a year ago. In March 2018, I wrote about hanging a bluebird box in perfect habitat for my five-year old grandson, Garek, in his North Carolina backyard. The neighborhood is surrounded by mature stands of tall oaks and other deciduous trees, while the actual residential area is relatively open. When my daughter and her ...
Springtime in the forests of Western New York is a time of gentle rebirth and renewal, so welcome and wondrous after the long gray months of winter dormancy, darkness and cold. In the world of plants in our region’s watersheds, vernal awakening is cued most reliably by the shortening of ...
