At this time of year, we both admire trees for the spectacularly colorful show they provide to our landscape and curse them for the constant supply of leaves they drop on our lawns. But trees add value to our lives, to our homes and to our waterways that we may not always appreciate. Fall ...
“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 ...
