When I venture beyond my backyard, birdwatching often entails seeing something different than what I intended or hoped to see. If I'm paying ...
Finding Stellar
"The eagle flew" a lady announced to me through her car window and immediately drove off. Darn it. On New Year's Day morning I showed up a frustrating ...
On Lupines
“You must do something to make the world more beautiful.” ― Miss Rumphius Whenever I see lupines in bloom I hear that quote from Miss Rumphius, one ...
The Privilege of Nature: Diversity, Inclusivity, and Being an Outdoor Ally
For many, the outdoors is a refuge. I'd like to think that on the trail and in the mountains I escape politics and worldly concerns, and ...
Bees: Nature’s Essential Workers
We often overlook the individuals we take for granted but depend on daily to keep us fed, safe, and healthy. The list of essential workers is long, ...
Go Big and Go Global, from Home
It's Global Big Day. Look outside today, notice any birds, and you can be part of the largest biodiversity-related citizen science project in the ...
Bird Blind
Whenever I hear the distinctive tapping of a pileated woodpecker during a run or hike I stop to look up. If I'm lucky while scanning the trees, I spot ...
Winter-Spring
Early last week, as piles of snow transformed to shoe-sucking mud I was missing the way snowfall continually recasts our favorite, familiar landscapes ...
Wild Ducks and Tomorrow
Wild ducks and tomorrow both come without calling. —Russian proverb It was a happy surprise on a Monday morning to have this mallard couple stop ...
A Triptych of Trees
I live in the most forested state, which is fortunate because I love trees. With nearly 90 percent of Maine covered I have daily opportunities to ...