Turtle time is officially here, and our native turtles as well as all of our herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) could use your help with road crossings and navigating other obstacles. Chippewa Nature Center Interpretive Naturalist, Lindsey Harrell, explains when to...
Happy Amphibian Week 2023! This week I discuss all the great resources available on the homepage of this worldwide celebration of amphibians and how you can learn about the amphibian species of the Midwest Region and Michigan. I encourage you...
This week I feature Carolyn Foley, an enthusiastic researcher with Purdue University and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant. She explains what microplastics are, where they come from, what we currently understand about their ecological and toxicological impacts in aquatic habitats, and what...
This week I check in with numerous participants of the Earth Day Action Expo hosted at Dow High School in Midland, MI. Enjoy their varied and heartfelt answers to this question: "Why do you celebrate Earth Day?" I hope their...
This week I highlight April as National Native Plant Month. I discuss why native plants are an important part of our natural heritage and so beneficial in our landscapes and offer some ideas of how you can learn more about...
This week I share one of my favorite sounds of spring: our native frog and toad breeding calls. Learn how to tell Michigan's 13 species of frogs and toads apart by sound and where you can report your observations as...
This week I take you on a tour of a scenic natural spring in Bedford, Pennsylvania. Black Spring is one of eight mineral springs on the property of the historic Omni Bedford Spring Resort. It feeds Red Oak Lakes and...
For the last installment of Nest Box Basics, I discuss how to responsibly monitor nest boxes and how to report your observations as part of Cornell Lab of Ornithology's NestWatch citizen science program. I share some fun footage and data...
For the third installment of Nest Box Basics, I discuss both native nest box competitors like house wrens and flying squirrels as well as the invasive species house/English sparrows and European starlings. I review what can legally be done to...
