Ed Robinson photo April is a wonderful time of year (other than mud season), and the birds of spring offer us some of nature’s most endearing scenes: Canada geese on a pond looking for a nest site, bluebirds stuffing grass in their new home, ospreys gathering sticks to expand a nest on a dead spruce,… Read more

I love apple trees.  It’s not like I am posting their photos on social media, but I’m tempted.  Apple trees are beautiful in bloom, and their fruits are scrumptious.  These trees are amazingly resilient, withstanding an array of pests, diseases and natural calamities.  And it would be hard to find a tree of more value… Read more

Most young Millennial women of today would not be caught dead wearing mink, or any other fur, but it wasn’t that long ago that a mink coat or stole was considered the height of fashion.  That’s easy to understand since prime mink fur is some of the most beautiful around, and thanks to selective breeding by… Read more

As a young man just out of college, I was thrilled by my maiden visit to the Rockies for a backpacking trip in Montana’s stunning Glacier National Park. On our third day in remote country, we hiked to a large lake and rested along the shore. Suddenly overhead we spotted a huge, dark bird with… Read more

Sitting around the dinner table with friends a few months ago, conversation turned to the large bird feeder visible through picture windows.  Our host clearly enjoyed watching his many visitors, but complained about losing song birds to a fast flying raptor.  He told of seeing one sparrow being swept away in a burst of feathers…. Read more

The settlement of America and the huge population growth of the last 150 years has resulted in significant impacts on most wildlife species.  In some of mankind’s worst moments, we caused the extinction of the passenger pigeon, and nearly wiped out the American bison.  In other cases, our actions have allowed species to expand their… Read more

I know that many readers of this column are observant of the natural world around them, and can imagine that you sometimes wonder about signs of wildlife activity that leave parts of the story untold.  It might be those unfamiliar tracks along a hiking trail that pique your interest, or a pile of feathers in… Read more

If there is a wild creature with a serious public relations issue, it is the skunk.  When I was a kid, the word skunk was used as an insult against dirty, rotten, low-down liars.  You have probably come upon a malodorous wetlands plant called skunk cabbage, and not because of its coloration. How many of… Read more

Every spring when the snow on our lawn finally melts, we find a series of tunnels in the dormant grass, along with some woven nests.  If we are unlucky, we also find damage to our ornamental and fruit trees, with the bark chewed at the base of the trunk and on exposed roots.  The likely… Read more

In an old song titled Lazy Day, there is a phrase, “…Baby, you and me, and the honey bee.” There is a fair amount of truth in that, not only if you love honey, but also if you enjoy flowers and foods that depend upon the exchange of pollen for successful production. By collecting an… Read more