The Nature of Things

One of the true pleasures I find in observing nature is that repeated encounters with familiar species can evoke a much deeper appreciation, and even a…

Over the weekend, I was lucky to be hiking along a stream in Montgomery County. But the hastening sunset of early autumn took me by surprise and I found…

You might be able to ignore the increasing amounts of leaves falling from trees, or the suddenly sinking nighttime temperatures. But when you hear the…

Over the weekend, my daughter Emma and I picked a posy of flowers for her mom. I was helping her tie a ribbon around the bunch when Emma stopped to pulled…

I always feel like I’m in a hurry. I hastily speed to work for a fast meeting. Then the kids need to get to soccer practice, stat. I fly home to let the…

A snapping turtle's prehistoric appearance makes it an easy local species to identify. It's an impressive reptile with a large head and a strong, hooked…

Sitting outside on my patio this weekend, my attempts at reading the Sunday paper were thwarted by an unmistakable, buzzsaw-like song.I could hear, but…

Pollination is something that’s happening in the natural world 24 hours a day. Its ordinariness might be why we forget how vital it is to our everyday…

My family and I recently headed to Deep Creek Lake for some largemouth bass fishing. And although we caught and released some sizable fish, the highlight…

There is a very clever animal that lives near my house. It’s so cunning, it knows to wait until my 3 Labradors are inside the house before coming onto my…