The Nature of Things

Last week my 7-year-old son Jack came home from a field trip to our National Aquarium. He was ecstatic after seeing the baby loggerhead turtle up close…

The groundhog is often caught between being a celebrity and a villain.Today we rely on legendary weather-creature Punxsutawney Phil’s shadow to forecast…

Humans have long been envious of the flying squirrel.Skydivers and base jumping enthusiasts have even developed flying suits that mimic the squirrel’s…

Last weekend, I was at Irvine Nature Center and saw a gigantic flock of crows lift up off the parking lot all at once and head west. Curious, I stepped…

What bird is often the first to visit a feeder in the morning and the last to stop by and grab a bite at night? Bird enthusiasts all know it’s the…

I’ll admit it: I’m not a fan of making New Year’s resolutions. They’re too easy to forget and too simple to break.Research dictates that resolutions are…

Without question, the wood duck is one of the most colorful of all North American waterfowl. Males are iridescent green and chestnut with ornate patterns…

Last month, the International Union for Conservation of Nature revealed that over half the world’s primates – including apes, lemurs and monkeys – are…

Over the weekend, I saw something peculiar outside my living room window. It was rather ghostly, in fact.At first glance my eyes told me a small seagull…

My children Jack and Emma met an eastern screech owl recently at a nature center event. Looking up at the pint-glass sized bird, Jack asked me, “Dad, is…