Royal Beauty: Marie Antoinette…and Poison Ivy?
Poison ivy was once an admired and sought-after garden plant, grown in gardens like Versailles and Buckingham Palace, as a beautiful American specimen.
Read MoreScience Outdoors: Close Encounters
I write about the adventures waiting to be had nearby. My books are set close to home to open the possibilities of real-life nature exploration in every child’s environment.
Read MoreSlugs and Fireflies
Firefly larvae are carnivorous. Slugs are a favorite item on their menu. If you want a summer night filled with fireflies, you have to welcome slugs.
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A Goldenrod Safari
A hungry predator crawls through a leafy jungle. Slow cautious movements make no sound. The well-camouflaged predator waits, motionless. Powerful forelegs stretch wide to grab its unwary prey. Beware the goldenrod jungle! A single goldenrod plant is a complex habitat, the leaves, stems, and flowers providing food and shelter for a bewildering variety of strange, hidden creatures. Spiders, insects of all shapes and sizes, even birds use the goldenrod plant as a hunting ground, preying on the thousands of species that come to drink the nectar or eat the leaves. Tiny dramas of life and death...
Read MoreLet’s Not Argue About Climate Change
Even if you don’t believe in climate change, even if you deny the science behind it, there’s no doubt that air pollution exists.
And air pollution kills people.
Why Bug Zappers Are a Terrible Idea
In a world filled with terrible ideas, bug zappers are among the worst. Because they zap the wrong bugs. They don’t work on mosquitoes. They attract things that are attracted to light, like moths. They kill insects that are beautiful and harmless and important pollinators and food for birds, and they actually attract more mosquitoes to bite you. Surely the very definition of a terrible idea. Mosquitoes are initially attracted to the weird glowing ultraviolet light, but then, as they’re drawn closer to your patio, the irresistible (to a mosquito) smell of human breath lures them away....
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