Take Me Outside

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Let's hear it for the birds

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. This book was a wakeup call about how the broad use of pesticides, namely DDT, was killing birds and harming the environment. Carson warned that if such indiscriminant chemical application continued, our springs would be void… 0

May 6, 2012

Listen to the birds

Briefly blooming beauties

In a normal year, the time between when the snow melts and when the tree leaves emerge is brief. But this has been anything but a normal year. So now is the window of time when early spring wildflowers will start to pop through the winter-worn forest floor and take advantage of warm sunlight before the tree canopy… 0

April 1, 2012

Feathered friends

The weather has been fickle this winter, but one thing I could count on was visits by downy woodpeckers to my suet feeder. "Downies," like most of the woodpeckers in this area, are present year-round, so it's easy to take them for granted. They aren't colorful like a cardinal. They don't have… 0

March 4, 2012

Missing the snow

Skiers, snowmobile riders and other snow lovers may be unhappy, but the lack of snow this winter is more than a disappointment for some creatures that depend on snow for their survival. Small mammals such as mice, voles, shrews and weasels use an area under the snow called the subnivean zone to provide insulation,… 0

February 5, 2012

Become a citizen scientist

It's a new year, time to turn the calendar (for those of us who still have the paper versions) and start fresh. Some people begin anew with exercise and changed eating habits, vowing to take on a healthier lifestyle. For me, it's time to start a fresh "yard list" and phenology chart. Phenology is… 1

January 1, 2012

Winter wonder

he breathtaking colors of autumn are only a memory, now that late fall is blending into early winter. As I gaze over the landscape, there's a distinctive drabness that identifies this transitional time. However, there is a colorful exception to this muted scenery: the winterberry holly (Ilex verticilata). I've been noticing its bright red berries in area swamps and thickets, and… 0

December 4, 2011

I like lichens

While stacking some firewood the other day, I was struck by the variety of life that clings to the bark of trees. One such organism, or I should say two organisms, which do that are lichens. Lichens (pronounced lye-kin) are the grayish, green crusty stuff that can be found on trees, rocks and other surfaces. They are… 0

November 6, 2011

In fall, chipmunks are a fascinating nuisance

As the days shorten and get cooler, I start experiencing a sense of urgency. The fall vegetable crops must be harvested, the woodshed filled, the leaves raked, the bulbs planted, the screens swapped with storm windows, the hoses brought in and so much more before it gets cold and that frozen white stuff makes many of those tasks impossible. Yet my compulsion pales in comparison… 0

October 2, 2011

Getting outside is good for mind, body and soul

Americans are obsessed with health. We are bombarded by ads for products that claim to help us live longer, be stronger, act younger, get thinner. Yet we continue habits of sitting too long, eating too much and choosing behaviors which are anything but healthy. Instead of trying the latest fad or medication to help… 0

September 4, 2011

Take a hike

August is Eat Local Month in New Hampshire, a time when residents are encouraged to enjoy the bounty of produce and products raised on Granite State farms (learn more at nheatlocal.org). Our area is blessed with a wide variety of farms and with the harvest season in full swing, it's easy to obtain tasty local ingredients for any meal or snack. Visiting a farm is an ideal way to… 0

August 7, 2011