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The days are getting shorter, nights are cooler – yes fall is in the air and so are seeds. Many plants release their seeds in autumn and some of those packages of future life travel to new locations on the wind. It is ideal for seeds to sprout away...

Summer is when many people are aware of insects, both annoying ones and beautiful examples. Butterflies and moths are some of the more noticeable insects, given their relatively large size and sometimes lovely colors. Yet most people do little more...

It’s not easy being green . . . a green plant that is. Whether a plant is a tree in the forest, a shrub in a park, a wildflower in a meadow or a vegetable in your garden, there are likely hungry herbivores seeking to convert the plant into a meal. So...

At this time of year, when heading outside, I stop and listen. The sounds are changing, every morning there are more bird songs as migrants return from their wintering grounds. Even if you don’t know the specific songs and calls of different species,...

By RUTH SMITH

We often call it dirt, but the soil beneath our feet, in our gardens and under the plants of the forests and fields is far more than grit and mud. It is comprised of a complex mix of living and non-living elements that create the foundation for all...

By RUTH SMITH

At this time of year many people, not just gardeners, think about plants. Gardens are lush with flowers and ripening vegetables. Meadows, wetlands and forests are rich with the colors and textures of hundreds of species of flora. But one group of...

By RUTH SMITH

If ever there was a time to look to nature for some grounding, a place to escape and a reminder of normalcy, this is one of those times. Recently, I’ve been especially drawn to witness the aerial courtship display of the male American woodcock.This...

By RUTH SMITH

As leaves are shed from broad-leaved trees, details of the forest are revealed. Bird and squirrel nests, and hives of bald-faced hornet all seem to pop into view once the foliage has fallen. Trunks and branches reveal patterns and sometimes holes in...

By RUTH SMITH

It’s autumn, a time when our attention is drawn to leaves because of the spectacular pallet which their changing colors create on the landscape. In addition to enjoying the various hues from afar, it’s worth taking a closer look at trees because even...

By RUTH SMITH

At this time of year, I often hear people say, “The goldenrod is in bloom and my allergies are acting up.” Those two things may happen at the same time, but not because goldenrod is the cause of late summer or fall allergies.Goldenrod grows in a wide...

By RUTH SMITH

If you let the deep cold of winter keep you inside, you’ll miss out on some wonderful possibilities for exploration that don’t exist in warmer seasons, namely the opportunity to walk on water. Frozen ponds and lakes are special places to visit but...

By RUTH SMITH

Spring is usually the season associated with frog calls. It’s a thrill to hear the first spring peepers and wood frogs sending their songs into the chilly April evenings, assuring us that winter is really coming to an end. But that was months ago. We...

It’s May, and my yard is lively with a marathon of nest building.   Bluebirds are stuffing nest boxes with grasses and pine needles; the phoebe has created a cradle of moss in her usual spot under my porch roof; and downy woodpeckers are excavating a...

By RUTH SMITH

Take Me Outside: The colorful trees of spring- New Englanders have a right to brag about the fall foliage that graces our hillsides in September and October. The brilliant yellow, orange and red leaves of birches, aspen, maples and oaks are world famous for a good reason. But the vibrancy of the...