It’s the last day of June and I’m standing under the overhang on my back deck protected from the last drips of a rainstorm. It’s past nine o’clock but not quite dark yet. But the yard is starting to light up, one or two flashes at a time. It’s lightning bug season. These flashing, ...

If you have never felt lost in the woods, the first time you look up and realize that you are not one hundred percent certain you know how to get back on track can be unnerving. Honestly, even if you have felt lost in the woods before, however temporarily, it is still unsettling. You just have ...

The colorful transition between spring and summer includes the return of green foliage, baby geese wandering in fields, reconnecting with warm sunshine, and the blossoming of many wildflowers that call New York their home. The wild world of flowers can bring the idea that nature is not just a ...

The emphasis we as humans place on sight bleeds into how we describe our experiences with the natural world. We will often talk about what we see; whether it’s spotting the movement of wildlife or the colors in a field of flowers. We may use descriptors like colors and patterns or compare new ...

Of all the flora and fauna in the region, snails are not one I think about very often. On hikes, they fall into the “just” category. Oh, it’s just a snail. Oh, it’s just a crow. Oh, it’s just a dandelion. They are so easy to overlook because they are commonplace. But there are other ...

Last week, I was replacing the suet on my balcony, and started thinking about upgrading and getting an actual bird feeder. These days, my indoor cat is probably more invested in keeping that thing stocked than I am, but when I first got it, it was just me staring out the sliding glass doors, ...