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Outdoor

Ordinary, extraordinary moments in photos

Audubon Community Nature Center recently announced the winners of the 2025 photo contest. More than 100 photos were submitted from all over the world. The winners can be viewed at https://www.gogophotocontest.com/acncphotocontest2025 and soon will be on display at the Nature Center. They are ...

Boom or bust in fall seeds

While the summer is a busy season of fitting everything in, fall brings a different type of bustle. It’s back to school, back to routine, and for the natural world, time to get down to business in preparation for colder weather. Although we bring in fall officially at the Autumn Equinox near ...

Time for second spring

While walking on Audubon’s trails, which I often do with a friend who is very familiar with mushrooms, she casually mentioned something that has changed my view on autumn. Crouched down on her knees getting a closer look at a growing mushroom, she said: “You know, this is the best time to ...

Bird baths offer one more invitation

When I moved into my house, there were a few things the previous owners left behind. The highlights were a stack of manuals for every appliance in the house, 150 feet of hose, and a bird bath. Bird baths come in many shapes, sizes, and designs. The one I acquired is a shallow, concrete bowl ...

Caterpillars, moths, and butterflies!

As late summer sets in, it is the perfect time to go outside and look for butterflies and moths. Butterflies can be found in open areas fluttering around near flowers. Worldwide there are an estimated 180,000 butterfly and moth species but even here at Audubon you can find a wide diversity of ...

In living color before our eyes, in hiding

The natural world is a multi-sensory experience if you allow it to be. Stand in a cool breeze, or find a warm patch of sunshine. Listen for birds calling and insects buzzing. Literally stop to smell the flowers. Not all of them smell fantastic actually, but sometimes that unpleasant smell also ...