Snow had already begun to fall over Moosehead Lake. It had been an unseasonably warm December for Maine in 2015, but the temperature had dropped in recent days and was now hovering around 10 degrees withContinue reading
Record-breaking Global Big Day
On May 13, smack in the middle of Mother’s Day weekend, birders fanned out across the world to count birds as well as bird species. Organized by eBird, an online bird observation platform run byContinue reading
Stopping by Moores Creek National Battlefield
In the midst of patchwork agricultural fields, grown tall with corn, my husband and I discovered Moores Creek National Battlefield. I use the word “discover” loosely, as the battlefield is clearly marked on the ruralContinue reading
New Office, New Trails
I have recently switched to a position at the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance, moving from an office on the beach of a barrier island to a building within the forest. Right away, I noticed a networkContinue reading
Getting Back to eBird
2017 has been a year of reflection for me thus far. While there are many things I cannot control – national posturing on climate change, for example – I have taken stock in how IContinue reading
The Allure of Site Passports and Stamps
In my house, car and office, one will find a wide variety of checklists and site passports. On my couch sits a bright blue passport book listing National Wildlife Refuges, complete with refuge descriptions and aContinue reading
How much nature do you need?
In health class, we often learned about food pyramids. Whole grains are on the bottom, because we need 5-7 servings per day. At the next level, we have fruits and veggies (two servings a dayContinue reading
Delisting the Manatee
Sigh. These days it’s no fun to read the news. Most of the environmental stories are bad, and even the “good” ones don’t hold up to closer inspection. Take the West Indian Manatee, which livesContinue reading
So you’re going to discuss climate change
A good friend of mine from college and I had a brief conversation about climate change just before the holidays. After being ignored for most of the election season (in my opinion), climate change hasContinue reading
The importance of long-term research
As February transitioned into March, I was far from home. Leaving the long leaf pines and palm trees behind in Florida, I flew to Phoenix for a road trip up the West Coast. From PhoenixContinue reading