David Mizejewski’s Archive

Frogs That Freeze Solid

Different animals use different strategies to survive winter. Some species migrate south, others grow thick coats, and some fatten up or stash food reserves. Many species hibernate or go dormant to … Read more

Summer tanager by National Wildlife Photo Contest entrant John Bomar Jr.

Seven Red Birds for the Holidays

Red is a color associated with Christmas, Yule and the winter holiday season in general. Here in North America, we don’t have too many wildlife species that are red. There … Read more

What to do With Fallen Leaves

Updated October 2022 You shouldn’t feel obligated to get rid of every last fallen leaf in your yard this fall. Leave the leaves — they offer a lot of benefits … Read more

Nuts for Wildlife

When we think of autumn, the first image that comes to mind is colorful leaves falling from the trees. Leaves, however, aren’t the only thing falling in the fall. This is … Read more

8 Tips to Protect Baby Turtles in Your Yard

Last June, Ellen Lambeth and Greg Hudson, fellow staffers here at National Wildlife Federation who work on Ranger Rick magazine, had a pretty awesome wildlife sighting. While Ellen was heading to the … Read more

Snake slithers in Maryland by Hannah Grove.

Eliminating Snakes in Your Yard

As National Wildlife Federation Naturalist, I frequently get questions from folks about “getting rid of” wildlife in their yard. Especially snakes. Unfortunately, most of the advice you can find online on … Read more

Functional Decor for the Wildlife Garden

You can create a wildlife-friendly garden that provides birds, butterflies and other backyard wildlife with the four components of habitat: food, water, cover, and places to raise their young. These … Read more

Top 7 Garden for Wildlife Questions, Answered

During Garden for Wildlife Month we heard from many of you with questions about creating the best wildlife-friendly gardens. Here are answers to seven of the most frequently asked questions. … Read more

Five Native Plants to Add to Your Garden

Spring will be here before you know it. Gardeners everywhere are itching to get outside and start planting. As you’re planning your garden and waiting for the weather to warm … Read more

Wildlife Olympians on Today Show

The Olympics are here and with them, a celebration of the world’s best athletes.  In keeping with that theme, for my latest appearance on the Today Show I brought wild … Read more