Laura Tangley’s Archive

Monarch butterfly by Lois Settlemeyer

From Presidents to Wildlife Gardeners, Monarch Butterflies Need All the Help They Can Get

It’s not often, if ever, that the White House convenes a meeting on the topic of insects. But that’s just what happened three weeks ago when John Holdren, director of … Read more

Common Loon by Gary Lackie

Biologists Study Impact of BP Oil Disaster On Loons

Just over a year ago, I held a “charismatic megavertebrate” on my lap. As a participant on a research project in the Gulf of Mexico just off the coast of … Read more

Raccoon kits by Barbara Fleming

How to Keep Wild Raccoons Wild

Whether you live in the country, the city or the suburbs, if you’re frequently out and about after sunset, you’ve likely encountered a raccoon or two in your yard or … Read more

Great Horned Owl by Roger Garber

Winter Weather’s Fine for Nesting Great Horned Owls

Here in North America, where much of the continent is battling ice, snow and bone-chilling cold, this may seem like a very bad time of year for a bird to nest. … Read more

Monarchs by Dave Hawkins.

Where Are Migratory Monarchs This Fall?

Each fall at about this time, I try to spend a weekend at the Black Walnut Point Inn on Maryland’s Tilghman Island in the Chesapeake Bay. Located on the southern … Read more

Purple Martin by Richard Winegar

The Case of the Missing Martins

  A few weeks ago, I headed down Interstate 95 from my home in Washington, D.C., to attend a quirky festival, “Gone to the Birds,” held each August in Richmond, … Read more

Augochlorella aurata

Photo Gallery: Surprising Backyard Bees

Until a few months ago, if someone said the word “bee,” I’d immediately picture the familiar black-and-yellow-striped honeybee or perhaps a big, fuzzy bumblebee—both regular summer visitors to the flowers … Read more

Baltimore Oriole by Lynn Cleveland

Photo Gallery: Seven “City Birds”

Hear the words “city birds” and you’re likely to picture a handful of common nonnative species such as the European starling, house sparrow and pigeon. But a long-term survey of … Read more

Bumblebee on Coneflower by Josh Mayes

In the Buzz About Bees, Don’t Forget the Natives

Honeybees have been in the news a lot this month. On May 2, the federal government published results of a comprehensive study looking at potential causes of the insects’ dramatic … Read more

Northern Cardinals by Paul Brown

Help Bugs—and Birds—By Growing Native Plants

Like most environmentally-friendly gardeners, I’ve long known that it’s better to cultivate native than nonnative plants. Adapted to local conditions, natives thrive better—and with less water and other expensive inputs … Read more