Should you take your bird feeders down for the summer? The answer may depend on where you live. Ever since I started feeding backyard birds several years ago, I’ve religiously … Read more
Certified Wildlife Habitat
Matthews, North Carolina Celebrates Community Wildlife Habitat Certification
Matthews, North Carolina recently celebrated becoming the nation’s 64th NWF Community Wildlife Habitat with “A Day of Play” at Squirrel Lake Park. Despite the cold, drizzly weather, spirits were high … Read more
Ajo, Arizona Celebrates Community Wildlife Habitat Certification
The former copper mining town of Ajo, Arizona took a big step towards helping local wildlife when they registered their Community Wildlife Habitat® project with the National Wildlife Federation four years ago. After … Read more
Monarch Butterflies in a Changing World
On a recent trip to California, I stopped by Natural Bridges State Beach, a lovely seaside protected area in Santa Cruz that’s best known for the monarch butterflies that overwinter there. … Read more
Nature: Driving Revitalization in the Motor City and Beyond
During the roaring 20’s, Detroit glittered as a global center of automobile manufacturing. With a population that soared from 285,000 in 1900 to 1.6 million by 1930, it was … Read more
Wildlife Gardening: Don’t Forget the Neighbors
When I bought a house on a large corner lot a decade ago, I was in a hurry to convert the lawn as quickly as possible to a lush, plant-filled … Read more
Nonnative Plants: Ecological Traps?
When I moved into my first house several years ago, it was also the first time I’d ever had my own yard—and with a double lot located on a corner, … Read more
Deepwater Horizon: 1,000 Days Later
It has been 1,000 days since the BP-operated oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, gushing millions of barrels of crude oil into a body of water that supports … Read more
Les Misérables: Victor Hugo’s Nature Lesson
When I decided to read Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel Les Misérables in preparation for my wife dragging me to the musical film of the same name, I did not expect … Read more
