By Declan MeCabe As we leaned over the Colchester Bog boardwalk, a student asked, “What’s that black stuff on the water?” I suggested gently poking it with a twig. This elicited the expected response: as though ejected from James Bond’s […]
Category: The Outside Story
Column, The Outside Story
The Outside Story: Winter fruit provides honey for wildlife
By Susan Shea Late one January afternoon, my husband and I stood on the shore of a frozen pond below the summit of Camel’s Hump, admiring the view. Suddenly we heard familiar calls, and a flock of robins flew over. […]
Column, The Outside Story
The Outside Story: The bobcat’s snow day
Snow day! The announcement draws squeals of joy from students throughout the school district and groans from parents who must scramble to provide care for their kids and face a treacherous commute. But fourth-graders with overdue homework and harried parents […]
Column, The Outside Story
Chipmunk Game Theory 101
Two chipmunks vie for seeds on our front lawn. One lives directly underneath the bird feeder. Another hails from the far side of the house, address unknown. The chipmunks appear identical to me: same size, same stripes. Same interests, namely […]
Column, The Outside Story
A rightful place for the American beech
By Olivia Box I’ve always found slender, sharp, yellow-ochre beech leaves alluring, and it’s endearing how they cling onto saplings late into the fall. However, Fagus grandifolia, the American beech, tends to get a lot of flak from foresters. The […]
Column, The Outside Story
The Outside Story: Nuts for corns
by Susie Spikol Tucked behind a stonewall on the edge of a hardwood forest, my 6-year-old students and I spy on an Eastern gray squirrel as it climbs out of a tree cavity and scurries down to the ground. There […]
Column, The Outside Story
The Outside Story: The amazing chickadee
by Susan Shea Black-capped chickadees are one of the most frequent visitors to our bird feeders in winter, but do we really know them? This common bird exhibits some remarkable behaviors and winter survival strategies. Undoubtedly you’ve heard the familiar […]
Column, The Outside Story
The Outside Story: Evergreen ferns can be enjoyed year-round
By Sandra Mitchell Walking through the woods on a crisp December day, I spotted a flash of green amongst the rocks, snaking up through the snow. Greenery in a forest full of gray and white is a treat, and so […]
Column, The Outside Story
The Outside Story: All about antlers
By Dave Mance III The blast of a gunshot: a deep bass roar she feels in her chest, followed by a treble ringing in her ears. The buck drops. The hunter remains in her crouch, watching the animal’s last breaths […]
Column, The Outside Story
British soldier lichens provide color pop
British soldier lichens are among the first wild things I remember being able to identify as a child. I loved spotting this lichen during forays into the woods – on a giant boulder or atop a decaying stump – its […]