By Declan McCabe My three children have participated in a Four Winds Nature Institute program that recruits adult family members to lead grade-school nature learning. I have worked with several moms and dads over the years to pull together materials […]
Category: The Outside Story
The Outside Story
What are those Goldenrod golf balls?
By Declan McCabe A few Thanksgivings ago, my then 10-year-old daughter and I went for an afternoon stroll. Unseasonably warm weather made for a longer than planned walk through a power line right-of-way and on down through steeply sloping woods […]
The Outside Story
Chirp, click, buzz – last call for the insect orchestra
By Meghan McCarthy McPhaul This time of year, I keep the windows cracked open on even marginally warm nights, savoring the sweet air that sifts through the screens. On that air come the sounds of others relishing the last bit […]
The Outside Story
A plague of ticks: scientists search for solutions
By Susan Shea On a hike this spring, we walked through a clear-cut area with tall grass and brambles. Afterwards, our pant legs were crawling with black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis), also known as deer ticks, the kind that carry Lyme […]
The Outside Story
Salamander party tricks
drawn by Adelaide Tyrol By Brett Amy Thelan I once heard of a biologist with a clever party trick: regardless of where or when a given party was taking place, he claimed that he could produce a wild salamander in […]
The Outside Story
Deerflies: An intense buzzing game
Illustration by Adelaide Tyrol By Declan McCabe My students and I were conducting research in the Winooski River floodplain at Saint Michael’s College last week when the buzzing became particularly intense. A brisk walk is enough to outdistance mosquitoes, but […]
The Outside Story
A dragon devours the sun
By Michael J. Caduto More than 3,000 years ago, the Chinese believed that a dragon ate the sun during a solar eclipse, so they gathered outdoors to drive away the beast by beating pots, pans and drums. Some 500 years […]
The Outside Story
Forest tent caterpillars — Rain on a sunny day?
By Lisa Niccolai Walk through a hardwood forest this month and it may seem more like October than July. Trees that normally provide cool shade have bare crowns with just a hint of green. And is the bark on that […]
Column, The Outside Story
American goldfinch: a common bird with uncommon habits
By Barbara Mackay I love the fact that there is always something new to observe in nature. Take goldfinches, for example. I have often watched them devour milkweed seeds from an acrobatic, upside-down position. Recently, I spotted several bright yellow […]
Column, The Outside Story
The dirt on moles
By Susan Shea My dog watched intently as an area of soil in our backyard vibrated and formed a slight ridge. Suddenly he began digging, revealing a mole below ground. Before Cody could pounce, I grabbed his collar and pulled […]