One of my favorite early Spring observations each year is watching tree buds begin to swell, paying attention to what's pushing forth to meet the air and sunshine: leaves and flowers!
Read MoreIt's true. Birds are on the cusp of initiating their seasonal migration. One question that often comes up is, "How do they know when to go?".
Read MoreJanuary was a very moosie month around here. Three hands are needed to count all the moose I saw this month alone. I took that as a sign it was time to tackle a moose.
Moose drawing, that is.
Have you ever paid careful attention to the winter solstice in your region... how short the day feels and how long the night feels? Where the sun rises and sets in your winter landscape?
Read MoreOn Thanksgiving Day my husband and I went in search of ptarmagin, Willow Ptarmagin (Lagopus lagopus) specifically. A little bird watching instead of bird eating.
Read MoreLarix laricina It's not a dead spruce.
Seriously. The Tamarack (Larix laricina), a species of tree that Alaska shares with New England and almost all northern regions in between, is a curious and stunning work of evolution that is often mistaken for its relative, the spruce tree.
Read MoreAn Alaskan thing, really.
According to the Dictionary of Alaska English (yep, that's a thing, too), Termination Dust represents the end-of-summer snow that falls on the surrounding mountains.
Rain, Rain, and Mushrooms. August was kind of a blur. Visitors, travel, orcas, puffins, humpbacks, and glaciers. And a whole lot of rain.
Read MoreJust a few days ago I sat fifty feet away from a 900lb alpha male Coastal Brown Bear (Ursus arctos horibillis) named "Lippy". Yep, I did that.
Read MoreFireweed!
Apparently, Common Fireweed, Chamerion angustifolium, can be found throughout most of the U.S. and Canada, but I had never seen it before Alaska.
Arctic to Antarctic and back every year. That's what the Arctic Tern does... FLIES from one end of the globe to the other.
Twice a year. Every year. It tops the list for longest migrations in the world.
25,000 miles. Does that number sink in?
Read MoreTwo days after returning to Anchorage I went to Spenard Crossing to see what species of ducks had also arrived in Anchorage. Spenard Crossing is an ideal location for early migrant birds. It is a small pond and one of the first bodies of water to melt out. This means concentrated numbers of birds in a small space... super fantastic for birders!
Read MoreCommon Ravens are everywhere here, making observations of them as easy as choosing which parking lot to position myself in. As a highly intelligent animal, they learn and adapt their diet and shelter requirements to the situation in front of them. Being a talented tool user is a super skill, too.
Read MoreI have been fixated on trees this month. Secret: I love trees as much as I love birds. You can read a short piece about why in this month's blog post titled Reciprocity.
Read MoreEver since I moved to Alaska I've been intrigued with the light... how much there is in the warm months, how little there is in the cold months, how the shadows are always at an angle no matter the time of year. Why?
Read MoreIt never occurred to me that one day I might travel as an artist and writer. Indeed, until 1991 I never imagined I would travel that much at all. I can remember as a young kid possessing a strong urge to see the country. I actually thought being a truck driver might be a path for me so that I could see the country.
At 15 years old there’s some logic to that, right?
Read MoreDo you ever come across something so unexpected when researching? I recently did.
While researching organizations or individuals that seem a potential fit for collaboration, I came across a post on “nature connectedness”; the connection humans have, or do not, with nature.
Read MoreFor a long time I’ve considered the month of February to be the real beginning of spring. The days get noticeably longer. The birds know it. The trees know it. I know it. It triggers a response that makes our spirits rejoice.
Common Ravens (Corvus corax) feel it.
Read MoreNature replenishes my spirit in so many ways. Clean air and water. The simultaneous serenity and thrill while standing on the edge of millions of acres of public lands. Sunshine warming my face. The sound of rain on my rain jacket. Watching a bee fly; toads, deserts, murmuration.
Read MoreThe shortest day of the year, or the longest night of the year as some think of the winter solstice, is notable anywhere you are. Cultures all over the world have special celebrations on this day. Most cultures associate the winter solstice with agricultural patterns and the return of light to the earth.
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