Surprise Encounters
Who hasn’t been startled occasionally by a surprise encounter with wildlife? Perhaps the most startling encounter would be with a bear, a moose, a javelina, a large spider, or even …………. a snake. Many people are repulsed by these scaly, slithering serpents. The mere thought…
Counting Cormorants
“Call me when you’re finished,” the Tres Rios employee offered as he closed and locked the gate behind us at the Tres Rios Wetlands, “and I’ll come let you out.” As the gate closed behind us, we entered a birder’s paradise.For the next four hours,…
Trash on the Trails
Trash belongs in garbage cans, dumpsters, and landfills. It does not belong in parking lots, along roadsides, in school yards, or on lawns. But for some reason, it’s especially offensive when found along a nature trail. On the Trail Generally, very little trash is found…
Out of Comfort Zone
After years of using my mammal skull collection for education, I feel comfortable at this point talking with anyone about the adaptations these animals had for surviving. I even enjoy these discussions and look forward to greeting people who might be interested in learning some…
A Cool, Cloudy Day Hike
Years ago, on a trip to Australia, we took a hike with a guide in one of their national parks with the hopes of encountering native animals. After hiking 14 miles, we returned to our cabin with no sighting of wildlife except for one spider…
Desert After Dark
Who would enter the desert after dark? As it turns out, lots of people did recently at White Tank Mountain Regional Park in Waddell, Arizona, northwest of Phoenix. White Tank is the largest of the Maricopa County Parks with about 30,000 acres in rugged desert…
Zoology or Botany?
Animal life has always excited me more than plant life – zoology over botany. Why would anyone want to study dull, boring vegetation? However, my attitude toward plants began to change when we headed to the Sonoran Desert the first year we volunteered for U.S….