If you live in an old house, you probably are acquainted with these three home invaders: long-bodied cellar spiders, western conifer seed bugs, and multicolored Asian lady beetles. Although they’re not native to the northeast, they’re completely harmless and really quite companionable.
Wood Frog Thumbs
As soon as the ice melts from ponds, wood frogs emerge from hibernation, filling cool spring nights with the sound of their croaks. To tell males from females, just look at their hands. Males have absurdly muscular thumbs, the better to hold onto females in the fierce competition for mates.
Keeping Your Own Nature Journal
Taking “forest baths” and recording your observations can be wonderful therapy for modern times. Here are some tips from acclaimed natural history writer Bernd Heinrich for keeping your own nature journal.
Life Under the Ice
Have you ever wondered what could be living underneath the ice of a frozen pond? With no light or air, and temperatures just above freezing, you’d think life would be impossible but….
Leaping Snow Fleas
What animal can jump 100 times the length of his body — without using any of his six legs? Take a walk in the snow on a sunny February day and look closely in your boot prints.