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On the Frying Pan
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The Place We Keep Running To
Where are we running to, and why? What are we running from? And what happens when we get there?
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Wildlife in Your Neighborhood
This article shows how much is happening around us, even when we don’t see it directly. Tracks, burrows, and other small signs reveal a constant flow of life through even the most ordinary places. It’s an invitation to look more closely at the ground beneath our feet and begin to recognize what has always been there.
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When Mere Survival Isn’t Enough
This article asks a simple but important question: Is survival enough? Using wolves, grizzly bears and bison, it shows how species can persist in small numbers while their ecological roles—and their place in the landscape—remain diminished. It’s a reminder that recovery is not just about keeping something alive, but about restoring what it does.
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Longleaf Pine and the Role of Fire
This article traces the longleaf pine forest from its origins under Native stewardship, through its near destruction, to its gradual return. It shows how fire—once suppressed as a threat—turns out to be central to the life of the system itself. It’s a clear example of what happens when we misunderstand a place, and what becomes possible when we begin to understand it again.
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Florida’s Ancient Plants at Risk
Plants that evolved over millions of years in Florida’s unique habitats may be more distinct—and more at risk—than scientists previously understood. New research shows that some of these rare species are misclassified or lack legal protection, leaving them vulnerable as their habitats disappear.
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Restoring Habitat on Working Lands
Restoring native habitat on working lands—farms, ranches, and managed forests—may be one of the most effective ways to slow species loss while still supporting food production and livelihoods. Research suggests that dedicating even a modest portion of these landscapes to native vegetation can improve biodiversity, water quality, soil health, and resilience to climate impacts. Protecting nature will require moving beyond parks and reserves to integrate habitat into the places where people live and work.
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Birding By Ear
Learning to identify birds by their songs opens a new way of experiencing the natural world, turning listening into a skill as recognizable as music. With a few simple techniques and attention to patterns, anyone can begin to recognize common bird calls and understand why birds sing. Over time, this practice deepens both birdwatching and one’s connection to place.
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Habitat in the City
Ron Cammel describes how replacing lawn and ornamental plantings with native species on a small city lot in Grand Rapids created habitat for pollinators and birds, demonstrating that meaningful wildlife conservation can happen even in an urban backyard.
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What is the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?
Kenn Kaufman describes the extraordinary abundance of bird life on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain and challenges the claim that it is “worthless tundra,” arguing that decisions about oil drilling should be made with a clear understanding of what would be lost.
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Why Not Save Every Wild Creature?
Robert D. Hinkle explains why nature cannot sustain every individual organism, describing how habitat limits, natural selection, and ecological balance shape wildlife populations and challenge human assumptions about saving every creature.
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Felines Fatales
Ted Williams examines the ecological impact of feral cats and the limits of Trap-Neuter-Return programs, highlighting the heavy toll that free-ranging cats take on birds and other wildlife, particularly in vulnerable island ecosystems such as Hawaii.
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Hosting Hordes of Nesting Cliff Swallows
Malcolm Morrison shares practical experience hosting a large colony of Cliff Swallows in New Mexico, describing their nesting behavior, the challenges of fledging young birds, and simple ways homeowners can help these energetic aerial insect hunters succeed.
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Nest Predators
Greg Butcher explores the many predators that threaten bird nests—from other birds and snakes to mammals and domestic cats—and explains how habitat management and responsible human behavior can help maintain a healthier balance for nesting birds.
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Chance Favors the Prepared
Dave Dister recounts how preparation, knowledge, and a bit of luck led to the discovery and documentation of a rare Red Phalarope along the Lake Michigan shoreline during a routine migration count.
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The Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp
Paul Baicich reflects on the legacy of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, highlighting its historic role in protecting millions of acres of wildlife habitat and the importance of broad public participation to sustain conservation success.
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Saving Birds Thru Habitat: North and South
Greg Butcher describes international efforts to protect migratory species such as the Bobolink, highlighting the importance of conserving habitat not only in Michigan but also on wintering grounds in South America.
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Costa Rica Birding
David Dister recounts a 12-day birding trip to Costa Rica, where remarkable biodiversity and the sighting of more than 170 new species highlight both the richness of tropical birdlife and the importance of protecting habitats across continents.
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Nature’s Best Hope
Brian Allen reviews Doug Tallamy’s Nature’s Best Hope, highlighting the idea of a “Homegrown National Park” and the powerful role homeowners can play in restoring habitat for birds, insects, and native ecosystems.
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Phyllis Haehnle Memorial Sanctuary
Gary Siegrist recounts the evolution of management at the Phyllis Haehnle Memorial Sanctuary, describing how invasive-species control, prescribed burns, and restoration efforts have revitalized native habitats and brought back a remarkable diversity of birds.
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Birds and FDR
A review of Douglas Brinkley’s Rightful Heritage, exploring how Franklin D. Roosevelt’s lifelong fascination with birds and natural history influenced his conservation leadership as President.
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Should We Play God?
Human activity has reshaped ecosystems and removed many of the natural forces that once kept them in balance. Because of this, choosing not to act is no longer a neutral position. Managing invasive species may seem like “playing God,” but it may also be a necessary response to ecological conditions humans have already created.
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Artifical Light Problems
Artificial light is usually treated as a simple convenience—something that helps people see after dark. But light is also a biological signal. From moths and bats to birds and humans, artificial light at night can disrupt behavior, reproduction, and circadian rhythms. Looking at experiments with red streetlights in Denmark, this essay explores how lighting design affects living systems and why treating light as infrastructure may be one of the most practical ways to reduce ecological harm.
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Restoring and Protecting Habitat
Certainly we can not expect everyone to be interested or concerned about this, nor can we expect to completely solve the problem within our lifetimes. But saving one bird species, saving one insect upon which that bird is dependent for breeding, saving one plant species that this insect in turn requires to breed, could be of immense value at some distant point in the future. This means that each step we take, each ally we connect with, each conversation we have about this with people can have positive results that we can not possibly foresee.
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Creating a Wildlife Sanctuary in Your Own Backyard
We need a culture change on how we promote native plantings—and we know changing culture can be an uphill battle. Nevertheless, the logic of not killing the wildlife we want to protect is overwhelming. We need to up our game to both promote native plants and protect wildlife.
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Bohemian Rhapsody
The Bohemians showed up November 29th on a cold, gray wintery day. I was looking east from the dining room window at a sweeping view of the creek to look for a Bald Eagle or a duck. Above the horizon I saw a shape-shifting swarm of birds — a murmuration — lifting and falling into the junipers, cottonwoods, and pines along the creek. “BOHEMIANS!” I yelled to my husband. “HUNDREDS OF THEM!”
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Strange Owls in Omena
Strange Owls in Omena When a homemade sign appeared at the end of our driveway pointing the way to "OWLS," it set off a small mystery to liven up the cold, dark winter days here — one involving the potential impacts of social media, our concern for the local birds, and an unexpected twist that still has everyone chuckling.