Embracing the Four Seasons, Mostly Winter

EMBRACING THE FOUR SEASONS – MOSTLY WINTER   February/March, 2009 issue There were times when I felt felt like the Pied Piper of Hamelin as I trudged along on a well established trail at the H.R. Frink Centre north of Belleville on one memorable hike some…

Learning To Embrace Winter

LEARNING TO EMBRACE WINTER   December (2008)/January (2009) issue I have the dubious distinction of annually celebrating my birthday on one of the shortest days of the year. This might account for why I have taken on the habits of redpolls and tree sparrows of…

Hitchin’ A Ride

HITCHIN’  A  RIDE   October/November, 2008 issue Now that my Sheltie Terrier is a senior, she is not able to go for the long walks across the fields like we used to in years past.  I am not certain of my fixation for long-haired dogs, other…

Watching Out For Dangers When We Hike

WATCHING OUT FOR DANGERS WHEN WE HIKE   August/September, 2008 issue Promoters of a healthy lifestyle tell us to get out there and walk. For those who participate in guided walks, the initiative translates into a bonus, beyond the obvious benefits of exercise, and that is…

Algonquin and Rideau Beckon Visitors

THESE TWO LOCATIONS CONTINUE TO BECKON NATURE ENTHUSIASTS   June/July, 2008 issue The rust coloured matted hairs on the underleaf which identify this plant protect the Labrador tea from moisture loss in the drying winds of the Hudson Bay Lowlands. While Algonquin Provincial Park is not…

The Unwanted On Our Doorstep

THE UNWANTED ON OUR DOORSTEP   April/May, 2008 issue I always get a few calls every year about unwanted Canada geese. I guess it’s because they are experiencing a population increase, and they seem to be turning up everywhere. But nobody seems to want them on their…

The Little Mysteries In Nature

THE LITTLE MYSTERIES IN LIFE   February/March, 2008 issue As we hit the trail at daybreak, there were moments when we both felt that our faces were beginning to slide off the sides of our heads. The brisk wind off the nearby lake cut through our…

Great Scat, What Was That?

GREAT SCAT, WHAT WAS THAT?   December, 2007/January 2008 issue As a naturalist, I receive numerous photos weekly by e-mail for identification. Pictures of birds, flowers, insects – they all trickle in from curious outdoor enthusiasts, eager to have a name assigned to an…

What To Do When You Can’t Run

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU CAN’T RUN  August/September issue, 2007 Yes, there is such a thing as a hummingbird moth, and yes, you likely saw one in your garden. They seem to be everywhere this year. It is easy to understand why this large…

On Preserving Habitat

ON PRESERVING HABITAT  March/April issue, 2007 I stopped in to see an old friend one day last summer. She wasn’t home, and hasn’t been for some time, as she passed away several years ago. But the cottage where this charming Estonian lady used to…