Features Archive
Page 6 of 27 « First < 4 5 6 7 8 > Last »
-
The Keys to Color
Canada geese fly over almost every night and every day. They fly by the hundreds in long orderly V-shaped formations that point south. The birds call constantly in haunting high cries that make you scan the skies while they are still far away. I also saw a group of fourteen ravens fly south.The ravens play individually, in pairs, or in… (more)
-
POSTED
It takes a certain amount of generosity to let strangers use your land. Such beneficence conflicts with our impulse to be wary of outsiders, to protect home and hearth. The complete content of this article is part of the downloadable pdf of this issue, available in our online shop.
-
Vermont’s Coyotes
One of Vermont’s more recent denizens, the Eastern coyote (Canis latrans var.) is regarded by many as a timber wolf in slightly reduced form. It isn’t, because the coyote’s size, social structure, diet, and habits differ substantially from those of its big cousin. In one respect, however- the ability to generate controversy- the coyote certainly rivals the wolf. The complete… (more)
-
Editorial
When I first tried to learn to identify plants it was tough going. I’d spend hours studying field guides but then when I went outdoors I could hardly ever find the plants I had “learned.” The complete content of this article is part of the downloadable pdf of this issue, available in our online shop.
-
Another View
In 1968, I spent some time as a Montpelier High School student “shadowing” Senator Bill Doyle at the state house. One of the most pressing issues facing the legislature at that time was funding education through property taxes. And now, over a quarter of a century later, we are still talking about the issue of school funding and property taxes.… (more)
-
Cultivating the Forests of the Mind: Bill Manning
Bill Manning’s friend Ross Morgan, who taught with him at Sterling College in the early 1980s, tells a story he says sums up much about Manning. The two had reached the end of an exhausting semester of teaching, one that concluded not only with the usual rush of final projects and student evaluations, but also with a troubling episode that… (more)
-
Hot Spots: The Conte Wildlife Refuge
In the four years since George Bush signed the law authorizing its feasibility study, the proposed Silvio Conte National Fish & Wildlife Refuge has been a cause for great gnashing of teeth. Supporters have seen it as a savior of the watershed’s ecosystems; opponents have denounced it as a land grab. The complete content of this article is part of… (more)
-
The Fisher is Back…and Doing its Job
To a fierce and powerful predator, what could be more frustrating than a porcupine? Apparently slow of foot and mind- and not much of an offensive threat, either- the porcupine (Erithezon dorsatum) has got to be a tantalizing lump of prey. But ferocity and strength don’t count for much when it comes to killing a porcupine. To get past its… (more)
-
Making the Grade
It’s a Friday afternoon in late September. Logger Mikael Batten stands at the edge of a skid trail laying out his last hitch of the week, making sure there’s a full load of firewood on the landing for his trucker. The complete content of this article is part of the downloadable pdf of this issue, available in our online shop.
-
A Celebration of Dead Trees
I manage for dead trees. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t actually go out and kill them, but when I see an aging giant showing signs of decline, or notice a top blown off, or look up to my ridge and locate the stark silhouette of the long-dead pine that marks my northwest corner, I perceive value. The complete content… (more)