The Outside Story

Whether we see them slinking silently through the shadows of a quiet forest, darting across the road, or standing alone in a yellowed field, the sight of a whitetail buck touches some ancient…

The onset of spring brings many changes to our part of the world. The longer days and higher temperatures entice plants to emerge and trees to bud. On our lakes, the ice begins to melt. We…

This past winter is on pace to have one of the lowest snowfall totals in 100 years – just as last year’s snowfall total was one of the highest ever recorded. A winter with so little…

Although weasel species tend to look alike, with low-slung bodies, sleek heads, and long tails, the marten stands out. They’re thoroughly mid-sized – considerably larger than mink and…

Back in January, taking advantage of the lack of snow, I was out hiking with a friend along a steep hillside not far from my house. Usually this hillside is too slippery for wintertime travel,…

Most of us have been at least annoyed, if not infuriated, by porcupines from time to time. Their desperate need for salt in the summer months gets them in big trouble around the house. They…

Ah, to be in the woods on a winter bluebird day. Crisp, clear, and cold, with an unimpeded view to the cloudless sky above. The sun has lifted itself out of the December doldrums and it now…

“What do you think, Chuck, oak or beech?” This was my forester asking, and my immediate response was not to say anything because I was gasping for air after pursuing him up a rocky…

One frosty winter’s day, while tracking a mink along the edge of a stream, I discovered some tiny winter stoneflies creeping on top of the snow. Unaccountably, the stream-dwelling…

A New England January would be hard to bear without that winter essential: the puffy down jacket. It’s a great accessory for leisurely walks, but when we exert ourselves and speed up the…

Ever wonder why those Angry Birds on your smartphone app are so mad at those pigs? It’s probably because the pigs are feral. According to estimates by the U.S. Department of Agriculture…

Winter can be a lean time for birders. The vast majority of our avian diversity has moved south, and watching the few species that visit our birdfeeders from the comfort of a cozy living room…

Spreading salt to make treacherous ice disappear must have seemed brilliant in the early days of its use. Naturally occurring, abundant, and cheap, road salt allows people to get to work on…

As the landscape settles into winter, one of the things we notice (and likely enjoy) is the virtual absence of insects. As small, cold-blooded creatures, insects cannot stay active at low…

There was a time when I considered the mourning dove to be too commonplace and familiar to be worthy of much attention. All of this changed one winter when I began to notice that some birds at…

There are few symbols of the holiday season more universally recognized than the Christmas tree. Selecting it, chopping it down, trimming it, and placing on the star are traditions anticipated…

While most common songbirds migrate south for the winter, our part of the world is “south” for several birds of the far north. Snow buntings, common redpolls, and rough-legged hawks, among…

Many years ago I developed the habit of locating a stout walking stick whenever bushwhacking through the woods.The stick’s primary purpose isn’t for balance or support, it’s for whacking…

Tom Mortimer of Amherst, N.H., an avid amateur mineral collector, has the most complete collection of New Hampshire minerals anywhere in the state. Most of the time his tabletop-sized display…

With deer season in full swing, here’s something to ponder: will Vermont’s antler-restriction law (the ban on shooting spikehorns), which was designed to promote larger bucks with bigger…