The Outside Story

In the simplest terms, an ecological niche is analogous to the basic “ice-breaker” question asked at social gatherings: “So, what do you do for a living?” Of course, outside of a few…

This afternoon, a 390-million-year-old thysanuran paid me a visit on my desk. It wasn’t really that old, just a little creature whose uninterrupted ancestry dates back at least that far.…

The rod was nearly yanked from my hands as a dark shadow tore out of the shallows and attached itself to my lure. When you’re 11 years old, this can be a life-changing experience. I…

One of the evolutionary adjustments whitetail deer have made is to reproduce early and often. A six-year-old whitetail doe can easily become a great-great-grandmother, and she can continue to…

Since long before Europeans began building permanent settlements in the Northeast over 400 years ago, Vermont, New Hampshire, Quebec, and the lands bordering this broad region have been…

In Pittsford, Vermont, a state-threatened sunflower nods in the breeze. Near Concord, New Hampshire, the tiny, federally-endangered Karner blue butterfly flits from one flower-spike of wild…

Inside our homes lives a collection of wildlife that is about as wild as life gets. Most of us are aware of the bigger stuff that wants to move in with us – pigeons, snakes, mice,…

In the English language, someone who overeats is called a “pig”; a coward gets labeled a “chicken.” If you raise pigs or chickens, you know that these barnyard associations are deftly…

Our lawn is a scruffy assortment of grasses and weeds that receives zero care apart from mowing. The beleaguered grass struggles in the face of competition. However, green grass persists in…

“I kind of thought it was a tornado,” the woman said, her disappointment apparent, “but they said it was straight-line winds or something.” This was from a newspaper article earlier…

The edges between field and forest are obvious places to search for wildlife, but the transition within a forest – between softwood and hardwood stands – can be equally alive. This…

A female mosquito buzzes in the waning light of a late-summer evening. A week ago, she bit a robin at a bird bath, drawing a proboscis full of blood to help create her eggs. The bird’s…

The ethical debates between vegetarians and meat-eaters aren’t likely to be resolved anytime soon. But there’s a new twist to the vegetarian argument that bears examination: the suggestion…

Flyfishing from a canoe in a small headwater pond at the tippity-top of the Connecticut River is usually a quiet experience. That’s why the sudden splash caused me to turn my head just in…

It’s late afternoon on a dog day of summer, and you’ve just finished a joyful canoe ride along the banks of a big pond shaded by hills and trees. Now it’s time to pull the Old Town from…

Darting through the air while twittering in constant conversation, chimney swifts are a cheering presence over many cities and towns. True to their name, which comes from the Old English…

“Rats with wings,” says Marsha, a student in my field ornithology class, when I point to a pigeon flying overhead. “Pigeons are very interesting birds,” I respond,…

There’s an artificial quality to a red pine plantation that you don’t find elsewhere in Vermont and New Hampshire, a vibe that stems from the fact that all the trees were put…

People most often climb New England’s high mountains seeking grand views from their treeless summits. But even on the cloudiest days, when the big views are obscured, there are exquisite…

One day in the next few weeks, you may be walking through a field on a sunny day. You may see a tiny blue butterfly, with wings the size of thumbnails, flitting over the meadowsweet. If you…