Most jobs involve deadlines – periods of high stress interspersed with moments of relative calm. But since an editor’s job involves assembling words and pictures to produce a kind of…

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 lupine to…

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, squirrels, and…

Our recent contest picture of a lye barrel prompted readers to submit a number of great historical shots. Here’s one, submitted by Joseph Adams of Rupert, Vermont. OK antique-farm-equipment…

My birddog, Woody, figured it all out last night. He’s a 6-year-old English cocker, bred to find and flush birds. Unfortunately, I just haven’t hunted with him enough in the last few years…

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…

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 areas…

As we age, we get smarter but we feel dumber, one of those human condition quirks that poets are always pondering. Country singers from Kenny Rodgers on up have lamented the ignorance of youth…

As we all know, many mammals have a bone in their penis, called a “baculum.” From an evolutionary perspective, this can make copulation more effective (note the strategically curved tip…

“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…

The more researchers learn about barberry, the more they find to dislike about it. The thorny perennial shrub escaped from cultivated landscapes after being introduced to the U.S. in the 1880s, and…

A renewed interest has emerged in recent years in whole-tree harvesting, a practice that has been scorned by many as dangerous to the health of the forest ecosystem because it depletes the soil of…

Health-conscious humans have long known that brightly colored vegetables are healthier than blandly colored ones; turns out, songbirds also pay attention to color when it comes to their food. To fuel…

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 time of…

September can feel like summer, but we also see glimmers of autumn – a change in the light, goldenrods and asters blooming, mushrooms of various species emerging and proliferating in fields and…

The open road – the notion of high adventure just over the county line – holds a special place in the American imagination. Media types are especially drawn to the idea, as we’re…

No trip to the Tunbridge World's Fair in Tunbridge, Vermont, is complete without a trip to the beer hall, the pig races, and the historical exhibitions, where this picture was taken. 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 blood was…

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…

My friend Kris and I met in Mrs. Kevorkian’s kindergarten class, which means I’ve been a bad influence on him for almost thirty years now. When I suffer from panic attacks brought on by…