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  Careful observations of flowers will yield many surprising ideas concerning the possible functions of their widely varied colors and shapes. Remember that flowers in nature exist only to propagate the species and not to please us. Therefore their primary […]

  What defines beauty- the eye of the beholder or perhaps our genes? A sunrise photo elicits pleasure for most of us and we can agree that it is beautiful. This is not so for most insects even though they […]

One of the great pleasures in seashore living that I learned when we spent time in the Chesapeake Bay area was catching blue crabs with a hand line. In SW Florida this is not such a popular past time since […]

There is a common misconception in some quarters that anything “natural” is healthy and beneficial. Nothing could be further from the truth! The dominance of humans on planet earth is primarily linked to cultivation and domestication of a small number […]

  The weather has been extremely warm both in this area and nationwide so we know for certain that we are in the throes of summer. Of course the seasonal appearance of some plants and animals would tell us that […]

  Spring is the time for many creatures to make love and have lots of babies. The rapid flush of plant growth and emergence of prey in spring makes circumstances especially suitable for reproduction. Two flower beetles mating on a […]

  In mid August natural signs tell us without looking at a calendar that the end of summer is coming. Nights are cooler here at the farm (55F this morning), few birds are singing and some have left us on […]

  We human snowbirds are rapidly deserting Florida to return to northern retreats to escape the summer heat. Our 107 acre farm near Galax, VA, in the Blue Ridge mountains serves this purpose well but also allows us to engage […]

  We human snowbirds are rapidly deserting Florida to return to northern retreats to escape the summer heat. Our 107 acre farm near Galax, VA, in the Blue Ridge mountains serves this purpose well but also allows us to engage […]

  Spring is a time of wonderful sights and sounds as critters go through an accelerated process of feeding and breeding. Of course reptiles are “ectotherms” and need to bask to elevate their body temperatures to increase digestion and to […]

  While we generally assume that the best sightings of animals are most likely to be found at parks and nature preserves, such is not always the case. Observations in our humble backyards can often reveal some truly amazing critters. […]

  One of my favorite tiny wonders of the wetlands of pine flatwoods is the sundew. The name is appropriate since the glistening orbs of sticky material at the ends of filaments certainly shine in the sun as would drops […]

  Here in SW FL we are deep in the grip of what we call winter, and the first photo proves that we actually have had one light frost already on Jan. 2. The general weather pattern is an irregular […]

  On a balmy early spring day, I walked with a group of friends around Wildflower Preserve in Charlotte County, FL, and enjoyed the many sights and sounds of the season . Dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies are again flying in […]

  Mid to late March is an exciting time of natural changes due to the almost daily arrivals and departures of migrant birds, the initiation of singing in many species, and the greater activity of reptiles. An unusual lizard that […]

As a famous philosopher (Forrest Gump) once said that his mother told him about choosing from a box of chocolates, “You never know what you’re going to get.” This expresses precisely the possibilities that face us when we take a […]

  Florida certainly has its changing seasons although they may be more subtle than the more northern variety. This week at Wildflower Preserve certainly provided ample evidence of the arrival of spring. A flowering spiderwort in the butterfly habitat was […]

  Just after arriving in Florida for the winter season in late October, an early blizzard is sweeping the northlands and I am dazzled by the array of fabulous creatures that are still active in Florida. The photos shown here […]

  We have two sorts of “snowbirds” on FL beaches- human and avian. Many come long distances to enjoy the mild oceanic weather of the low latitudes during winter. Some of the birds breed in northern Canada so the contrast […]

  My resolution for the new year is to ramble more and sit less. So to satisfy this goal I spent a great deal of time exploring the beaches and bays of Palm/Knight & Don Pedro Islands, FL, and the […]