Bill Dunson, born in rural Georgia, skipped 12th grade and went directly to Yale. Bill subsequently received a PhD in Zoology from the University of Michigan, studying softshell turtles. Bill is Professor Emeritus of Pennsylvania State University thanks to a career spent entirely at that institution, teaching and doing research on the physiological ecology and ecotoxiciology of reptiles, amphibians and fish. Always curious about nature, Bill has dedicated his life to learning and sharing his knowledge with others. He has served on many advisory boards here in Southwest Florida to preserve the water that gives life to our region. Join Bill as he walks among wildlife and plant life throughout our neighborhoods here in Southwest Florida and his Virginia Farm. Each month we feature one of Bill’s fascinating and educational nature notes.
Nature Notes by Bill Dunson
September 25, 2020
Fall and Spring migrations are exciting times for bird watchers since they get to see species that are passing through
Read more.
September 7, 2020
Are We Just “Re-Arranging the Deck Chairs on the Titanic” aka the Planet? A basic premise of the Native
Read more.
August 18, 2020
As the end of August approaches, some animals, especially birds, migrate or become silent so that they are inconspicuous. Insects
Read more.
August 3, 2020
Although there are always some flowers present during the warmer seasons, late-middle summer (late July/early August) seems to provide a
Read more.
July 22, 2020
After a cold and wet Spring, July has been rather hot and dry in comparison. Yet we are at
Read more.
June 29, 2020
There has been an explosion of flowers in late June and the butterflies now have a much wider
Read more.
June 8, 2020
Once the famous early spring ephemeral flowers have finished blooming, there are still some spectacular flowers yet to come in
Read more.
April 27, 2020
As I write this in late April we have just recently migrated from FL to NC. So we find ourselves
Read more.
April 15, 2020
The restriction of our movements caused by the COVID 19 pandemic has led to a serious problem in occupying
Read more.
March 9, 2020
At Englewood FL beach there is often a large group of gulls and terns resting on the beach early in
Read more.
February 1, 2020
I recently attended a birding field trip to the Merritt Island area expertly organized by Abbie Banks and guided by
Read more.
January 20, 2020
As an older person who grew up with black and white TV, in my youth I could always
Read more.
December 17, 2019
There are many ways to enjoy nature. You might be simply awed by the beauty of scenery or the colors,
Read more.
November 15, 2019
I attended a recent field trip led by expert naturalist Jean Evoy to the Babcock Webb Wildlife Management
Read more.
October 27, 2019
In late October as many human “Snowbirds” return to Florida from their northern summer retreats, a massive movement of
Read more.
October 1, 2019
Of all the creatures in natures’ menagerie, spiders and their relatives probably evoke more fear and loathing
Read more.
September 10, 2019
After prolonged periods of red tide in the Gulf and blue green bacteria and green slime
Read more.
August 27, 2019
In late August in Florida, humans begin to wilt under the prolonged heat, humidity and rainfall and start thinking about
Read more.
August 2, 2019
To the uninitiated, summer in Florida might be perceived as just a hot sweaty dash from one air conditioned
Read more.
July 5, 2019
One of the most important but least appreciated aspects of a good three dimensional yard wildlife habitat is the ground
Read more.
June 19, 2019
Here are some examples of toxic moths and butterflies that birds in my Florida yard must deal with. The polka
Read more.
June 2, 2019
We are very fortunate in Charlotte County FL to have a natural tidal wetland (Lemon Lake). It can be a
Read more.
May 7, 2019
Floridians could learn a lot from a visit to Assateague Island. This barrier island is a 37 mile
Read more.
April 13, 2019
One of my favorite local coastal natural areas is one that you may never have heard about, Manasota Scrub
Read more.
March 30, 2019
Parks are developed for many purposes, ranging from entirely human recreation to nature preservation with considerable variation between these
Read more.
March 5, 2019
One of my favorite natural areas in the SW Florida region is Myakka State Forest since it is
Read more.
February 27, 2019
It may be common to think that interesting natural sights are only to be found over the next hill
Read more.
February 12, 2019
While it is generally still winter-like up north in February, things are quite different in SW Florida when signs
Read more.
February 1, 2019
– I regularly check the local beaches on Manasota Key to look at the birds to see what interesting species
Read more.
January 9, 2019
As I was heading home after my three mile morning walk I stopped by Englewood Beach to see what
Read more.