Story by Hank Fischer Photos by Carol Fischer Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “He who hears the rippling of rivers will never despair of anything.” Certainly the whispering waters of Montana’s Smith River have that magical ability to soothe one’s soul. The sixty-mile...
Story and photos by Tim Wheeler You’ve probably noticed them: dangling above a forest trail, covering rocks atop an alpine peak, colonizing fence posts and the bark of urban trees. These bizarre shapes and colors that decorate our world are a group of organisms,...
Owls belong to a group of birds known as raptors or “birds of prey.” Raptors are deft predators that possess sharp talons and down-curved bills – adaptations of their carnivorous diets. Hawks, eagles, and falcons are active during the day (diurnal), while owls are...
What are the skills of a naturalist? Listening, looking, smelling, touching, and even tasting (but check with a grownup first)—using all your senses to notice what is going on in the world around you. Try this: find a spot in your backyard, in a park, by the river, in...
