Algae are not plants but, rather, simple photosynthetic protists which are typically aquatic. “Blue-green algae” are not true algae at all but photosynthetic bacteria called cyanobacteria. They form a large diverse group that ranges from seaweeds like kelp to pond scum to freshwater lake ...

I admit it. I don’t really enjoy this time of year. In a walk outside, it is a challenge to find joy, beauty, and warmth in late fall, especially compared other seasons. The blooms and songs of summer are over. The bright pinks, yellows, reds have fallen away. The last hurrah of fall ...

Back in 1976 a Canadian ornithologist named Erica Dunn established the Ontario Bird Feeder Survey through Canada’s Long Point Bird Observatory (LPBO). After a successful 10-year run with more than 500 participants, it became apparent that only a continental survey could accurately monitor ...

The old ship’s bell rang out across the landscape. “Clang! Clang! Clang” The sound echoed around the neighborhood that I grew up in and it was the signal to come home. Most people where I grew up had a signal to call the kids home. My family had a ship’s bell. Another neighbor had a ...

Each fall, property owners repeat the cycle of managing the leaves that drop from the trees into their yards. What you do with these leaves can either benefit or harm your yard’s environment — as well as that of the lake or other waterway downhill from your property. Why? Because ...

In 1974 Jim Stafford co-wrote and recorded a popular song called, “Spiders and Snakes.” At least part of its appeal was Mary Lou’s line, “I don’t like spiders and snakes…” because so many people shared her feelings. Sadly, 45 years later, such attitudes remain. My younger ...