View the full issue in the Magazine Archive “They’re banding owls tonight!” my brother Nicholas exclaimed at the supper table.“Really?” I asked. “What time does it start?”“The announcement at the...
Articles & Stories
Face to Face With Mountain Goats
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Mountain goat above Gunsight Lake, MT. Photo © Jenny Venturo. I was starting to get a little nervous. It was walking straight toward us, showing no sign...
Wondernose: What animal’s eating habits have earned it the label of “street cleaner”?
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive You’re correct if you guessed the “street cleaner” label is due to a practice of feeding on animals that were killed on the road. Our mystery animal is...
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan—ATLAS) Is (Hopefully) Here!
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Am I crazy…walking out the lane at 3:00 a.m. just to try to see a comet? When I got to the mailbox, I looked up. There was the comet, all right, just...
Autumn Splendor
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Fall foliage. Photo © Marlin Shank. Do you have a favorite season of the year? Difficult to decide, isn’t it? God is a God of beauty, and each season has...
Introduction to How Pigments Work
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Light is a form of energy that can act as both waves and subatomic particles called photons. Each wavelength of light corresponds with photons of a...
The Hunter Becomes the Hunted
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Watch this! I thought to myself. I think that spider-hunting wasp is about to become a spider’s prey.I had just noticed the mud wasp, in this case a blue...
Observing the Moon
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive The Moon can be both a bane and a blessing to the amateur astronomer. Moonlight renders faint deep sky objects invisible, and it washes out even the...
Preparing Your Garden for Rest
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive One of the blessings most North American gardeners enjoy is the cyclical nature of the pastime. While I have written about the joy of season extension and...
Sharing Friendship
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Sharing Birding Contest Honorable Mention As I’m the only birder in our family, I’ve often wondered what a birding spree would be like with my siblings....
Eagles? Maybe Not…
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Sharing Birding Contest Honorable Mention Bald Eagle. Photo © Leah Zimmerman. It was Friday. Finally the day had arrived! At 6:40 a.m. Grandma Elsasser...
Little Toys for My Worms
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Do your worms like to play pick-up sticks or play with little toys like mine do? I mean, what else can earthworms do but play with things near their...
Wondernose: What plant is used to produce tiny round balls that make a delicious pudding?
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive “Is it the tapioca plant?” you ask. Well, Wondernose, you are on the right track. The tiny round balls we are talking about are indeed tapioca, which...
Reflections in the Night
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive Aurora borealis in Saskatchewan, Canada. Photo © Josiah Olsen. I was sleeping soundly on the first night of the solar storm that brought the aurora...
The Crescent Nebula
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive One of the first things that grabs your attention when stepping outside after sunset on a late summer evening is the sweeping expanse of the Milky Way. It...