From colorful sea slugs to massive clams, mollusks are some of the most fascinating creatures in the ocean. Let’s meet a few of them!
Articles & Stories
Checkerboard
Learn how to make your own natural checkerboard!
Giant Ichneumon
“Is that a stinger?” our dad asked as he looked up at the bizarre creature we found on our gazebo one summer in North Dakota. The insect looked like a wasp, and it had an alarming 4-inch spike on the end of its abdomen.
Pet Day! Forty Years Later
Who said a pet had to be warm-blooded and furry?
My Pursuit of the Baltimore Checkerspot
I was very pleased to see this butterfly after observing much of its life cycle. At least I thought I had…
The Fish That Shoots Water
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive In the mangrove forests that stretch from India through Southeast Asia to the northern coast of Australia, where tangled tree roots reach down into the...
Beneficials in My Garden
View the full issue in the Magazine Archive The pea crop was bountiful. Buckets filled as we picked by the handful. But what was this crawling up my arm? A little green aphid dodged hairs as he...
Photographing Bats in Flight
I hadn’t realized how easy photographing bats in flight could be…even with mosquitos. Granted, a few special tools are necessary, but getting these photos is much easier than I had thought, and than you may think.
Springtime in the Cascades
It was the beginning of May, and I was trying to plan a birding/photography day. But here in western Oregon, spring doesn’t just mean new growth and pretty flowers. It also means LOTS of rain!
Our Little Owl
As he was walking around in the willows, a Boreal Owl flew up from a branch in front of him and landed a few yards away in another willow tree.
The Wildfire and the Whip-poor-will
Do whip-poor-wills carry pocket watches?
What’s in Your Woods?
Go quietly, stand still, and observe. Sometimes the unusual approach works…
An Orchid Trick and Fake Antennae
Wouldn’t you like to see a bumblebee flying around with an extra pair of antennae?
Hello…Can Anybody Hear?
In 1974, a group of scientists used the Arecibo radio telescope to beam a call to outer space—to no one in particular…
In Our Skies, May and June 2026
Night sky highlights for May and June.