Crustaceans & Mollusks
Covers, March 2023
Fairy shrimp. Photo © Dogwood Ridge. Ruby-crowned Kinglet eating dogwood berry. Photo © Dogwood Ridge.
Favorite Focus, January 2023
Wild Water Worms
Photos © Dreamstime.com. Bootlace worms are the longest animals in the world. They can grow up to nearly 200 feet (60 m) —longer than a blue whale. They are black or brown with a purple or blue...
Mailbox, October 2022: Our Favorite Magazine
A Grandma’s Story
Mudpuppy. Photo © Dreamstime.com. Grandma stood on the flat top of the stone wall, enjoying the cool evening air. A small spring-fed stream lined with stone walls flowed through the yard, under the...
Wondernose: What animal has no head and no legs, yet weighs a quarter of a ton?
Giant clam. Photo © Dreamstime.com. Mind you, Wondernose, not all the animals of this kind weigh a quarter of a ton. They can vary in size from a fraction of an inch to four feet across.But how, you...
A Week in the Woods
Water Workshop Grand Prize Woodland pond. Photo © Joanna Rufener. What goes on day and night at a calm, wooded pond in spring?It was a mystery to me, and this year I found out, thanks to Nature...
Invisibles, June 2022
Wondernose: What animal stands on its head and kicks food into its mouth?
Barnacles on rock. Photo © iStockPhoto.com. You would have to be quite lively in order to eat in this manner, wouldn’t you, Wondernose? And maybe you would have to live in the water like our mystery...
Exploring Nature, April 2022
In April and May, wildebeest herds move northwest to central Serengeti. They follow the new grass growth.April and May are times to hunt morel mushrooms in the mid-South and Midwest.Check vernal...
Sand, Shells, and Waves
It was morning on the seashore. The sun was just peeking over the horizon, sending a warm glow over the dozens of little waves at its feet. The sea gulls were already calling and swooping over the...
Favorite Focus, January 2022
Favorite Focus… July 2021
I found this rock in a cave by our house. Photo © Nate Carlen, Chewelah, WA. I took a walk to our pond, and was delighted to find this large crayfish in a shallow puddle. Photo © Timothy David...
Wondernose: What Animal Nearly Always has its Mouth Open as if it Were Panting?
Not only does our mystery animal swim around with its mouth open, but that mouth is actually filled with sharp teeth! As a result, many people think this is a fierce, dangerous animal. Some stories...