World Pangolin Day is observed on the 3rd Saturday of February each year and so it’s a good time to reflect on this incredibly unique and endangered mammal. Sadly, pangolins are the most illegally trafficked mammals on the planet, with up to 200,000 animals...
Celebrate Charles Darwin’s Birthday Charles Darwin, the British naturalist who forever changed our view of life on earth, was born on February 12, 1809. Like Darwin, I was a shy and quiet child, with an insatiable curiosity for the natural world, spending my...
MISTLETOE The maligned and misunderstood step sister of holly, poinsettia and Christmas trees! As a child, I fondly remember collecting wild mistletoe from the pine and oak woodlands of my home in California’s Sierra Nevada foothills. I would wrap the mistletoe sprigs...
It’s World Rhinoceros Day! World Rhinoceros Day is celebrated on September 22 each year. Let’s take a moment to learn about these impressive animals and the threats they face. Rhinoceros are at risk of extinction throughout their range, especially from...
Let’s learn some fun facts about moths in celebration of National Moth Week! Moths don’t get the respect and attention they deserve, overshadowed by their more colorful and day-flying relatives, the butterflies. But there are way more species of moths than...
World Firefly Day is celebrated on the 4th of July to spotlight nature’s original firework displays! In their honor, I’ll share interesting facts about their biology, habitats, lifecycles, and of course, how and why fireflies glow! Lastly, I’ll share...
In my mind, no insect denotes ‘summer’ more than our friend, the dragonfly, who patrols his territory and catches smaller insects for dinner over your favorite swimming hole at the height of the season. The darner family of dragonflies is among the...
In honor of World Giraffe Day and Endangered Species Day, I’ve assembled some facts and resources on giraffe biology, ecology, anatomy, and conservation. You’ll also find here a giraffe coloring page I’ve designed for kids. What Giraffe Look Like...
The Value of Field Sketching: Video Replay The video below is from a live event hosted by Sonoma State University’s Center for Environmental Inquiry in which I was interviewed about the values I find in a field sketching practice for educators and naturalists....
Resources to learn more about the ocean In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly decided that June 8th would be designated by the United Nations as “World Oceans Day”. In celebration of World Oceans Day, I’ve written some natural history stories about sea...
