Insects are by far the most familiar and frequently encountered arthropods. Did you know that all bugs are arthropods? Arthropods are invertebrates—they don’t have an internal skeleton and bones. Instead, they have an external skeleton, a segmented body, and jointed appendages, such as legs and antennae. Monarch egg Monarch chrysalis Insects...
Read More
The complexities of nature are sometimes hard to understand and even harder to justify or feel good about, especially when seen through the human lens. Stan Tekiela was reminded of the complexities of nature when filming an American Redstart (Setophaga ruticilla) and his family that...
Read More
Stan Tekiela, wildlife photographer and naturalist, shares his love for the amazing array of the wildflowers of Ohio. The state is a great place for wildflower enthusiasts! The state is at the crossroads of three major vegetative habitats. Each of these vegetative zones contains a...
Read More
In his new book Bald Eagles: The Ultimate Raptors, Stan Tekiela documents the majesty of these great birds. Today we take a look at the Bald Eagle as the perfect nest builder. The Bald Eagle is well known for its impressive large nest, known as an...
Read More
In today’s post, Erika Zambello, author of Backyard Discovery & Science Workbook: South, tells us about the state bird of each southern state. Why are state symbols important? Because they tell a story! By voting on symbols, elected officials and citizens are highlighting what makes their states—and...
Read More
George Miller, author of Backyard Science & Discovery Workbook: Southwest, tells us about the state gems of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, western Oklahoma, western Texas, and southern Utah. Many southwest states have state gems, minerals, rocks, or fossils, but you may not have heard or know about all of...
Read More
Wildlife photographer and naturalist Stan Tekiela has always been interested in the unsung heroes or the rule breakers of nature—the kinds of critters or birds that are common, yet no one seems to pay any attention to them. Today he introduces us to the tiny...
Read More
In his book Rocks & Minerals Backyard Workbook, Dan R. Lynch features more than 20 simple, fun introductions to a variety of rocks and minerals, including granite, sandstone, gemstones, and more. Plus, more than a dozen activities help kids to make hypotheses, experiment, and observe. The 19 hands-on...
Read More
Julia Rutland, author of Tomatoes: 50 Tried & True Recipes, shares with us her recipe for Fried Green Tomatoes with Romanesco Sauce. We tried it out, and so should you! It is an amazing starter to a great summer meal. I really can’t express how much...
Read More
Michigan is a great place for wildflower enthusiasts! The state is at the crossroads of three major vegetative habitats. Each of these vegetative zones contains a wide and often unique variety of wildflowers, and Stan Tekiela's Wildflowers of Michigan Field Guide makes identifying them easy. The...
Read More