Feeling dumb – go take a hike

Feeling dumb – go take a hike

A recently published study in Proceedings, an online medical journal of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that regular aerobic exercise like walking or hiking can improve the brain’s memory function and perhaps lessen the risk of dementia. As humans age, the...
Man vs. nature

Man vs. nature

Unless you are of a philosophical bent you might want to skip this last installment of the spotted owl trilogy. I have been intrigued by the dichotomy of man vs. nature for a long time. I can’t remember exactly what I saw while researching the spotted owl dilemma –...
More owl pellets

More owl pellets

I mentioned in last week’s Naturalist’s Corner that I found the decision by US Fish & Wildlife to kill barred owls in an effort to save spotted owls intriguing on many levels. I will use this week’s and next week’s columns to outline a couple of those intrigues....
Good owl – bad owl

Good owl – bad owl

    The Migratory Bird Act makes it illegal to kill barred owls, Strix varia. It is a crime that is punishable by thousands of dollars in fines and can include jail time. That is unless you are working for the federal government and you are killing barred...
Mountain Wildlife Daze

Mountain Wildlife Daze

The eighth annual Mountain Wildlife Days is scheduled for July 15 and 16 at the Sapphire Valley Community Center. The event is sponsored by Wild South along with partners Sapphire Valley Resort and Cashiers Travel & Tourism. The program organized in large part by...
Birding low and high

Birding low and high

Too many birders hang their binoculars up and put their field guides back on the shelf after May, fearing the “dog” days of summer. But the summer months offer a great opportunity to get to know your local nesters. While it’s true that rising thermometers, incubation...