Starting in late March-early April, you may notice a lot of nature centers or wildlife organizations start talking about “Herps”…. What?! Herps are the collective term for Reptiles + Amphibians. While they each have their own distinguishing characteristics, they are similar enough so that many scientists lump them together while studying or talking about them. …

As part of my spring 2023 “Wildlife Education” course (Masters of Environmental Science through Slippery Rock University), I conducted a survey/questionnaire that was designed to examine the public’s perceptions and attitudes towards a bird feeding; a sometimes-controversial wildlife topic. Many feel strongly about why they should or should not feed wild birds. Below are the …

We land-dwellers don’t usually consider the importance of marine ecosystems in our day-to-day lives, understandably. The times we usually think about the ocean are when we are on our summer vacations to the shore. In reality, the ways we are connected to marine life are closer than we may think. What Does the Ocean do …

Research by Lucy McGinty and Marissa Jacobs 02/28/22 – 05/10/22  Abstract Local Pennsylvania streams are becoming more polluted due to chemical runoff, littering, and sewage dumping. Because of this, diversity in streams is beginning to decline. Popular ways researchers determine the quality of the stream is by species counts and various chemical testing. Macroinvertebrates are …

Iesha has a deep passion to protect the environment and to create ways to effectively solve environmental issues. Her experience working and volunteering has given her a well-rounded skill set to create solutions and to have a positive impact on low income communities… She has helped protect the environment by using her experiences to spark …

Did you know that May is National Be Kind to Animals Month? For the most part, especially if you’re reading this blog, you probably already have a soft spot in your heart for the charismatic animals of the world – so this seems like “preaching to the choir”, right? There are MANY animals in the …

Birds and their population numbers are important for indicating overall health of ecosystems, making them bioindicator species. Have you participated in a bird count in your backyard, as part of a community science project, or as part of an event at an educational center? The Great Backyard Bird Count is an important way for scientists …

Do you love all things birds, nature, and want to contribute to scientific studies easily? Join in on the 25th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, hosted by Cornell Ornithology. This global event includes roughly 100 million bird sightings each year and wildlife biologists, climate change scientists, and others use that data to create scientific models, …

Did you know that today is America’s National Bird Day? Discover more about the birds you love and how to celebrate this winter season! Winter Bird Adaptations During the cold days of winter, we often worry about the birds that roam outside of our houses, especially because we can’t hear or see them as much. …

2021 was an emotional rollercoaster. I switched from working at a nature center to having The Art of Ecology be my full time job! This is a dream come true, but I’ll be honest, running your own business is an emotional challenge. There were moments where I jumped up and down with excitement and moments …