Tag: forests

A Disappearing Understory and the Deer Causing it

This juvenile deer watched my every move, but was still desperate enough to keep eating despite my presence. If there's food, the deer will come!

Where I used to live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, you could go into a soothing forest, yet only see trees. You should see trees, yes, however you shouldn’t ONLY see trees! In this area, the land was disturbed and cleared for agricultural purposes. Now, many field properties are transitioning and going through succession into forests. …

What Have Forests Done for You?

Growing up in the Pocono’s, my entire childhood was spent immersed in the woods. I built little tree forts, explored the ephemeral streams that wound through the leaf litter, and climbed the tallest cliffs and boulders dotting the Pennsylvanian forest. As an excitable human with a child’s heart and great imagination, forests mean adventure! As …

Celebrating the Longest Neck on the Longest Day: Happy World Giraffe Day!

The Summer Solstice also marks a special day to me – World Giraffe Day! This day was created by the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) to raise awareness about and celebrate this vulnerable and endangered species. Did you know that Giraffes are considered a Keystone Species? This means that giraffes are an animal that impact the …

TreeHugger – Yup, That’s Me and Here’s why!

There are so many reasons to love trees beyond “they look nice”. Even hugging trees has it’s benefits (click here for more information on getting immersed in forests). Here are my top reasons for getting excited about trees: Provide Oxygen – You know, the stuff we breath! We inhale oxygen (O2), and exhale Carbon Dioxide …

Malacology – A funny word for a funny group of animals.

While we may first think of these tiny creatures as garden pests, snails are very important members of the ecosystem and should be valued! Snails eat leaves – yes, they do like leaves in your garden – but their favorite food is rotting vegetation and fungi. Sometimes they will also ingest soil in order to …

Skin may be different- but that’s not bad!

The amount of diversity in this world is absolutely amazing! There are so many skin tones, hair colors (mine is blue and will be purple in a few days…), eye colors, heights, shapes…. you get it – this list could go on and on… Did you know that there is even MORE diversity in the …