When Polka-dots Go Bad
My friends and family know I love bugs. It makes me really happy to be known as the person you can send random bug pics to, whether for ID help or just to share something cool. Unfortunately, this summer I’ve had several instances where my reply has been negative. It hurts a little to do…
Ground-nesting Bees
A couple weeks ago at work, one of my coworkers mentioned he had found the largest group of ground-nesting bees he’d ever seen, right behind our office. I peeked out the window but couldn’t see anything. When I went outside, though, I finally saw what he meant. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of little…
Ranger Life
One of the central parts of my job is opening the park every day. All of us who are on duty for a given day unlock the gates and then make our way to the Visitor Center. Once we’ve opened our offices and deactivated the alarms, we go on a walk around the ponds and…
Nature is for Everybody
There’s been a lot of chaos in the last few weeks. US politics has swung drastically to the right. And the people now in power have been whittling down our freedoms at a pace that’s frankly terrifying. That being said, I want to go on record that this blog supports trans and nonbinary people, 100%.…
Resolutions 2025
I like setting resolutions. Sometimes I think of them more as goals, especially if it’s something concrete and measurable (like post at least 12 blog entries this year). I’ve heard other folks refer to them as setting their intentions for the year. That speaks to me too, in particular for less definable things. Be more…
12 Days of Solstice
What if we celebrated 12 days from the winter solstice, instead of from Christmas? What kind of things might we celebrate and honor? Here are my suggestions.
Duck Envy
I love the wintertime. Not just because I enjoy cozying up in cold weather, although that’s pretty nice– and Luna gets extra cuddly too when it’s cold out. But my main reason for loving winter is that’s when lots of duck species show up in my area. Huge flocks (or rafts) sometimes show up in…
Feeling Like Snow White
I recently had what I’d call a Snow White moment, one that feels so magical it was like the scene in Snow White where she sings to the forest animals: I was sitting in my living room, probably reading or playing a game on my phone. Luna was insistently scratching at the sliding door onto…
Monhegan Island Wildlife
[Note: this post was originally written in 2023, and now a year later I’m finally posting it while back at Monhegan!] I’m spending a week with family on Monhegan Island, ten miles off the coast of Maine. The habitat up here in Maine is much different from the warm, moist Mid-Atlantic where I live. There…
Island Library
My vacation booklist There’s a certain kind of book I really like to read on Monhegan Island family vacations. I like them other times as well, but I specifically gravitate toward this when I’m here. We always make a trip to the island library as soon as we arrive, to pick out books to read…
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The Contented Naturalist 