Harpswell Naturalist: New England cottontail
Perhaps you grew up with the wonderful books of Thornton Burgess, including "Old Mother West Wind," featuring Peter Rabbit, and "The Adventures of Peter Cottontail."
Harpswell Naturalist: Make it Maine lobster!
We were puzzling over the lengthy restaurant menu, struggling to work with our limited vocabulary in Italian. Southern Italy is a delightful place to visit, but with far fewer Western visitors than you find in northern Italy, you cannot expect to read everything in English.
Harpswell Naturalist: A chore full of surprises
We all know that time afield is a joy, and a fine way to relax amid busy lives. The way things are going globally, I am inclined to spend even more time away from social media and the evening news!
Harpswell Naturalist: Pollutants abound
The movie industry is abuzz over the seven Oscars won by the film "Oppenheimer." Fifty years ago, a Dustin Hoffman classic, "The Graduate," also snared seven Oscars.
Harpswell Naturalist: Snowshoe hare
We have had another up-and-down winter, with plenty of wind and record tides bedeviling coastal landowners. Temperatures have bounced around and we have experienced heavy rains. Snow has been limited, with a dusting in early December and just a few inches in January and February.
Harpswell Naturalist: Happy 50th, Endangered Species Act
Did you miss the party on Dec. 28, 2023, while prepping for New Year's Eve? No worries, you may celebrate in the privacy of your own home. The event was the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, one of the most consequential and controversial acts of Congress in our lifetimes.
Harpswell Naturalist: Snowy owl
It is that time of year again. The change of seasons heralds the arrival of winter visitors and my favorite is a ghost bird, the snowy owl. Whether I spot a bird on a church steeple or cruising over a field, it is a thrill to see these beautiful travelers from the north.
Harpswell Naturalist: Deadly compassion
Imagine that your toenails have grown several inches long, curling upward and preventing you from wearing footwear of any kind. Winter confronts you with ice and snow, so walking is painful and dangerous. Suddenly you are forced to stumble away from a dangerous predator, putting you in mortal danger.
Nature Notes: Jumping worms
Just when it is safe to go outdoors without fear of browntail moth caterpillars or disease-bearing mosquitos, along comes more bad news. While this new pest will not harm you directly, it damages the environment around you, and if you are a gardener, there is no joy in this article.
Harpswell Naturalist: Natural diversity and human health, Part II
As noted in Part I, an animal-derived product helped save our daughter's life. The valiant doctors and nurses in the neonatal section of the hospital were the heroes of this story, but an extract from calves' lungs played a key role.
