I Pet a Rattlesnake – And Question My Life Choices: Fizz was not happy to be out of her bucket. And she made her displeasure known. The high frequency buzz of an angry rattlesnake is unmistakable once you have … Continue Reading →
Horsetail (Equisetum sp.)
Horsetail (Equisetum sp.) is a living fossil. The plant’s history traces back to the Paleozoic era, where it dominated the forest understory. The strangely tubular stem is surrounded by … Continue Reading →
Kule Loklo
I spent a weekend at Point Reyes National Seashore, a vastly underrated national park in California north of San Francisco. I planned to spend Saturday taking classes and … Continue Reading →
Animal Tracking Joke
Here’s the only animal tracking joke I know. When I worked for a large corporation we told a joke about two middle-managers who went hiking… They came upon some … Continue Reading →
Tick Aware – Get a Free Tick Identification Card
Viewing wildlife is invigorating – unless it’s a tick crawling up your arm! This post provides some basic information about ticks you are likely to encounter. There is a … Continue Reading →
How to Build a Debris Hut
Many people who visit the outdoors are like astronauts. They carry their life support system with them in their backpacks. Shelter, water, food, and warmth are all provided by … Continue Reading →
Mouse Released into Wild Snatched by Hawk Ruins Good Deed
I consider myself an “animal lover”. But I just can’t help myself from laughing at this video. Sometimes, things don’t go as planned… Video Below… … Continue Reading →
Create Your Own Field Guide
This website from the Smithsonian is very cool! It permits you to search for mammals using common names, scientific names, or home ranges. You can compile them into a “field guide” … Continue Reading →
Don’t get burned: Carrying matches in the outdoors
In the outdoors, the more you need a fire the harder it is to make. We have little need of a campfire on a warm sunny day. It is when we are … Continue Reading →
How do you measure a Redwood Tree?
In northern California, we have some of the tallest and biggest trees in the world. Scientists measure the height, width, and total volume of these trees to better understand them. … Continue Reading →
Making a Skin Salve
This post describes my experience helping make a general-purpose skin conditioning salve. It illustrates some general principles to guide you as you learn to process medicinal plants. Plant Class … Continue Reading →