I write stories about, well, science and nature. While I often interview scientists for my stories, what I write isn’t considered “hard” science. It’s intended for the lay person interested in the ways the natural world weaves in and out of our lives, and about the amazing work scientists are doing that most folks don’t know about. I love doing what I do, and when it came time to come […]
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No Comments July 2013 The warm sun is setting over the pond, and it seems like a nice time for your first flight of the day. As a mosquito, you aren’t exactly going to win any popularity contests, but hey, it’s a living. Off you go in search of a tasty treat, hopefully from one of those large creatures wearing floppy hats you see floating on the water in their brightly colored […]
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In a restaurant, on a plate, filled with meat and stuffing, the blue crab is a sight to bring a smile to the diner’s face. In a trap, on a crowded boat, filled with snapping claws, this very lively crustacean prompts much more caution than contemplation. It’s this latter encounter that URI Research Associates Barbara Somers and Chris Parkins are wrangling with on en early autumn morning on Point Judith […]
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At first, I thought the wind was making the glass door rattle. Even the second time I heard the small thud, I didn’t process what was happening. It was a stifling hot day, the air conditioner was running, and there was the oil burner guy who came to do a tune-up to attract my attention. It wasn’t until he was bringing his equipment out to his truck that I figured […]
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3 Comments The trip to the edge of the woods would be a quick one. The air had been steam sauna wet, and even now only recalled the tepid dampness of someone else’s towel. Worse, the yawn of days like this had produced a ravening hoard of mosquitoes that laughed openly at the casual wave of a hand. My dog, Shadow, for whom this trip to the woods had been necessary, […]
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No Comments It’s silly and I know it. There’s no logical reason, but try as I might, I fall victim to it again and again. Anthropomorphism. Giving human characteristics to non-human creatures is hardly new. The term comes from the Greek words “anthropos” (human) and “morphe” (shape), but this notion is universal. Still, that’s no excuse. At the moment, the animal in question is the Red Bellied Woodpecker. The Sibley Field Guide […]
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No Comments “Every great scientific theory starts out by wandering around in the mud and the rain.” David Gregg, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Natural History Survey stood precariously atop a folding chair. Dressed in his trademark bush hat and fly fishing vest, his lanky frame looked out over a crowd of people dressed in waders, fancy foul weather gear, plastic-bag-cheap ponchos, shorts, boots, and sandals. The faces were smiling, but […]
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Could sharks and skates play a role in our understanding of climate change impacts? What role might they play in helping people choose only fresh food? Or could these fish actually help scientists develop drought resistant crops? These are the kinds of questions URI Graduate student Abigail Bockus wonders about. And that is why, at the moment, she is using one hand to hold down a four-foot spiny dogfish shark […]
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Note: This June 7 & 8, Rhode Island Natural History Survey (RINHS.org) will host the 14th annual BioBlitz. In anticipation of that amazing adventure, here’s a look at last year’s festivities. “Check this out!” A noisy gathering of teenagers jog up to David Gregg, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Natural History Survey (RINHS). One teen holds a plastic container with a snake inside. “We found a dead brown snake!” […]
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