The Nature of Things
The Nature of Things is a weekly broadcast about our area’s native flora and fauna, hosted by Irvine Nature Center’sExecutive Director Brooks Paternotte. At the start of each week, The Nature of Things offers an eco-friendly perspective on everything from our changing seasons to the sounds of our migrating birds to the plants invading our yards, fields and forests.
-
You might be able to ignore the increasing amounts of leaves falling from trees, or the suddenly sinking nighttime temperatures. But when you hear the…
-
Driving along 695, it’s easy to ignore the greenery beyond the concrete medians and metal guardrails.But that’s just where one of our area’s most…
-
Earlier this season, an invasion of ants came flooding into our mud room. They came in two by two, three by three, and eventually just in a big army. They…
-
Sometimes when I mention that I have a bat house on my home, I see people visibly shudder. I can understand that reaction because bats, just like 8-legged…
-
A few weeks ago, I was tucked snuggly into my bed, eyes closed, attempting mightily to fall asleep when a loud crash echoed from outside my home. I sat up…
-
Monarch butterflies are famous for their southward migration and northward return in summer from here to Mexico. This impressive feat spans three-to-four…
-
All Marylanders know their state flower: the lovely and prolific wildflower, the black-eyed susan.Designated our state flower in 1918, black-eyed susans…
-
A few days ago, one of our teachers pitched me an idea for a weekend program, something called “forest bathing.” I’ll admit I was skeptical at first as…
-
At Maryland’s famous Benji’s Drive-In Movie Theater last weekend, my family and some friends enjoyed an evening playing outside, eating popcorn and candy,…
-
There are some species of animals that hold a special place in my heart. I know that as an environmentalist I’m not supposed to pick favorites, but some…
-
Sometimes, walking through the woods can be an unsettling experience. The damp ground yields a little too much under my feet, releasing the smell of…
-
There’s not much about the weekly lawn and field maintenance I do that makes me nervous. Actually, I think there’s really just one thing. One amazing, yet…