If you’ve ever doubted that water is the wellspring of life, pay attention the next time it rains. Birds flock to puddles and birdbaths to drink and bathe. Box turtles become active and can be seen ...

September slips in over a glorious weekend reflecting less the coming of fall but more the arrival of summer. Blue, blue skies with drifting clouds, brilliant sunshine and steamy heat. We are not ...

There are some people that can remember the exact moment they knew what they were going to do with the rest their life. Me, I think I’m one of those people. I remember the exact moment I knew I was ...

It has been a long, wet, raw May, and my outdoor time has been curtailed by rotten weather on the weekends. So, it was with the utmost enthusiasm that I capitalized on a rare rain-free Saturday ...

You’re probably familiar with the basic amphibian life plan: Start as a wriggly, water-breathing tadpole, transform into an adult that breathes air. This is the pattern followed by all our frogs and ...

While hiking in the Blue Hills this fall, my friend Tim Beaulieu and I stopped to flip over a few logs along the side of a trail. As herpetologists — biologists who study reptiles and amphibians — our ...

There’s a new newt in town, and local amphibian experts are worried about what its presence could mean for Whatcom’s ecosystems. “The red-spotted newt is an adorable little critter, but everyone’s ...

After a dry spell we finally had two days with a combination of passing showers, an evening of steady rain and then heavy downpours by the bucket-full for 10 to 20 minutes or so. The following day was ...

One of my favorite memories is hiking up Mount Kearsarge with my dad and finding tiny red newts climbing along the trails with us. These are the “teenage” stage of the Eastern red-spotted newt, a type ...

Salamanders, like frogs and toads, are amphibians. This means they lead "double lives" spending their early existence as aquatic larvae which undergo metamorphosis, transforming into land-based ...

Summer is upon us and there’s no better way to cool off after a long, hot day spent outdoors than with a delicious, refreshing cocktail. Since most summer activities are canceled or look much ...