It was the beginning of summer during one of our scheduled evening phone calls, when my mother first mentioned a robin was building a nest in her light fixture on the balcony.
Category: Wildlife
Investigation: The Murky Truth Behind Hawaii’s Octopus Farm
For a wild octopus yearning to stretch her arms beyond impassable blades of Astroturf and glide off into the depths of the Pacific, any farm is a factory farm. And by positing itself as an octo-friend, a champion of the seas, an environmental savior, Hawaii's octopus farm obscures its role in building this new industrial machine and setting us on an uncharted course we can’t ever come back from.
Medicine Must Evolve Away from Prehistoric Crabs’ Blue Blood—Before the Next Pandemic
If you got a COVID vaccine, or any vaccine—or really any medical intervention over the past several decades—you can be sure that the blue blood of 450-million-year-old prehistoric arthropods known as horseshoe crabs was used to keep you safe. But in the U.S., lurking behind this magic potion is a fragile industry stubbornly dependent upon the traumatic bloodletting of a vulnerable species, compounded by a sea of red tape thwarting the widespread adoption of a viable alternative.
A Profound Lesson on Death from Bugs Who Spend 17 Years Underground
It’s a sizzling afternoon in the summer of 2013 in the suburbs of Virginia, and the air is filled with shrieks. An insect flutters to the ground, nearly colliding with my head. As she perches on a nearby tree stump, I capture her silhouette on camera, the intersecting orange lines of her wings against her jet-black body. To the screaming children at the park playground, she’s a menace. To me, it’s like the earth has opened up to deliver a marvel that has been hidden right under our feet for the last 17 years: the cicadas of Brood II.
These Dive-Bombing, Deck-Destroying Bees Can Outsmart Us All
I love spring, the season of rebirth. Every day the leaves grow bigger, new flowers burst into bloom, and the yellow buzzing cotton balls known as carpenter bees dive-bomb me nonstop on my back deck. One might presume this would be quite the annoyance, and in the past, I'd have heartily agreed. Until the day … Continue reading These Dive-Bombing, Deck-Destroying Bees Can Outsmart Us All
The Story of a Little June Bug and the Woman Who Saved Him
She believed that even the smallest among us deserve compassion. And that's how June Bug came into her life one summer.
Need a Breath of Fresh Air? Two Words: Sea Puppies.
It's been a rough week--well, year. After days on end of activism in response to brutal headlines, sometimes you need a breather. These sea puppies are the answer.
All She Had Was This Plastic Cage and Some Pebbles
At the door of a Maryland townhouse, I stood in the rain as a man thrust a plastic container into my hands. I ran back to the car, dripping, and hopped in. There, we opened the lid—and we were immediately floored by a pungent odor much like that of a fishing pier. I was pretty … Continue reading All She Had Was This Plastic Cage and Some Pebbles
Why Are Millions of These Caterpillars So Hungry?
(By Laura Lee Cascada / Photos by Alysoun Mahoney) These caterpillars sure are hungry. And they've struck gold, munching their way through an all-you-can-eat milkweed buffet. But many others aren't so lucky. On a beautiful plot of land in Virginia, these two were seen plumping themselves up, preparing to blossom into the striking orange-and-black butterflies … Continue reading Why Are Millions of These Caterpillars So Hungry?
What’s Inside This Shell Will Blow Your Mind
You might recognize it as a trinket on a beach shop shelf. You pick it up, press it against your ear, and listen for the sound of the ocean. But I got to see inside. Several years ago, I visited rural Andros Island, Bahamas, with a class for grad school. Our goal: to learn about geology … Continue reading What’s Inside This Shell Will Blow Your Mind