Author Archives: enjoyoutdoors
How Nature Prepares for Winter
Winter is nearly upon us, and there is lots of work to be done. Today my family spent the day cutting, splitting, and storing firewood to keep the house warm through the coming cold. Plants and animals in the northern … Continue reading
How Nature Prepares for Winter
Winter is nearly upon us, and there is lots of work to be done. Today my family spent the day cutting, splitting, and storing firewood to keep the house warm through the coming cold. Plants and animals in the northern … Continue reading
Wild Turkey – National Emblem or Delicious Feast?
Ben Franklin, perhaps with tongue planted firmly in cheek, once argued against the bald eagle as our national symbol. When he wrote to his daughter to discuss the notion he said, “For my own part, I wish the bald eagle … Continue reading
How to Nurture a Nature Ethic in Children
The ways in which nature fills my soul is really remarkable. From nature I derive a sense of beauty and vastness, intricacy and simplicity, wonder and delight. A particularly beautiful sunset brings a smile to my face. A meadow full … Continue reading
Five Adventurous Ways to Enjoy Winter at Acadia National Park
Looking for some adventure this winter? If you see winter as the time to get out and play, then Acadia National Park is the destination for you. This coastal, north woods gem of a park in Downeast Maine is an … Continue reading
Where Do Those Cold-blooded Animals Go in Winter?
I love a New England winter. With snow falling and wind raging outside, I’m inside with hot chocolate in hand, curled up in my puffy chair, and snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug. What’s that? Is a bug actually snug in a rug? Better not … Continue reading
A Murder of Crows – and Other Names for Animal Groups
I was hiking with a group in Western Massachusetts a while back, and we saw a group of wild turkeys. Was it a flock? A covey? A troop? Have you ever gotten baffled by the plurality of something? Vernacular for … Continue reading
Cades Cove: How to Avoid the Crowds
Receiving about two million visits per year ranks Cades Cove in the top ten for annual visitation among National Parks, and it is not even a park in and of itself. Cades Cove lies within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, … Continue reading
Ten Essentials for a Day Hike
Fall is a great time to get out and hike in New England where I live. The landscape is gorgeous, the air is crisp and scenic views are now revealed through leafless branches. No matter where or when you hike, … Continue reading