Small, fast, and easy to overlook—the Common Checkered-Skipper (Burnsius communis, formerly Pyrgus communis) proves that some of our most interesting butterflies come in tiny packages. 🔎 LOOK FOR THE CHECKERBOARD
Looking for a native plant that creates a spectacular carpet of color while providing food for pollinators? Meet Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata), sometimes called Winecups for its brilliant, cup-shaped
What happens when one neighbor decides to make room for wildlife? In the Sonoran Desert outside Tucson, Arizona, Ellen Fountain transformed her 3.5-acre property into a wildlife oasis, planting native
Sometimes the best nature adventure begins by simply looking up! Find a comfortable spot outside, watch the sky for a few minutes, and see how many different kinds of clouds
We’ve spent this week looking closer at some amazing connections—from buzz-pollinating bees and hummingbird-like moths to underground habitats and butterflies that depend on asters. How much do you remember? Let’s
As summer begins to give way to fall, White Woodland Aster (Eurybia divaricata) starts lighting up shady woodland edges with clouds of small white flowers. And those little flowers can
When you think of wildlife habitat, you probably picture trees, flowers, birds, butterflies, and bees. But some of the busiest habitat in your yard is somewhere you rarely look— right
Is it a hummingbird? A bumble bee? A moth? If you’ve ever seen a fuzzy little creature hovering in front of a flower and wondered what you were looking at,
It looks as though a tiny meteor shower has landed in the spring garden! Shooting Star (Primula meadia, formerly Dodecatheon meadia) is a distinctive native wildflower with nodding flowers held
What happens when young people see a problem in nature and decide to do something about it? They become part of the solution. At a Girl Scout day camp in
How many birds can you discover without ever seeing them? This week’s Explore Outdoors Challenge is to take a bird listening walk. Head outside in the early morning or evening,
We talk a lot about providing wildlife with native plants, food, and shelter—but every habitat needs one more essential ingredient: Water. 💧 Birds need water for drinking and bathing. Bees
