Wildlife

Voles: The Tree Planter’s Worst (and Cutest) Enemy

Voles might look small, adorable, and innocent, but they can wreak immense havoc on newly planted forests.

Read More

A closeup of a mosquito on a person's skin

Mosquitoes, Chiggers and Ticks; Oh My!

As we begin to welcome the warmer weather and longer days, you may have noticed an upTICK in pesky biters. They don’t have to put a damper on your outdoor plans, though! Check out some tips, tricks, and fun facts on how to identify and prevent them.

Read More

What’s Flyin’? Phenological Fun!

It’s not a giant mosquito! In fact, there aren’t giant mosquitoes! In North America, mosquitoes max out at less than a dime in size, legs included. Keep the change! This is a crane fly!

Read More

Male and female wood ducks

Wood Ducks 101

Wood ducks are one of those animals that just seems odd and out of place in our watersheds. But, wood ducks are native to the Bay, and call the Chesapeake home year-round.

Read More

Bees Need Trees

Large, charismatic wildflower blooms might get more screen time than some of the early tree blooms that are harder to appreciate or photograph from eye-level, but both are important to bee conservation, for both generalist and specialist species.

Read More

Spring Means Snow

The snow goose (Anser caerulescens) migration is an annual event that many of us within the Chesapeake Bay region look forward to each year.

Read More

A person smiling while a monarch butterfly rests on their finger

More Milkweed for the Monarchs

I remember how excited I would get as a child before entering the local butterfly enclosure. My friends, family, and others there were always on the lookout for one of the most iconic pollinators in the Americas – the monarch butterfly. Decades later, while partnering with a monarch conservation group, I was thrilled to see the awe remain in the eyes of today’s children during their yearly monarch release. Crossing borders and biomes, monarch butterflies are still a source of wonder and an inspiring symbol of summer in the Chesapeake Bay.

Read More

Having a Dam Good Time at BeaverCon

In 2022, myself and about 200 others from across the United States, England, Wales, and the Netherlands gathered near Baltimore to attend BeaverCon, a two-day conference to learn and share about beavers. The attendees included restoration professionals, scientists, biologists, landowners, students, and representatives from state, local, and federal governments. So why a conference dedicated to …

Read More

A Bald Eagle sitting on a tree branch.

Winter Birding – It’s for the Birds!

The coo of a Mourning Dove outside your window. The fluted sound of a Wood Thrush accompanying you on a hike. Birds add richness to our lives if we are simply open to it – and they are just beautiful to look at!

Read More

Celebrating Shark Week: Jaws of the Chesapeake

Happy Shark Week everyone! If you’re anything like me, you are glued to the Discovery Channel for exactly one week every summer to learn from the newest and most groundbreaking shark research happening around the world. With Shark Week coinciding with peak swimming and boating season, you may have found yourself wondering – Are there …

Read More