Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham
Indigenous people who live alongside coyotes always knew. They call them “the trickster”. Also known as song dogs, coyotes are one of the most adaptable mammals we share space with. Smart. Wily, even! wily /wī′lē/ adjective Full of wiles, tricks, or stratagems; using craft or … Continue readingBeau Geste: Wily Coyotes
Nature to the Rescue Life ran away with me early this summer. As life sometimes does. I was in this sluggish, muddy, gray mindset where tears came easily, triggered by memories big and small, as I drove down a country road at dusk on my … Continue readingWisconsin Loon Therapy
At first glance, it looks like a lifeless, eons-old rock. So much so that people will stand on it unaware of the life beneath the weight of their feet. The coral ecosystem is teeming with life, among the most diverse ecosystems in the world! It’s … Continue readingThe Fantastic Life of Coral
Salty spray blows through my hair and mists my face. I’m occasionally doused by a wave breaking over the sidewall of the boat as we motor out of the main channel and into the open Caribbean. It’s a 36-mile boat ride from Hopkins, Belize, to … Continue readingBehind the Scenes – Snorkeling Belize
Materializing out of the hazy blue, they gracefully glide on eight-foot wingspans. Whenever I’ve encountered a spotted eagle ray, this is how it starts. They seem to have an innate curiosity about snorkelers who reflect their quiet study. The spotted eagle rays will deliberately, peacefully, … Continue readingSnorkeling Glover’s Reef Atoll
I don’t know what I expected from a sandy spit of coral thirty miles off the coast of Belize, but it wasn’t this! This lush thirteen-and-a-half-acre island is a vibrant, flourishing, diverse patch of nature. What a week! Atoll: A ring-shaped island, including a coral … Continue readingA Week on Glover’s Reef Atoll
I’d half expected the falls to be dry. It’s hardly rained in northwest Georgia this autumn. But nature always delights as she often reminds me. The tiered unnamed falls cascade in a soft veil to join the creek and meander among the fallen leaves. The … Continue readingCloudland Canyon Waterfalls
The more I know about mushrooms, the more I’m amazed! There’s a whole other world under our feet. The Dramatic Ones Mushrooms are everywhere, from large dryads like signposts on trees to almost microscopic, colorful specks. The dramatic gills and unnatural colors are the first … Continue readingThe Fantastic World of Mushrooms
You Find What You Need Last fall, I went to commune with bears and lose myself in the wilderness. I enjoy the wild locations as much as the wildlife. This trip brought something unexpected but just as valuable. We’re watching bears from a jet boat … Continue readingBear Viewing by Boat
A short hike to a mountain lake? Count me in! When I talked with people in town, everyone recommended the Boulder Lake trail. “It can get kinda busy on the weekends, but it should be good on a Wednesday. With that, I set out to … Continue readingBoulder Lake Trail in McCall