Did you know that there are islands all over Los Angeles County? In fact, Debs Park is one of them. (So are Verdugo Hills, Baldwin Hills, and Griffith Park, just to name a few.) “Debs Park is an island within the sea of urbanization that is Los Angeles,” says wildlife biologist Tom Ryan. This hidden…
Tag: animals
Pics or It Didn’t Happen?
Around 4 a.m., Jeff and I crept out of our open-air bungalow. Our little stray jungle cat with the crooked tail and orange fur—we called her Naranjica (small orange)—scuttled around our feet along the gravel path to our rented Montero. The phrase “It’s always darkest before the dawn” seemed so true as we jounced over…
5 Beautiful Bugs That’ll Change Your Mind About Creepy Crawlers
I’m not exactly an insect enthusiast, but every now and then I can’t help but be captivated by their tiny, tiny bodies just trying to make it in this great, big world. When a beetle crosses my path, I can think of nothing more logical to do but to patiently let it be. (What has…
Not So Supernatural: Why Do Spiderwebs Disappear in the Morning?
A while back, I almost walked straight into this trap a spider spun right at my backdoor. It was about three feet in diameter, one of the most impressive webs I’d ever seen up close. Of course, I couldn’t possibly destroy something so intricately beautiful, so I left it. The next morning, it was gone…
This Wildlife Conservation Film Festival Video Will Make You Cry Your Eyes Out
Today is the first day of the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival & Biodiversity Conference in New York! If you’re in the city between now and October 23 and want to learn about natural history and how wildlife conservation helps protect the Earth’s resources of food, water, and clean air, check out the schedule. Watch this…
The Spirit of the Sea Turtle
I dipped into a hidden lagoon on the leeward side of Oahu, and right there, one of my dreams came true. Snorkeling in the coral, I felt something graze my leg. I looked over and found a sea turtle the size of Smart Car gliding by and saying “hey.” He had a much smaller friend…
Endangered Baby: Pangolin
It looks like a Pokémon. That’s cause it totally inspired one (Sandshrew). The pangolin is like some kind of freakish armadillo-dragon hybrid. But it’s no fearsome, fire-breathing reptile. It doesn’t even have teeth. It’s just a gentle, solitary mammal quietly roving its habitats across Africa and Asia in search of a tasty meal of ants….
10 Things I Didn’t Know About Being an Omnivore
When I was 18 I started listening to Morrissey and Strike Anywhere—starkly different in their musical styles but similar in their stances on animal welfare—and went vegetarian. I wasn’t really thinking hard about politics or even the environment; I just didn’t want to eat animals because I didn’t support ending their adorable lives in the…
An Ode to Crows—the Ultimate Birdbrains
When George RR Martin nicknamed the men of the Night’s Watch (I’m talking about Game of Thrones—if you don’t know, you better ask somebody!) “crows,” I bet it wasn’t merely because they’re cloaked in black. I like to think it’s because, like the birds themselves, they get a bad rap, but most people don’t know…
Endangered Baby: Northern White Rhino
In Vietnam, if you have a rhino horn, you’re (supposedly) a big deal. They’re worth up to $60,000 per kilo on the black market—more valuable than diamonds or cocaine. Sometimes they’re even ground up and snorted as a party drug. And some proponents of Asian medicine actually believe they can cure hangovers … and cancer….
Phase II: New Look, New Life
You know when you get caught up in someone else’s vision and you forget all about your own? That’s where I’ve been. All it took was a template change and I’m inspired again. (Seriously, this new-look everything is nature is giving me heart palpitations!) I’ve always believed that if you really want to make your unique…
Not So Supernatural: Can Snakes Slither Backwards?
Ever sit around and wonder about the small mysteries of the world? How do marine mammals hydrate? Why do turtle doves come in pairs? Why are coconuts hairy? I do. I think about this stuff all the time. Sometimes I feel insecure that I’m asking a stupid question, but of course, there are no stupid…
everything is nature 