Africanized honey bees are bad news. They are often called “killer bees.” They were first noticed in Texas in 1990 and reached California four years later. While the name “killer” is generally an exaggeration, people who are allergic to bees certainly could receive enough stings to have a fatal...

I know how much fun feeding wildlife can be. I fed my share of squirrels when I was a little kid. But feeding wildlife is dead wrong. It could be deadly for you and for the little creatures you’re feeding. I know they are cute. And they might be begging you for food because they’ve done it before,...

Landmines continue to be a problem all over the world, especially is developing countries. In Africa alone, there were more than 18,000 casualties between 1999 and 2013. Not only do these land mines cause death and destruction, but they also cause continued terror, and the areas where land mines exist...

Summertime is vacation time … tropical isles, Europe, Asia … and being adventurous. Perhaps you might like to try some of the foods the locals eat. But beware: Poisonous cuisines can be lurking in plain sight, some of them lethal. Jamaica is a popular Caribbean island getaway, and its national fruit...

Anyone who has ever owned a pet knows how much that dog, cat or goldfish can become part of the family. I have owned lots of dogs and cats in my life, and with each loss I’ve suffered a period of grieving. A dog or a cat is not “just a dog” or “just a cat.” In my house, they are a part of the...

The definition of volunteer is: 1) A person who actively takes on a task, responsibility or project on his or her own accord without needing to be assigned, ordered or told to do so. Often a volunteer is not paid for the work they provide. For example, a volunteer may desire to work at a company’s...

The earliest reference I could find to scam artists was in the 18th Century. These charlatans were counterfeiters, con men and general tricksters. Of course we all remember the traveling snake oil salesmen. Later, people like Victor Lustig from the Czech Republic (then known as Bohemia) managed actually...

Chocolate comes from the Theobroma cacao tree, which only grows in the tropics of West Africa, Southeast Asia, Central America and South America. These tropical areas are hot and rainy climates that the cacao tree loves. Only a small ring above and below the equator supports the cacao tree. The blossom...

Millions of years ago, in the Miocene, camels roamed freely across North America. They evolved and migrated into Africa and the Middle East. Eventually they died out in North America while they thrived abroad. In California, they survived until 15,000 years ago. Evidence of this habitation has been found...

This year, National Trails Day will be held June 6. National Trails Day is the American Hiking Society’s trail awareness program. It is the largest trail celebration in the United States. Every year, trail events are held all across the states to promote awareness of all of the benefits that trails...