My father, for whom  I have all the respect in the world, grew up in New York City with its asphalt jungle and was never exposed to the wonders of nature all around him. He would proudly proclaim there were only two types of snakes that he disliked: live ones and dead ones. As much as I respected and...

I suspect a great many readers have hummingbird feeders in their yards. I know that I do. In fact, I have two, and I just gave one as a gift to a dear friend. It is fascinating and enjoyable to sit and watch the hummingbirds swirl around the feeders, the iridescent red, gold and green glinting off of...

It is a typical summer day in Santa Clarita. The sun is shining, the thermometer is hovering in the low 90s and you decide you are going to take a hike on one of the many trails available to us. Even though you start early, before the sun has risen high in the sky, the day quickly heats up and you are...

The vast majority of flies are upstanding citizens in the insect community. They feed on nectar – not scat, otherwise known as poo – and hence, they share the space on the flower heads with bees. They are also pollinators. Since flies, at least according to many birds and lizards, are a tasty...

When we go to a store to purchase something, we exchange money for the object that we want.  The store owner does not simply give the entire stock away. If we were to take something without paying for it, it is called theft and this may have serious consequences. Something similar happens in nature....

This is a beautiful time of the year. The recent rains, although we need more, were the stimulus for many plants to start flowering. In Santa Clarita, we are surrounded by hills that are outfitted with hiking trails maintained by the city of Santa Clarita, by the various parks such as Placerita Canyon...