Crayfish by Chelsea Jandreau

Crayfish by Chelsea Jandreau

Last summer, I took a group of 10 – 14-year-olds on a day trip to hike the Minister Creek Hiking Trail in Allegheny National Forest. When we arrived, and before any hiking began, I led them to a clearing by a creek where we were planning on having snack. Very little...
The Unruly Garden by Sarah Hatfield

The Unruly Garden by Sarah Hatfield

I recently was sitting in my garden, looking at the chaos, and thought “all those people with those neat garden beds and straight lines of veggies, I wish my garden looked like that.” And then I saw the swallowtail caterpillar on the dill plant. I remembered the...
At Home by Katie Finch

At Home by Katie Finch

I’ve found entertainment in my yard in the past few weeks. I’ve been watching Black-capped Chickadees nesting in a dead tree. The tree they chose is a large Sugar Maple, whose top fell over in a storm seven years ago. The top has been cut and burned in the campfire or...
Life in a Blanket by Jeff Tome

Life in a Blanket by Jeff Tome

Imagine living your life curled up in a blanket surrounded by the dim glow of sun filtering in and the dark black of night for most of your existence. That is how I imagine the life of a giant silk moth to be. There are several kinds of silk moths that live around...