A Spotlight on Skunk Cabbage

A Spotlight on Skunk Cabbage

By Charlotte Schmaltz, Nature Educator It’s finally beginning to feel like spring is around the corner at Audubon Community Nature Center. Plants are beginning to sprout, animals are waking from hibernation, and birds have begun to migrate north again. Red-winged...
Nature as a Healer

Nature as a Healer

By: Mac Dawson, Nature Educator From the moment I step into a forest I always feel a deep and innate truth: nature heals. It is not merely a place to visit or an aesthetic backdrop to our busy lives; it is a force that soothes our bodies, calms our minds, and...
Scientific Illustrations

Scientific Illustrations

By Chelsea Jandreau, Senior Nature Educator Creativity and science are sometimes viewed with an antagonistic relationship. In school, maybe you were good at art, but didn’t get great grades in biology, or maybe you were great at math, but couldn’t draw more than a...
The Shape of Trees

The Shape of Trees

By: Katie Finch, Senior Nature Educator Leaves are probably the most common feature used to identify trees. But in winter, when so many trees have dropped their leaves, combinations of other features are needed. The bark, along with the pattern and shape of buds on...
Bird Feeders and The Joy of Casual Birding

Bird Feeders and The Joy of Casual Birding

By Charlotte Schmaltz, Nature Educator An easy way that I stay connected to nature, even if I have a busy schedule, is taking a moment to look out a window and watch birds at a bird feeder. It is both simple and, in my opinion, brings an extra bit of joy into one’s...