Ever since acquiring a new microscope, I have been spending quite a lot of time renewing old acquaintances with some once familiar microscopic flora and fauna. Needless to say, despite my best efforts and plenty of dipping into assorted local ponds for specimens, blowing the dust off my identification skills has been progressing somewhat less quickly than I’d hoped.
When it comes to states, few are more difficult to approach from a natural history perspective than California. Its long, narrow shape combined with a Pacific Ocean-facing coastline running the entire length of one side join with a variety of eco-regions that range from desert to sub-alpine to create a level of diversity that’s seen […]
As a frequent traveler – mostly on business – I often find myself in locations with which I am not particularly familiar. For most business travelers this isn’t unusual; which is why so many can only tell you about airports, hotels, conference centers, and the odd restaurant when asked bout their most recent trip. However […]
Whenever I travel, I not only like to take along a relevant field guide to at least one form of life to be found in the area to which my journey takes me, I also like to take along a book I’m considering for a review that has a subject related to my destination as I find that when I read a book “on site” I can often pick up subtle details in it that I might otherwise miss.