It’s Only Natural: It’s September, and moose love is in the air
Autumn is not commonly associated with the breeding season, yet many animals, including cottontail rabbits, red squirrels, muskrats, martens, white-tailed deer, and moose, are…
It’s Only Natural: A typical red fox summer
There is a brief window of time, only six to eight weeks, when we are privy to the inner workings of red fox families.…
It’s Only Natural: Heard, but seldom seen—gray tree frogs get a grip
Melodic, birdlike trills lasting up to several seconds emanate from the woodlands this time of year. They are produced not by birds, but by…
It’s Only Natural: Great blue herons—colonial nesters
Just as some people are more at ease living in apartment houses, comforted by the proximity of fellow humans, some birds prefer to nest…
It’s Only Natural: Trees—the other spring flowers
For some reason, trees don’t naturally come to mind when we think of flowering plants, even though trees do bear flowers.…
It’s Only Natural: What red and gray squirrels do for food
Red squirrels and gray squirrels are no strangers to anyone living in Harvard, or in the eastern United States, for that matter.…
It’s Only Natural: Biomimicry—Taking inspiration from nature
The practice of observing nature and applying what you learn to man-made inventions goes as far back as Leonardo da Vinci and the Wright…
It’s Only Natural: Not every pine cone is a pine cone
With the holidays approaching, the sight and scent of conifers are upon us. We're very familiar with them, but there are some common misconceptions…
It’s Only Natural: Some plants have a lot of gall
Imagine not having to provide a home for your offspring, much less produce three meals a day for them, because it is all taken…
It’s Only Natural: The star nose … not your average mole
Streamlined body, strong, wide front feet, lack of external ears, short appendages, velvety fur —everything about a mole is built for its subterranean existence.…
