Author: Mike Dunn
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Yellowstone this Summer
…you will remember these fine, wild views, and look back with joy to your wanderings in the blessed old Yellowstone Wonderland. ~John Muir, 1898 Join me, June 2-9, 2016, for an unforgettable experience in the world’s first national park, Yellowstone! Next summer will mark 100 years since the creation of the National Park Service, and Read more…
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Appreciating a Place
Sense of place…it is a combination of characteristics that makes a place special and unique. ~the Art of Geography I am lucky. I have several wild places that give me that feeling of a sense of place, of completeness, of peace. I think almost any location can become such a place given time to experience Read more…
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Another Winter Season, Sort Of
What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness. ~John Steinbeck It is time for another season of winter wildlife watching. Now, if only the weather would catch up and cooperate. I will have to admit, my group seemed to enjoy the warm conditions as we explored Mattamuskeet Read more…
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Sky Watching
There’s a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss so many of them. ~Jo Walton I had a trip to Pocosin Lakes and Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuges with a great group this past weekend. The birds have arrived (well, maybe not all the birds as yet) and it was Read more…
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Web Design
Each of us is a unique strand in the intricate web of life and here to make a contribution. ~Deepak Chopra It seems like all of nature can make a contribution to our well-being, often in surprising ways. I awoke on two mornings this week to dense fog here in the woods. The fog revealed Read more…
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Deciphering Diets
…during reproduction, arguably the most important weeks of a bird’s life, 96% of North American terrestrial birds eat insects and other arthropods. ~Doug Tallamy During our recent bout of wet weather, I finally managed to do something that has been on my to-do list for awhile – upload images to a citizen science project called Read more…
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Stinkhorn
..And you, whose pastime is to make midnight mushrooms… ~William Shakespeare’s The Tempest I debated posting this one, for obvious reasons, but, it is just too weird not to post. Over the holidays, I was asked about a strange-looking mushroom growing in the mulch alongside a home. The description left no doubt in my mind Read more…
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Opting Out
I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne If Nathaniel had lived in our times, he might have added something to that sentiment….or by going shopping, especially on Black Friday. I think outdoor retailer REI made a huge splash with their decision to encourage people Read more…
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Thankful for Public Lands
Life wants you to have gratitude for the gift of living. Treasure every second. ~ Bryant McGill I am a believer in the value of our public lands. I worked for the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation the first 8 years of my career and am still a supporter of that fine organization Read more…
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An Eye for Eagles
Its soaring flight, with its pure white head and tail glistening in the sunlight, is really inspiring; and it adds grandeur to the scene as it sits in a dignified pose on some dead tree, its white head clearly visible against the dark green of the forest background. ~Arthur Cleveland Bent, 1937 Interestingly, the famed Read more…
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Roads End Naturalist 