Roads End Naturalist

Exploring the natural world as we wander at the end of the road


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  • Birds in the Garden

    Poor indeed is the garden in which birds find no homes. ~ Abram L. Urban This garden (NC Botanical Garden) is anything but poor if the birds are any indication. Bird activity seems to have increased dramatically the past few weeks. Many seem to be thinking of the coming nesting season…bluebirds singing from atop nest… Read more

  • New Beginnings

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    Native plants give us a sense of where we are in this great land of ours. ~Lady Bird Johnson You may have noticed a slight reduction in the number of posts the last few weeks. A major reason is that I have been busy with a new chapter in my life, a new adventure. It… Read more

  • Joy in Parting

    What Joy Can There Be In Parting? ~A poem by Melissa Dowland; images by Mike Dunn The bluebird perched on the branch right in front of me. I could see his sharp beak, his rusty breast, his snow-white belly. Then he turned And became a dazzle of blue as he flew between the trees and… Read more

  • Another Winter Season

    We are not the only species who lives and dreams on our planet. There is something enduring that circulates in the heart of nature that deserves our respect and attention. ~Terry Tempest Williams I ended my winter tour season last weekend, a little earlier than usual, but it finished on a spectacular note. I had… Read more

  • Being in the Moment

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    Our public lands – whether a national park or monument, wildlife refuge, forest or prairie – make each one of us land-rich. It is our inheritance as citizens of a country called America. ~Terry Tempest Williams Sometimes you just need to spend time in a wild place, in your special place. This weekend was such… Read more

  • Red-belly

    Red-belly ~A poem by Melissa Dowland, images by Mike Dunn Down in my woods grows a graceful old oak With a stout trunk and a crown of branches, Splitting like feathers, reaching for the sky. It has stood, thus, for centuries. Nearby, a smaller maple. Its crown lost in an ice storm, A few broken… Read more

  • Merlin Magic

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    …we will not care about what we do not recognize. ~Tim Beatley I have spent a lifetime trying to learn about the world around me. Not about the financial sector, or cars, or electricity (all of these, I now realize, might actually have come in handy), but about the natural world, the plants and animals… Read more

  • Memories Of The Snow that Wasn’t, But Still Is

    Snow has made everything earthly clear and quiet. My mind is simple and patient. – Tuomas Anhava, Finnish writer The predicted big storm fizzled once again. We certainly live in a region in which weather forecasters are challenged to get it right when it comes to predicting snowfall. Of the predicted 5 to 6 inches,… Read more

  • Refuge Renewal

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    In such surroundings – occasional as our visits may be – we can achieve that kind of physical and spiritual renewal that comes alone from the wonder of the natural world. ~Laurence Rockefeller It is the season of renewal for me, the season of experiencing some of the wild spectacles of this place I call… Read more

  • Standing with Swans

    Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way. ~John Muir I’ll just say it…I love being around the swans at Pungo. There is something magical about these birds and every winter I find myself drawn to them and wanting to… Read more

Roads End Naturalist

Exploring the natural world as we wander at the end of the road

Copyright Mike Dunn and Melissa Dowland