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Author Archives: Kim Smith
Butterflies of the Night
This summer I started paying much closer attention to moths than ever before. Most of us don’t think about these critters unless we’re swatting them away from the porch light so they don’t get into our houses. We rarely stop … Continue reading
30 Minutes Under an Elm Tree
The other day I went out into my yard to look for any interesting insects I could find so I could practice my macro photography techniques. I was focused primarily on my big American Elm tree and the lawn beneath … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Ohio, Photography, Toledo, Wildlife
Tagged backyard wildlife, entomology, learning
7 Comments
Gentian Trifecta
I’ve mentioned that this spring and summer have been a time of flower exploration for me. Whereas in past years I might travel to find certain bird species, this year I traveled around northern Ohio to see our various wildflowers … Continue reading
A Day at the Beach
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you won’t be misled by that title. But if you’re new around here and are expecting photos of people swimming…well, sorry about that. I did spend a couple hours at the beach … Continue reading
Going Native in Toledo
In recent years, I’ve spent a lot of time around people who are knowledgeable about various aspects of the natural world: ornithologists, entomologists, and botanists — both professional and amateur. Like me, most of my friends are passionate about their … Continue reading
Posted in Flowers and Gardening, Insects, native plants
Tagged biodiversity, native species
9 Comments
Asters are Blooming, and You Know What That Means
This morning, as I often do, I went for a walk at my favorite metropark. There was an unusual but welcome chill in the air, so I put on long pants instead of shorts. And instead of my usual walk … Continue reading
Posted in wildflowers
6 Comments
Maine Realized
It’s been a long-time dream of mine to visit Maine, but for some reason it kept getting pushed aside in favor of other destinations. I finally decided it was time to just do it. I realized that I didn’t want … Continue reading
Posted in Ecotherapy, Travel
9 Comments
Life Goes On…But Should It?
People sometimes deal with adversity by saying, “What can you do? Life goes on.” It’s a way of trying to compartmentalize the bad events so that we can continue to live our lives in some semblance of normalcy. I’m not … Continue reading
Posted in A Dose of Politics
Tagged America, Charlottesville, citizenship, hatred, racism
8 Comments
A Butterfly Kind of Day
There’s a nature preserve a few miles from my house that has quickly become one of my favorite places to explore. It’s called Irwin Prairie State Nature Preserve. It’s a couple hundred acres of wet prairie, sedge meadow, shrub swamp, … Continue reading
Posted in Insects, Ohio
2 Comments
Amateur Backyard Entomology
If you ever find yourself bored at home, I have a suggestion: Go into your yard or garden with a magnifying glass and/or a macro lens on your camera. Get down on the ground and spend some time investigating who’s … Continue reading
