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The Christmas Tree Conundrum

Posted on December 22, 2016

in Nature, Stan Tekiela

by Ryan Jacobson

Just in time for Christmas, Stan Tekiela, author and wildlife photographer for many Adventure Publications books, considers the question of which is best—a fake tree or a real one. Are you like me? Each holiday season I ponder the whole fake tree/real tree conundrum. Which one is better for the environment? To understand this question, let’s look at some history. The first Christmas tree lot opened on the streets of New York in 1851 when Mark Carr hauled two ox sleds loaded with trees from the Catskill Mountains into town. Today, about half a million acres of land are used by 22,000 Christmas tree growers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These tree farmers produce more than 32 million trees each holiday season. The question remains: Is cutting down a tree for temporary use in your home during the holidays good or bad for the environment? Let’s first look at some facts about artificial trees (which...

Wolves—The Epitome of Wildness!

Posted on December 19, 2016

in Nature, Stan Tekiela

by 2734wpczar

Few animals in the wilderness elicit such strong emotions in people as wolves. Loved by many who cherish wild places and intact ecosystems, wolves are however loathed by others who regard them as competition for natural resources. Stan Tekiela, the author of The Lives of Wolves, Coyotes and Foxes lives in Minnesota, a state with more wolves than any other in the Lower 48. To Stan, the wolf is the symbol of all things wild—the epitome of wildness! Today, Stan shares with us his fascination for these mysterious mammals. Living in close proximity to them makes me feel more connected to the wild, and for that I am grateful. Wolves, along with coyotes and foxes, are a group of animals that I’ve always found fascinating throughout my career as an author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer. I have been studying and photographing wolves for more than two decades, but I still get excited each time I see one...

The Migration of Hummingbirds

Posted on December 16, 2016

in Birds, Stan Tekiela

by Ryan Jacobson

Migration Remains a Great Mystery Much of migration remains a great mystery to science. While we can only speculate how it started and why it continues, there are a number of facts we do know. Migration allows an expanded bird population, including hummers, to exploit food resources and breed elsewhere. Nearly all species of hummingbirds in the United States travel thousands of miles to find food and reproduce with intense competition from others of its own kind. Ruby-throats, for example, fly north after wintering in the tropics of Central and South America and fan out in spring across the eastern United States, where they find many sources of food and breeding opportunities. We also know that hummers return to the region where they hatched. Ruby-throats hatching in Missouri will return to Missouri the next year. Others hatching in Michigan will return to Michigan. Once at the breeding grounds, hummers look for a suitable territory with enough food to sustain themselves for the entire summer. Hummingbirds are so small that they often will not...

Backyard Bird Feeding: A Relatively New Pastime

Posted on December 14, 2016

in Birds, Stan Tekiela

by Ryan Jacobson

Stan Tekiela, author of Backyard Birds: Welcomed Guests at Our Gardens and Feeders, understands the thrill of bird-watching. The award-winning author and naturalist has been studying and photographing backyard birds for more than 25 years. Backyard bird feeding is a relatively new pastime. It wasn’t until after World War II that people started to feed birds for recreation. Eventually, when people moved off farms into urban and suburban settings, we started losing our relationship with the natural world. To reconnect, we began feeding the birds in our yards. Most of our backyard birds are small. Take the Ruby-crowned Kinglet, for instance. At only 3–4 inches tall, it’s one of the tiniest birds in your yard. Many of our backyard birds are also fabulous songsters. Have you ever noticed that it’s the small birds that sing so much and so beautifully? This relates to their environment. When a tiny male bird is in a big forest with tall trees, thick underbrush, and lots of shade, it’s hard to be...

Animal Books Get Kids into Nature

Posted on December 9, 2016

in Children’s Books

by Ryan Jacobson

As I peruse my family bookshelf, I can’t help but notice that it’s filled with animal books. I suppose this isn’t surprising, considering how much kids love animals—especially cute ones. From stuffed teddy bears to household pets to beloved children’s books, animals are a part of most kids’ everyday lives. And that’s definitely a good thing. Connecting kids to the critters of the world also connects kids with nature. Yes, the great outdoors is a wonderful place, waiting to be explored. But if your kids are like mine, they’d often prefer to stay inside and play video games. That’s when we go to the bookshelf and grab a copy of Baby Bear Discovers the World, Esther the Eaglet, or, most recently, my new Super Animal Powers picture book. As much as my kids love their digital devices, they can’t resist good books about cute animals. But why does that help? How are these...

Amazing Dinosaurs

Posted on December 7, 2016

in Special Interest

by Ryan Jacobson

James Kuether, author of The Amazing World of Dinosaurs: An Illustrated Journey Through the Mesozoic Era, shares with us about the beginning of his love for dinosaurs. I was “that kid.” You know the one. Obsessed with dinosaurs at an early age, my parents would trot me out in front of visiting relatives to show off my ability to rattle off the incomprehensible multi-syllabic names of these long-dead animals. I remember my Aunt Dorinne oohing and aahing with mock bravado. I was embarrassed to death, proud of my taxonomic and etymological mastery, but ashamed by the dismissiveness of something she found childish and trite. As an adult, I still struggle with the perception that dinosaurs are child’s things. I can’t count how many friends have come up to me in the past year and said, “I hear you’re writing children’s books!” In many ways it’s understandable. Dinosaurs are introduced to us at an early age, and they...

The Skunk — A Remarkable Critter

Posted on December 2, 2016

in Nature, Stan Tekiela

by Ryan Jacobson

In this week’s column, Stan Tekiela explains a few things about the skunk. I recently had a lively conversation about skunks with some friends. While explaining a few things about the animal, it occurred to me that skunks are one of those critters that are commonly seen yet rarely given a second thought. So here are some of my favorite facts about this most remarkable critter. Most people don’t know that there are 12 different kinds of skunks in the world. Ten of the twelve species occur right here in North, Central, and South America. Two of these are found in Indonesia and the Philippines. This just exemplifies the fact that we have so many unique critters right here in America. Our skunks include the Striped Skunk, Eastern Spotted Skunk, Western Spotted Skunk, Hog-nosed Skunk, and Hooded Skunk. All skunks are crepuscular and nocturnal critters, which means that they are most active during the very...

Hummingbirds

Posted on November 30, 2016

in Birds, Stan Tekiela

by Ryan Jacobson

Discover the Amazing World of Hummingbirds with Stan Tekiela The hummingbird family, known as Trochilidae, includes more than 325 species. Compared with the other bird families, this one is huge! It is the second largest in size after the flycatcher family, which has around 400 species. Hummingbirds are New World birds found only in North, Central, and South America. These tiny flying jewels were unknown to the scientific community until the Old World explorers arrived. The wide variety of hummers must have mystified the early ornithologists. Even today, the reasons for the large number of species are still not known. None So Fair North American hummingbirds are some of the most easily recognized birds, characterized by many unique features. These petite treasures are well known for their specialized, brightly colored, sparkly feathers, which refract sunlight almost like a prism. Unlike most other birds, hummers enjoy a distinctive diet of nectar liberally seasoned with minute insects. For sipping their sweet drinks, they sport a long, narrow bill that slips easily into...

Bentleyville Tour of Lights

Posted on November 23, 2016

in Regional: Midwest, Travel

by Ryan Jacobson

In their book Grandparents Minnesota Style, Mike Link and Kate Crowley provide opportunities for adults and children to spend more time discovering Minnesota together. The book is designed for today’s grandparent who wants to use the time together with their grandchildren to laugh, have fun, create memories, and grow. For the upcoming holiday season Mike and Kate suggest a visit to the Bentleyville Tour of Lights. The magic of the holiday season can be encapsulated by a festive display of Christmas lights. People get swept up by those simple, colorful lights; after all, that’s why we tour neighborhoods in search of the best sights, and some areas even give prizes to the fan favorites. If you love Christmas lights, head to Bentleyville in Duluth. There, you’ll see over 4 million lights and much more: campfires for staying warm, marshmallow roasting and making cocoa, festive music to sing along with, and above all, an atmosphere filled...

Dark Meat or Light Meat

Posted on November 18, 2016

in Birds, Stan Tekiela

by Ryan Jacobson

In this week’s column, just in time for Thanksgiving, Stan Tekiela muses about dark meat or light meat. I’m pretty sure that when you and your family gather around the Thanksgiving table this year that you won’t spend all your time talking about birds, migration, and how those relate to the dark and light meat of the Thanksgiving turkey—but we certainly do at my house! Ok, I will admit, it’s all my fault. I can’t help myself when someone makes an offhand comment about liking or disliking dark meat or light meat. Or someone might express an interest in having just the breast meat. When I hear this, I feel obligated to ask everyone gathered one simple question: “Do you ever wonder why turkeys have light meat and dark meat?” The answers I get are just blank stares. Of course, no one else is thinking about this. It’s probably just me who wonders about these ridiculous things. So here is...