Ants are everywhere. In fact, if you took the total mass of all the ants on Earth, it would far exceed the total mass of all the people. But not all ants are created equal. While black ants and carpenter ants are common anywhere and normally inoffensive, there is one kind of ant that
Firefly. Lightning bug. Call them whatever name you want, these insects (actually a type of beetle, but then again, who’s counting?) are an indispensable part of summer across the United States. Children make games of catching them, and for adults, nothing sets the mood for a romantic outdoor dinner like a swarm of glowing
Take a walk, and look at the lawns of the houses you pass. Most of them will be neatly trimmed and made out of grass. After all, a beautiful green lawn is a status symbol in suburbs around the world. However, there is a catch. Growing a grass lawn often requires pesticides to keep
Not too long ago, seasons were clearly defined things. Winter was cold. Spring was warm. Summer was hot. Autumn was cool. Nowadays, however, man-made climate change has made telling the seasons apart and predicting what the weather will be a real headache—especially for farmers. In the space of one month, we might have snow,
Which mammals do you see most often in your neighborhood? Probably squirrels, maybe deer if you’re lucky. But the diversity of mammals in Davidson is much greater than that. In fact, some of the most abundant of all mammals remain hidden from view simply because they come out at night. I am talking, of
What do you think of when you think of a garden? Perhaps a neat, orderly arrangement of flowers, or maybe rows and rows of fruits and vegetables? Whatever you think of, you probably don’t think of it as a wildlife habitat first and foremost. Of course, that doesn’t need to be the case. After
For many people, nature is superfluous. They spend much of their lives in the climate-controlled comfort of their homes, surrounded by computers and other electronic machines, only rarely venturing out into wilderness. Even people who live in suburbs often live this way, with little direct exposure to the natural world. And, as it turns
Most of us rely on electricity to help us with our daily lives, and it is easy to take it for granted. After all, we simply flip a switch and the lights, radio, television, and any other number of other household conveniences turn on—and we seldom pay any further attention to where than electricity
It’s spring, which for many of us here in Davidson means the return of flowers, birds, butterflies, and other pleasant things. However, it also means the return of something generally considered to be unpleasant—pollen. Pollen, be it from trees, from ragweed, or from flowers, is one of the leading causes of allergies. However, pollen
Perhaps you’ve heard one when you were in bed. Or maybe you were lucky enough to see one while you were walking in the evening. Few animals are more emblematic of the night than owls. We associate owls with mystery and wisdom—and, in the past, with magic and witchcraft. But these superstitions obscure much
