North American Beaver
The North American beaver is the largest rodent in North America and is second largest in the world behind the South American capybara.
Moving Towards a More Diverse and Inclusive Birding Community: Reflections on ‘Black Birders Week’
Beginning Sunday, May 31 and lasting through Friday, June 5, 2020, the birding community celebrated its first ‘Black Birders Week’, organized by the members of a Twitter group called BlackAFinSTEM (@BlackAFinSTEM) in response to a racist incident in New York City’s...
Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge: Home to 30,000 cranes
I’ve lived in Alabama off-and-on for almost 20 years, and I didn’t know that there were 30,000 cranes in my backyard until about 3 years ago. That’s right. Over 30,000 cranes, and I never noticed them. I’ve driven up and down Highway 65 more times than I can count. ...
How enrichment is being used to increase animal welfare
Enrichment is one of the most exciting and fulfilling aspects of animal husbandry. It's also very important for the health and happiness of the animals in human care. Enrichment is defined by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Behavioral Advisory Group as “A...
How to easily immerse yourself in nature from anywhere
Your neighbor’s grandma? The cashier at the grocery store? Your cousin’s second-grade teacher? Yes. All of them. Even you. I know what you might be thinking, “I live in the city” “I live in the suburbs” “My cubicle doesn’t have windows” “All plants make me sneeze”. I...
Erasing the Green Blur: Out of the Garden & Into the Wild
When I drove into the Walmart parking lot, the colorful flowers caught my eye. I could see dozens of potted plants lining the side of the building. My steady pace crept to a crawl as I peered through the fence at the green foliage within the Walmart Garden Center. The...
Mossy Frog
Mossy frogs have sticky pads on their toes that allow them to adhere to anything from wood, glass, and even slick cavern walls.
Telemedicine provides remote clinical services
In Episode #37 of Wimmer’s Wilderness Podcast I covered telemedicine and its importance before and especially now during the Covid19 Pandemic. So what is it? Telemedicine is providing clinical services remotely through phone, medical messaging, or virtual visits....
Raising Baby Moon Jellies
Jellyfish are such odd creatures, so is their name since they aren't fish at all. They don't have scales, or gills, or fins; which is why most aquarists and biologists will refer to them as sea jellies. In addition to lacking basic fish parts, they also lack a heart,...
Citizen scientists help with monarch butterfly conservation research
When they are studying wildlife conservation, biologists often conduct surveys of species and their habitats. Biologists need to know exactly where animals and their habitat is to conserve the species. Further, biologists want to know the population sizes of species...
