Meghan McCarthy McPhaul

Near the house where I lived during my Colorado years, there was a trail that wove through a sprawling grove of perfect quaking aspen trees. In spring, the soft green

Often, during my forays into the woods behind our house, I wonder who might be occupying the holes carved into tree trunks by time and nature. The barred owls I

Often, during my forays into the woods behind our house, I wonder who might be occupying the holes carved into tree trunks by time and nature. The barred owls I

“Mom, there’s a really big crow in the compost,” my son said one day early this spring, followed closely by, “Wait. What is that bird? It’s huge!“I peeked out the

British soldier lichens are among the first wild things I remember being able to identify as a child. I loved spotting this lichen during forays into the woods - on

We were touring the neighborhood backroads one summer evening when the kids noticed a sleek movement through a small pond. At first, we thought it was a beaver, but its smaller size and—once we got a closer look—slender tail revealed this swimmer as a muskrat. It went along its way, and we went along ours, happy to have spotted this <a href=“https://www.ourherald.com/articles/new-englands-amazing-muskrats/”>[…]</a>

The deep purple caught my eye, an unexpected color amid the autumn-hued palette of gold, red and orange. I stooped to look more closely, thinking perhaps someone had dropped some

Here’s a quiz for Harry Potter fans: What kind of owl played Hedwig in the movies? If you guessed a snowy owl, you’re correct.&nbsp;

Every spring, after the last of winter’s snow has completely melted and as I start the wonderful, dirty work of turning the soil of my vegetable beds, I find myself gazing often to the just-greening-up ground beneath the old apple tree behind the garden. It’s a rather unruly tree, sprouted at some p…

Among summer’s many sweet offerings are wild berries. And among these, blueberries are my favorite.

Among summer’s many sweet offerings are wild berries. And among these, blueberries are my favorite. Years ago, I took to carrying large, empty yogurt containers in my car – and