Nothing says spring quite like colorful, cup-shaped blossoms sprouting from the earth after a long, cold winter. South Dakota is no stranger to cold winters, and luckily for midwestern gardeners… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 3 hours ago
Gabrielle is a freelance writer with a focus on the subjects of animals, nature and travel. A Pacific Northwest native, she now travels the country with her beloved dog by her side. As a nomadic writer, she may write her articles in the dust of the desert with a coyote call backdrop or beside the sea with seagulls swirling high above. Her devotion to the natural world has led her to the lifelong study of plants, fungi, wildlife and the interactions between them all.
Nothing says spring quite like colorful, cup-shaped blossoms sprouting from the earth after a long, cold winter. South Dakota is no stranger to cold winters, and luckily for midwestern gardeners… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 3 hours ago
Summers are warm in Michigan and winters are cold and snowy across the state, but even colder and more severe in the Upper Peninsula. Spring bulbs like tulips are a… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 3 days ago
Oregon is a Pacific Northwest state with a coastline that hugs the Pacific Ocean. It’s a land of dense evergreen forests, fertile valleys, wide-reaching plains and deserts dotted with majestic… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 5 days ago
Idaho is nicknamed “the gem state,” and gem and mineral treasures abound in its varied landscape of mountain ranges, canyons, grassy valleys, plains, and far-reaching lowlands. The climate varies throughout… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 1 week ago
Nevada is the driest state in the United States, with an average annual rainfall of only 7 inches. The driest state may not seem like the ideal climate for spring… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 1 week ago
What better way to take in the sights and sounds of a landscape than by pedaling your way through it on a bicycle? The Tar Heel State offers a scenic… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 1 month ago
Known as the “Land of Enchantment,” New Mexico is filled with stunning scenery and boasts a rich cultural history. For those hoping to explore the wonders of the state by… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 1 month ago
Originally bred to assist shepherds with herding and protecting sheep and other livestock, the German Shepherd is an exceptionally intelligent working dog breed. They excel as guardians in positions of… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 2 months ago
With a reputation for a friendly and gentle nature, golden retrievers are playful companions that can make an excellent addition to the family, whether male or female. While their charming… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 2 months ago
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it turns out that the state capital of Oklahoma was. It came together as one of a series of “land runs” in which… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 2 months ago
Geese are known for their loud honk-like calls and a characteristic v-shaped flight pattern. They are highly susceptible to the process of imprinting in which newly hatched goslings will accept… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 3 months ago
Tarantulas are a group of large and hairy spiders with over 1,000 species identified. These ambush predators live in burrows and practice the sit-and-wait method of finding a meal. Some… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 3 months ago
Rats are highly intelligent and social creatures that thrive in stimulating environments. It’s recommended that pet rats be kept in pairs or groups. Unless you’re planning on taking on the… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 3 months ago
The Great Plains state of North Dakota is known for the rugged Badlands and expansive rolling prairies. While the prairies provide a flat, grassy, easy-going landscape to travel, the Badlands… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 3 months ago
Parakeets are among the most vocal birds in the parrot family and have an estimated vocabulary of up to 2,000 words. Although both male and female parakeets are expressive, one… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 4 months ago
The Buckeye State is the nickname given to Ohio due to the buckeye trees that dot the landscape. In turn, the tree gets its name from its nuts. These are… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 4 months ago
Cayuga ducks were introduced to the Finger Lakes region of New York state around 1840. While they were once the most common commercial roaster, they're now common as ornamental and… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 4 months ago
A canal was built through central New Jersey in the 1830s as a transportation route between Philadelphia and New York City. It shortened freight travel by 100 miles and prevented… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 4 months ago
Ducks are called drakes when they are male and females are referred to as hens. If raising backyard ducks, an ideal flock makeup might be three hens on their own,… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 4 months ago
The Polish chicken is a heritage breed known for its remarkable crest. This adornment earned this European breed the nickname tophat chicken. Once considered a prime egg layer, they are… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 4 months ago
The state of Oregon offers breathtaking scenery, from the vast expanses of its deserts to the mountains of the Cascades and shores of the Pacific Coast. Oregon also offers some… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 5 months ago
Sexing your goldfish can be important if you own more than one fish, which is probably best to prevent them from getting lonely. Keeping one female with multiple males can… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 5 months ago
“Live Free or Die” is the bold state motto of New Hampshire, embodying the values of independence and adventure. The White Mountains are a portion of the Appalachian range and… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 5 months ago
The landscape of Montana is known to be wild and sparsely populated. The name for this rocky mountain state actually comes from words meaning “mountainous country.” The rocky mountains and… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 5 months ago
Known as "the city that never sleeps," New York City is a bustling metropolis. However, beyond New York's urban center many natural wonders wait to be explored. Forests, mountains, meadows,… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 5 months ago
The southern state of Mississippi is named for the famed river that flows along its western boundary. Its name is derived from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi, meaning great river. The… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 5 months ago
The state of Nevada is home to the fast-paced, neon-studded city of Las Vegas, known for being a gamblers’ mecca. However, some prefer to take in the scenery of this… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 5 months ago
When it comes to anatomy, lobsters are a fascination of the sea. The stomach of a lobster contains a gastric mill used to crush ingested food matter. Their brains are… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 7 months ago
Popular as backyard pets and livestock and native to the American tropics, muscovy ducks are the largest duck in the world. They’re easy to distinguish from other ducks by their… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 7 months ago
Cockatiels are a type of small parrot that are native to the dry, non-coastal regions of Australia. They are extremely common to keep as pets and are well-loved for their… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 7 months ago
Dark-eyed juncos can be recognized by their small, round frames and characteristic hops. They hop to and fro, forward and sideways along the ground and display a flash of white… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 7 months ago
Native to the North American West coast, Anna’s hummingbirds can now be found from Northern Mexico, through California, Oregon, and Washington, and up into British Columbia. In these areas, this… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 7 months ago
The midwestern state of Nebraska is known for its gently rolling hills and Great Plains. The Great Plains occupies the western portion of the state and is made up of… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 7 months ago
Missouri is a midwestern state with a humid continental climate of cold winters and hot, humid and wet summers. The flat expanse and gently rolling hills of the Northern Plains… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 8 months ago
From its dense forests to wide prairies, its 10,000 lakes to its bustling metropolitan hubs, Minnesota offers a diverse landscape to explore on two wheels. In fact, according to the… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 8 months ago
The state of Oregon offers breathtaking scenery, from the vast expanses of its deserts to the Cascade mountains and shores of the Pacific Coast. Oregon offers some of the best… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 8 months ago
The raccoon is a common nocturnal mammal, well known for its dexterous paws and black facial markings that look like a mask. These masked bandits sometimes get a bad rap… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 8 months ago
Out of the 20 snake species in West Virginia, only 5 of them are poisonous (venomous). Garter snakes are usually counted among the nonvenomous variety in this state and others.… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 9 months ago
Known to be highly secretive and very solitary creatures, there is one time of year that bobcats are on the prowl, seeking company. During mating season, male bobcats begin to… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 10 months ago
The climate in Florida ranges from humid and subtropical in the north, to tropical in the southern parts of the state. This ocean cradled landscape is home to abundant wildlife… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 10 months ago
As one of the most geographically diverse states in the United States, Oklahoma is made up of flat grasslands, forests, marshlands and mountain ranges. The diverse landscape is home to… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 10 months ago
Native to North America and widespread throughout the continent, hawks are sharp-eyed birds of prey with a distinctive scream. That iconic call of the bald eagle in movies is actually… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 10 months ago
Washington lies in the uppermost portion of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. The Cascade mountains run through the middle of the state, dividing it into east and west.… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 11 months ago
Much of Kansas falls within the great central plain of the United States. The western two-thirds of the state is an expanse of flatlands and gentle rolling undulations of the… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 11 months ago
Vermont’s name is derived from the French words vert, meaning green, and mont, for mountain. The Green Mountains run along the western region from north to south. The Hudson River,… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 11 months ago
If you’ve ever been woken in the night to the screaming of cats outside, maybe you’re hearing a neighborhood cat duel, or maybe those felines are just feeling frisky. Cats… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 11 months ago
Colorado is well known for the towering peaks of the Rocky Mountains that run through the state, but it’s a land of diverse geography. It's part of the western and… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 11 months ago
Owls are found widespread across the Earth, living in all regions except for the Antarctic. They’re birds of the order Strigiformes, which includes over 200 species of owls. Almost all… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 11 months ago
From the Rocky Mountains to the Great Plains and the expansive wilderness of Glacier National Park, the landscape of Montana is wild and diverse. Much of the state is sparsely… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 11 months ago
As widespread members of the Caninae subfamily, foxes live on every continent aside from Antarctica. They live in forests, grasslands, deserts, mountains, and the arctic. As part of the genus… Read More
By Gabrielle Nicole 11 months ago