Nature Note

Goldenrod is in full bloom these days, brightening every roadside and pasture. Around here, it’s one of the main nectar...

The red bat occurs from the Midwest eastward and is widespread throughout Oklahoma. These tiny, reddish-brown bats are one of...

Barn swallows are colorful insect-eating birds of open country and are common summertime residents in the Skiatook area. They can...

Nighthawks belong to a curious group of birds once called “goatsuckers,” after the old belief that they slipped into barns...

“Jug-o’-rum!” Nothing says summer like the deep call of a male American bullfrog, our official Oklahoma State Amphibian. Bullfrogs aren’t...

Spring went by way too fast and now it's summer, my least favorite season.  My favorite is fall, then spring,...

Indian paintbrush and wild indigo are beautiful wildflowers that are blooming in the meadows around us. Indian Paintbrush Indian paintbrush...

During our 27 years out here, I've seen 15 kinds of snakes but never a venomous one.  I think the...

Next to birds, salamanders are my favorite group of animals. There’s something quietly magical about them—the way they move, the...

Selenite (hydrous calcium sulfate) is a crystallized form of gypsum, and while you can find selenite in several parts of...