Staff & Contributors

Martens and Wind

Emily Stone

 American martens are one of the many creatures that exploit the subnivean microclimate. These small weasels tunnel through the snow to find food, stay warm, and escape predators.

Treasure Hunt Part 2

Emily Stone

As the Sax-Zim Bog northwest of Duluth gains fame for its unusual avian residents and visitors, human residents and visitors have added bird feeders here and there to increase viewing opportunities.

Treasure Hunt

Emily Stone

Just minutes before, we’d been scanning the far tree line—convinced that a pile of snow on a branch was the owl we’d been looking for.

Barred Owls

Emily Stone

The noiseless glide of soft, gray wings caught my eye. Then, stillness. No matter how hard I squinted, I couldn’t resolve the dark shape into a branch and the owl I knew had just landed there.

Surrender

Emily Stone

Bright sun sparkled merrily over the rolling hills as I shushed along, working hard to glide over the cold, hard snow. In no time, I’d warmed right up, and my core temperature felt more like July than January.

An All-Star Nose

Emily Stone

Its times like this I wish I were a mole. Strange, I know, but I don’t mean just any mole. I wish I were a star-nosed mole – because they have the best sense of touch of any mammal.

Snowshoes

Emily Stone

Five inches of fresh snow, with more dancing in the air, had dissuaded me from skiing, so I strapped the shorter and wider version of winter gear on my feet for an evening walk.

The Jewels of Summer

Emily Stone

Bitter winds blow across a frozen landscape, but under the ice hide the jewels of summer. Even during an Arctic cold snap, many quick-flowing and spring-fed rivers maintain an open channel of inky current.

Natural Connections

Emily Stone

Black and White

Natural Connections

Emily Stone

There is No Place Like Home