If you live in a place that has wild animals, you may often wonder which animals live near you. Often, the animals around us are nocturnal so it is difficult to actually see any of them during the day, but you may find evidence of them and this keeps you curious. A scent station is … Read More
Hide and Seek
Image by Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto from Pixabay Camouflage is the use of any combinations of materials or coloration in order to be concealed from the naked eye. Humans use camouflage in order to “hide” when they are hunting and also to be concealed in military operations. Animals use camouflage in order to hide whether they are prey or … Read More
WHOOOO is important? Owls!
Image by Capri23auto from Pixabay Most people have seen at least one or two owls in their lifetime. They may be regarded as simple, beautiful creatures but they are actually a very important part of the ecosystem too. They play a large role in the balance of the food chain in many forests across the country. They help … Read More
This Doesn’t Stink – Animal Scat
Image by christels from Pixabay Scat is what scientists call animal droppings. All animals leave droppings because they must rid their body of waste. But what can we learn from scat? What are some different kinds we may find? Where do we look if we want to find scat? All this, and more, if you read on.
Mimicking Mother Nature
Biomimicry is defined as imitation of the living. Science uses it to take what nature has perfected over millions of years and uses the same processes to solve human problems and meet human needs. It allows humans to be more efficient, resilient and sustainable. Living organisms have evolved over time and created well-adapted structures through … Read More
Do Animals Sweat?
Photo by Charles from Pexels We live in Texas and anytime you go outside in the summer around here, most people want to turn right around and go back into the air conditioner! As humans, we have the option of staying inside to stay cool. But what do animals do when they are hot? Do … Read More
Making Hypertufa
For any gardener, beginner or experienced, one of the joys of planting is finding the perfect pot in which to display your plants. For some this can become a rather frustrating hunt – or you can simply create your own pot from hypertufa. Hypertufa is a lightweight, porous material made using Portland cement. Follow along … Read More
Seek and You Can Find
Who doesn’t love a good walk through nature? Have you ever been on a nature walk and found a plant, insect or animal and wished you could have known what it was you were looking at? There IS an app for that!! The app is called “Seek by iNaturalist” and is a great way for … Read More
Rock Painting 101
If you are ever looking for something fun to do in your free time that does not cost a lot and gives you hours of pleasure – here is a solution – rock painting!! You only need a few supplies to get started and this can easily become a healthy habit for you. To get … Read More
Mitigating the Scars Left Behind by Wild Pigs
By Scott Lightle, Jim Cathey, Josh Helcel, Brittany Wegner Maintaining the natural beauty of Long Acres Ranch is an ever-evolving task, and as many land and natural resource managers would say, an immersive experience. Some days end with a handshake with mother nature, but others leave a day’s worth of work in front of us. Some jobs only reveal … Read More