Category Archives: Natural History

Coywolves In Our Backyards

Wolves of the Northeast deep woods have interbred with western coyotes, and the hybrid coywolves now thrive among us I have never seen a wolf or coyote, outside of a zoo. An urban college professor, I have lived for the last 45 years in suburban Saint Louis. A red fox family once graced our subdivision… Read More »

How Tall Can a Tree Get?

Plants can grow at surprising rates, and for a very long time.  Bamboo plants can grow as fast as three feet per day (or 1.5 inches per hour). At that rate, you could almost watch it grow. The oldest living plant is a Bristlecone Pine located in the White Mountains on the California-Nevada border called… Read More »

Cows as Compasses I can remember when I was a boy scout being instructed by my scout master that if I ever got lost in the woods without a compass, I should look to see what side of a tree had moss growing on it (the idea being, I suppose, that in the Northern Hemisphere… Read More »

Summer Physics as Taught by Albert

Energy is such a natural part of life that its contribution to the fabric of our lives can often go unnoticed. Sometimes, however, its impact cannot be ignored. Nowhere is this more true than in the ultimate sports act, hitting a home run. The batter above is Albert Pujols, first baseman for the Saint Louis… Read More »