Prepared to win
By Ralph Hood
I have a friend who helps coach would-be Olympic male wrestlers. He always starts with the same …
Viewpoint
Some reflections on the recent Earth Day 2022
By Frances Lamberts
I got to know a student from a foreign university (Aachen, Germany) who, taking a study semester …
Northern parula ushers in rush of spring’s colorful tropical migrants
Photo by Hans Toom/Pixabay • A male Northern parula looks splendid in spring plumage. These warblers attract attention with …
Ralph Hood talks germs, God and Mom
By Ralph Hood
Mother was bad down on germs.
Daddy wasn’t overly fond of germs, but Mother was in a …
Erwin woman reports early date for spring return of hummingbirds
Photo by Amy Tipton / A male ruby-throated hummingbird perches in a quince bush at the home of Amy …
Hood’s Winks: Happy trails and a pony
By Ralph Hood
My father did a lot of wonderful things and more than a few very dumb things. He …
If robins are back, spring must be close
Photo by Bryan Stevens • An American robin sits tightly on a nest with eggs. Robins have long been …
Bluebird welcome the inevitable approach of spring
Photo by NatureLady/Pixabay • A male Eastern bluebird perches atop a nest box. The region’s bluebirds are already actively …
Man’s enthusiasm for eagles expanding the knowledge of region’s nesting birds
Photo courtesy of Ryan Rice • Nesting bald eagles are no longer a rarity in Northeast Tennessee and surrounding …
Conservation in Mind: Consuming less helps the Earth
By Frances Lamberts
A 1998 report by the Worldwatch Institute dealt with “the role of materials in our lives.” Noting …
A story of four nice persons
By Ralph Hood
This is a true story about some nice people, Bob, Nell, Ralph (not the author), and Mindy …
Of Groundhog Day and shadows
By Bryan Stevens
It’s Groundhog Day, 2022.
It feels a lot like Groundhog Day 2021 and Groundhog Day 2020. …
Conservation in Mind: Appreciating Biden’s climate actions
By Frances Lamberts
Extreme weather events seem to happen so often now that the statistics on their consequences may no …
Director expresses thanks to board members
Letter to the Editor
Jan. 23-29, 2022, is School Board Appreciation Week in Tennessee. Unicoi County Schools is joining public …
The common raven is no bird brain
Photo by Alexas-Fotos/Pixabay • Common ravens, although native to the region, were not so common only a few decades …
Annual Christmas Bird Counts add to knowledge of bird population trends
Photo by USFWS • A total of 15 pileated woodpeckers were counted on the recent Christmas Bird Counts conducted …
It’s still Christmas
By Connie Denney
What better than memories of Old Christmas celebrations to inspire reconnection with a friend? In this case …
Birds make news in 2021, but stories come to an end for some species
At age 70, Wisdom the Laysan albatross became a mother again in 2021.
By Bryan Stevens
Our feathered friends …
Farmers make Christmas happen
By Ralph Hood
Farming communities — and farming people—are different. I wrote this on a flight returning from Pocatello, Idaho …
Endangered Species Act hits milestone
By Bryan Stevens
Photo by Pixabay • Birds like the whooping crane continue to exist on the planet thanks in …