The Outside Story: How to grow milkweed for a monarch crop

During a late summer walk, I noticed that the common milkweed in our back field is becoming not-so-common.

On a cold November 2020 day, my daughter Lucy and I detected a strange floral scent in our woods.

This is such a disorienting time, when all our lives have been turned upside down and shaken. One of the ways my own family is coping is by spending time outside every day. We stage nature treasure hunts in the woods behind our house. The kids work as a t … (read more)

Two chipmunks vie for seeds on our front lawn. One lives directly underneath the bird feeder. Another hails from the far side of the house, address unknown. The chipmunks appear identical to me: same size, same stripes. Same interests, namely seed hoardin … (read more)