On this annual Day of Thanksgiving, there are many reasons to be thankful for our natural world. Spectacular sunsets and star-filled skies come to mind, as do mountain vistas, majestic rivers, colorful canyons and beautiful seascapes. And across...

As we approach the great American feast day, it seems appropriate to consider the wild relative of our main dish. A native of North America, the wild turkey once inhabited much of the Continent, from southern Canada to Mexico. Extirpated from many...

Raking leaves, to the extent that I bother, is one of my favorite forms of yard work; it takes me outdoors, provides exercise, is not terribly exacting and always (by my own choice) occurs on a mild autumn day. Yesterday, with partly sunny skies, a...

Many people...far too many...see this world in black and white. For them, every human idea, trait or point of view is either right or wrong, good or bad, divine or evil; there is no room for dissent, discussion or compromise. This rigid approach to...

After nearly a week of clouds, rain and fog, the sun broke through in central Missouri this afternoon and, as the sun set on the western horizon, a clear sky stretched above Columbia; its pale, blue expanse was broken only by a crescent moon to the...