Naturalists

Richie Winter — Climbing Towards Inclusivity

Say howdy to this daring adventurer. Richie lives life on the edge — really though. He’s a rock climber and photographer who likes to see the world from all different perspectives, which sometimes requires a lil bit of climbing. As a member...

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Interesting Creatures

Downy Woodpecker: Agriculture’s Hero

Say hello to the smallest woodpecker in North America. Cute, isn’t he? Downy woodpeckers are probably the most familiar woodpecker to people living in the eastern states. They aren’t exactly shy and like to frequent backyards and parks. What might surprise you,...

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Naturalists

Sara Wolman: Conservation Through Creativity

Sara Wolman is an award-winning Graphic Artist, Conservationist, and Science Communicator. Her art reflects the relationship she has established with the environment and serves as a reminder of the inherent connection we all have with the natural world. She strives for her...

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Interesting Creatures

Elasmotherium Sibiricum: The Siberian Unicorn

Long ago, unicorns walked our planet. But it wasn’t exactly the unicorn you’re imagining. Instead of a whimsical, horse-like creature that spreads sparkles and magic, it was a mud-rolling, bulky-bodied beast. Much like a rhino. In fact, there was an entire genus...

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Naturalists

Monica Semergiu — Visual Storyteller by Nature

Tell me more about your relationship with public lands. What do they mean to you? First of all, I want to say that I believe we can’t really “own” land/the earth. The best we can be is stewards of this land, and...

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Interesting Creatures

Emperor Penguin — Adapted for the Extreme

Penguins are one of the most admired birds, and it’s easy to see why. The tuxedo-wearing, stubby-winged waddlers are equally cute as they are impressive. And… there are 18 different types of penguins to adore! Each with its own unique features, habitat,...

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Interesting Creatures

Titanoboa: The Snake of Your Nightmares

Remember the movie Anaconda that came out in the 90s? It instilled a new level of ophidiophobia (snake fear) in some while leaving others chomping at the bit. The thought of an aquatic, 25 ft snake slithering through the Amazon sounds almost...

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Naturalists

Nicole Poppell: Bringing Life to Color

She’s a Muralist, Installation Artist, and Founder of Mural Mates — introducing, Nicole Poppell! We admire Nicole’s knack for converting her natural influences into bold, playful works of art.Take a moment to see the world through the eyes of this curious creative…...

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Interesting Creatures

Helicoprion: The Buzz Saw Shark

What’s the buzz? It’s all about helicoprion, dubbed the strangest shark in Earth’s history. But don’t fret next time you visit the beach — the freakish fish has been extinct for millions of years. Helicoprion was a member of an entire genus...

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Naturalists

Amelia Winger-Bearskin: Water Protector

We’re spotlighting Amelia — Deer Clan member of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation of Oklahoma. She stays busy as an Artist, Professor, and Founder of the UF AI Climate Justice Lab. Her primary focus: addressing the global water crisis. Can you tell us a...

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Interesting Creatures

Great Horned Owl: Master of Stealth

Although it’s North America’s most prevalent owl species, the great horned owl’s healthy population is hardly noticeable to the average person. Even if it were to fly right beside you, there’s a great chance that you won’t notice a thing. That’s because...

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Naturalists

Kevin Condon: Making the Field Accessible

My name is Kevin Condon, and I am the director of The Bird School Project, which is an outdoor education program that operates in the Monterey Bay region of California. We provide schoolyard birding programs for roughly 10,000 students annually, mostly in...

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Naturalists

Krystal Aguilar: Capturing the Epic

Tell me about your relationship with public lands. What do they mean to you? I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I didn’t grow up with access to public lands. I was born in NYC and lived in Queens for...

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Interesting Creatures

Daeodon: The Terminator Pig

Millions of years ago, everything was bigger — and pigs were no exception. In fact, an entire family of massive pig-like species once existed called entelodonts. The largest member of this family, daeodon, was dubbed “terminator pig,” and it’s no surprise why....

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Naturalists

Trevor Port: Eco-Friendly by Design

Hello! My name is Trevor Port, and I’m the Founder/Designer behind Keep Earth Around, a multidisciplinary design studio that works to elevate Mother Nature’s voice through Earth-friendly visuals and messaging. I’m 30 years old, and am from San Diego and currently living...

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Interesting Creatures

The Shoebill Stork: Africa’s Most Wanted

There is a lot of mystique surrounding the shoebill stork. Questions are provoked by its uber-slow motions and prehistoric appearance. Its mysterious glare only adds to the curiosity. No wonder birdwatchers consider the shoebill stork as one of the five most desirable...

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Naturalists

Chloé Blanchard — Surfing Through Life

Blessings! Chloé here — born and raised in the French part of Canada, about an hour north of Montréal, Québec. I grew up on the foothills of a ski mountain and luckily was born before the era of smartphones, which allowed us...

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Interesting Creatures

Passenger Pigeons – a Shocking Extinction

What happened to the passenger pigeon? Numbering up to 5 billion individuals, it was once the most abundant bird in North America — and possibly, the world. For about 15,000 years, passenger pigeons coexisted with Native Americans in the forests that once...

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Naturalists

The Guero Bird Club

We are Güero Bird Club. We go birding. Güero is a torta shop in Portland, OR. Our bird club formed when we realized that a cook and a bartender both loved to watch birds and that other cooks and other bartenders wanted...

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Interesting Creatures

Anna's Hummingbird

Despite being the most commonly-encountered hummingbird along North America's Pacific coast, Anna's is anything but ordinary. Just one glance at the dazzling green and pink hues of this bird will tell you so. As a sexually dimorphic species, Anna's hummingbirds vary in...

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Naturalists

Jason Hall – Community in Birding

Hello. My name is Jason Hall and I’ve been an avid birder for just about 20 years. For many of those years, I considered myself the “exception to the rule” as one of the only Black or Brown birders around. It wasn’t...

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Interesting Creatures

Baiji Dolphin: Goddess of the Yangtze

The Baiji white dolphin inhabited the Yangtze river in China not too long ago. This extinct creature’s legend is rooted in Chinese folklore. As the story goes: A beautiful young girl lived along the Yangtze river with her stepfather. This stepfather was...

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Naturalists

Liz Clark: The Sailing Surfer

Hi, I’m Liz Clark– surfer, sailor, captain, author, nature & animal lover, and environmentalist. I grew up in Southern California and now live in Tahiti, French Polynesia. Can you tell us a bit about your passions beyond “work”? I’m lucky to say...

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Interesting Creatures

The Western Sandpiper

The western sandpiper is a small little shorebird that you can spot along the coasts of North America. Individually, they are modest in size — however, a western sandpiper flock is not easy to overlook. These communities can grow to a collective...

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Naturalists

Kyle Ramsey: Dad by Nature

What does being a dad mean to you? It’s the greatest reward I could have ever been given. I get so excited when I watch him learning as he listens to me talk about what I see on our hikes. Just the...

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Interesting Creatures

The Quagga

What’s the biggest difference between a quagga and a zebra? Their rear ends! You’ll notice that while a zebra’s stripes extend from head to tail, the quagga’s stripes seem to fade mid-way. There are a few theories for this evolutionary adaptation, but...

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Naturalists

Honoring Black Birders Week

The next 7 days hold great significance for birdwatchers and people across the globe as Black Birders Week is observed. In this newsletter, we’re diving into the background and significance of Black Birders Week, highlighting a few Black Birders and Naturalists that...

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Naturalists

Alex Troutman: Going With the Flow

What’s Up, Y’all? I’m Alex Troutman, aka N8ture_AL; I’m a Black Wildlife Biologist and Environmental Educator from Austell, GA. I love that my job is in a field that I am passionate about. My job allows me to travel and also gives...

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The Toolache Wallaby

The toolache wallaby (also known as the Grey’s wallaby) was built to be swift, speedy, and agile. But this wasn’t enough to escape Man’s detrimental impact on its population. Less than 100 years ago, this Aussie animal went extinct.According to those around...

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Naturalists

Take a Ride With Taylor O’Sullivan

What is your relationship with nature like and how do you express it? The ocean is perhaps my greatest muse. I grew up in Southern California, so I’ve been ottering around in the ocean since I was a child. My reverence for...

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Naturalists

Josiah Patrick: Reconnecting Humans With Nature

My name is Josiah Patrick. I am a nature photographer and budding naturalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. I am passionate about the conservation of the natural world. How has learning about the environment impacted your actions? It has made me more conscious...

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Naturalists

Troy Bynum: Photography in the Field

Can you tell us a bit about your passions beyond “work”? From a young age, I’ve always had an interest in exploring nature. I remember visiting Wissahickon Valley Park in Philadelphia with my parents and exploring the trails along the creek and...

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News

Introducing the Pro Issue

Today Nocs Provisions is proud to introduce the Pro Issue 8x42 and 10x42 binoculars, the first of this size in the Nocs Provisions line. We sit down with Chris McKleroy, CEO, on the development of the new Pro Issue. Why did Nocs...

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Interesting Creatures

Giant Short-Faced Bear

Recently, we discussed the colossal California grizzly, which could reach around 2,000 lbs on average. The largest of this species is estimated to have weighed a whopping 2,200 lbs, making it one of the biggest modern-day bears (along with the Alaskan polar...

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Naturalists

Get Artsy with Emily Piper

My name is Emily Piper, and I am an artist, educator, and lover of all things living. My passions for natural history, biology, and creatures fuel my work and the ways I navigate my life. Originally from the midwest, I grew up...

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Interesting Creatures

The Bluebuck

Bluebucks (also known as blue antelopes) are mythical-like creatures; some people have entirely doubted their existence. However, fossils and skeletal remains confirm that such an animal once did roam South Africa’s coastal regions. The Caledon River Valley Bushmen even believed the animal...

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Naturalists

A Gander Through Daniel’s Lens

Daniel Schechner is a Photographer and Creative Producer based in Vermont. He specializes in photography, videography, social media management, and brand identity development. ​On top of this, Daniel founded Wishbone Collective — a welcoming and inspiring environment for artists to create and...

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Interesting Creatures

The Red-Tailed Hawk

The shrill cry of this bird can be heard in just about any western movie you watch. This is the ever-so-glorious red-tailed hawk. It’s the most commonly known and observed hawk in North America. However, its range extends from Alaska to Panama....

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Naturalists

Skating With Sarah

Hey! My name is Sarah, I’m an immigrant from Brazil, and after moving to San Diego, I found my passion for art. Down here, I run a clothing brand with my life partner, as well as a skateboarding nonprofit. I live in...

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Interesting Creatures

The California Grizzly Bear

Imagine what California would have looked like before the arrival of settlers. Think of this land — a place where Native Americans and grizzly bears lived side-by-side. Only a few hundred years ago, this was the case. Scientists estimate that in the...

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Naturalists

Dexter Patterson: Flyest Birder in the Woods

What can concerned athletes, scientists, artists, or creatives do in the face of global challenges? We all have a voice, and some of us have platforms to amplify those voices to a broader audience on our blogs and social media channels. The...

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Interesting Creatures

The Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

I’m sure that it only took you one glance to understand where this tiny birdie got its name. While there are 6 species of kinglets, there is only one who sports a dazzling red crown. Only males possess this feature, even then,...

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Interesting Creatures

The Snowy Plover

If you’re like us and enjoy a nice beach day from time to time, you’ve likely encountered this tiny bird. It sprints so fast, you can hardly see its little legs! Dash, pause, dash, pause — each sprint interrupted by a sudden...

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Gear

Everything About Waterproof & Fog Proof Binoculars

Selecting a pair of waterproof and fogproof binoculars can be challenging — whether they’re for birding, kayaking, or viewing wildlife. There are dozens of features and brands available, which can make the entire buying process overwhelming and time consuming. Plus, not all...

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Naturalists

This is Travis Coleman

He owns a manufacturing business, primarily working with high-tensile strength rotomolded polyethylene… you got that? If not, I don’t blame you! To sum it up, rotomolded polyethylene is a plastic that is easily recycled. The “high-tensile strength” part means it’s ultra-durable. In...

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Naturalists

Tierney Moses — Art, Nature, and a Bit of Mezcal

Can you tell us a bit about your passions beyond “work”? A life goal is to make my passions also my work but there are some things like surfing, music, hiking, and exploring the world that only sometimes turn into work. I...

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Interesting Creatures

Caribbean Monk Seal

The Caribbean Monk Seal lived a great existence, hanging in paradise and snacking on fine seafood. This luxurious lifestyle was unfortunately brought to a halt by the arrival of too many humans choosing to live in their tropical territories, a common theme for many...

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Naturalists

Jesse Sunwolf: Artist, Herbalist, Naturalist

Tell me more about your relationship with public lands.What do they mean to you? For me, public lands tell a lot of indigenous stories and having native blood; I share in those stories. Also, being an herbalist, the protection and stewardship of...

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