Recent Articles from BRMC Newsletters

Winter Woods

Winter is a time of discovery. Something magic happens as the days shorten; for three months it is possible to spend as much time outside at night as during the day, without losing any sleep. While many living things are active during the day, there is a whole world active only at night. For centuries there has been a preconceived evil feeling towards nature in the dark, but, truth be told, only beauty will be encountered on a night hike.

On a moonlit night one can listen to the strange wail of a coyote or fox as they yip and howl with abandon in a much wilder way then at other times of year. Both the coyotes and the fox yowl for mates during the frigid nights of January and February.

Owls are especially vocal this time of year as they are busy reinforcing their pair bonds, courting, mating, and caring for their young. Great horned owl hoots are presently echoing through the hollows and valleys, and by the end of January the pairs will usurp an old hawk or crow nest and lay their clutch of eggs. Barred owls will lay their eggs by the end of February, and screech owls by the end of March.

For most of the region's winter residents, the season's greatest danger is starvation-not the cold. Our winter animals are well adapted with fur and feathers to survive low temperatures, but all need plenty of fuel to provide that internal fire to warm their insulation. Even with the possibility of food shortage and starvation, many animals not only survive, but they thrive during this arduous season. Once again winter solstice will pass and the long climb back to summer will begin.

As flu season approaches ask this question: Where are viruses and bacteria more likely to survive-inside the climate-controlled building, or outside in below-freezing temperatures? Spend this season outside and enjoy what could be your healthiest winter.