It’s Truly Spring

On my early morning walk today I heard and saw the wonderful sounds and sights of spring. Since it was still quite dark, closest to my house I started seeing ‘glow worms’ – the larvae of fireflies. At this time they’re not developed into…

Preschoolers & Nature

They’re a natural fit.  Kids love the outdoors, and they love learning.  Nature wants people to care about it so they’ll care for it.  Pfeiffer Nature Center wants to share our joy in the natural world with everyone. It’s a win-win-win! This program is…

Hellbenders Released

On Tuesday, August 6, 2013 20 young hellbenders were released into the Allegany River. These large salamanders, listed as an animal of special concern in New York since 1983, were raised at the Buffalo Zoo in a partnership with the NYS DEC. No fewer…

Peepers & Wood Frogs & Glow Worms, Oh My!

I take essentially the same walk every day – one mile up the hill & back on my dirt road – often at the same hour.  Some may find that boring, I find it fascinating to watch the little changes from day to day….

Nature at My Doorstep

A brief trip south this past weekend to a place with no snow, plenty of sun, and warmer temperatures has put a pause to my enjoyment of winter.  It is a bleary day here, ice thick on the river, blowing snow, and cold, cold, bitter…

Call & Response

Many birds play a little call & response game. A chickadee in the maple will call “chicka-dee-dee-dee” and one in the pine will respond in kind. Barred owls often ask, “who cooks for you?” only to hear the reply, “who cooks for y’all?” (By…

April bats bring May….?

Bats can squeeze in the tiniest openings. As a result, it’s not uncommon for me to get a bat in my house on occasion. At least it wasn’t for many years, before white nose syndrome became a problem in our region. My memory certainly…

It’s Your Call Challenge

Springtime brings us lots of sounds that we don’t hear the rest of the year. Geese honk overhead, peepers peep and wood frogs chortle in the wetlands. Barred owls mating calls range from their typical “Who cooks for you” to something that sounds (to…

Love is in the Air, or it is Skunk?

This morning as I was eating breakfast, my dad looked out the window and saw a skunk walking down our driveway!  It was interesting to see it walking slowly down our gravel driveway and down towards the barnyard.  Later when I went outside, I…

Do Nature Shots

By nature shots we don’t mean anything like jello shots. Instead, point your camera at all things natural. Shoot video or stills. Edit and organize your work, and submit it into our third annual Pfeiffer Nature Center Film Festival! We’re looking for amateur photography…