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Walk Softly – Jaws!
by Geoffrey Carpentier People sometimes ask me how I decide what topics to write about, when I tackle my column. The simple answer is, my...

Geoff Carpentier
Sep 11, 20253 min read


Walk Softly – Arcadia Earth Toronto
by Geoffrey Carpentier From time to time I stumble onto an opportunity which is so incredible, I want to share it with others. Usually...

Geoff Carpentier
Aug 28, 20254 min read


Walk Softly – The Queen Has Hairy Legs
by Geoffrey Carpentier Ah, late summer is upon us, and the first late summer blooms are brightening our roadsides and wild places. Rising...

Geoff Carpentier
Aug 13, 20253 min read


Walk Softly: Black Bears – Our Amazing Neighbours
by Geoffrey Carpentier There has been much said of bears this year, for they have been making themselves obvious in and around North...

Geoff Carpentier
Jul 30, 20253 min read


Walk Softly – Feels like? Not Sure I Understand
by Geoffrey Carpentier Summer is upon us, and the news is abuzz with broad and confusing statements about our weather and our climate....

Geoff Carpentier
Jul 25, 20253 min read


Walk Softly – Things are not okay
by Geoffrey Carpentier At this time of year my mind is pre-occupied with birds and other wild things, for a variety of reasons - personal...

Geoff Carpentier
Jun 19, 20253 min read


Walk Softly - Should I mow my lawn?
by Geoffrey Carpentier People spend a lot of time and money trying to keep their lawns perfectly weed-free. I could not determine how...

Geoff Carpentier
Jun 12, 20253 min read


Walk Softly – Bracket Fungus
by Geoffrey Carpentier Fungi is not a word which leaps to mind when we think I want to know more about that one! Most people know little...

Geoff Carpentier
May 30, 20253 min read


Walk Softly: Foraging for Wild Leeks
by Geoffrey Carpentier I don’t personally consider myself a forager, but maybe I am?!?! As a refresher, originally foragers were referred...

Geoff Carpentier
May 16, 20253 min read


Walk Softly – Dandelions
by Geoffrey Carpentier Finally, it’s spring, and look at all those lovely yellow flowers in my lawn. Oh wait, dandelions, yippee! We see...

Geoff Carpentier
Apr 16, 20253 min read


Walk Softly – 14 Words You Will Never Say
by Geoffrey Carpentier As I wait for spring, my mind sometimes wanders, and I think about strange words I’ve encountered over the years....

Geoff Carpentier
Apr 3, 20253 min read


Walk Softly – The Conclusion of a Chilly Tale
by Geoffrey Carpentier We are nearing the end of our discussion on how animals deal with winter’s cold and snow: having dealt with birds,...

Geoff Carpentier
Mar 19, 20253 min read


Walk Softly – Cozying up for the winter
by Geoffrey Carpentier ‘Wish I had a fur coat – oh wait – I do’ says the fox! Well, mammals are furry to be sure, so let’s continue our...

Geoff Carpentier
Mar 5, 20253 min read


Walk Softly - Sleeping the night away
by Geoffrey Carpentier In my recent columns, we’ve been exploring how birds deal with bitter-cold weather. Let’s next look at how some...

Geoff Carpentier
Feb 19, 20253 min read


Walk Softly - Great Horned Owl
by Geoffrey Carpentier If you ask anyone what sound an owl makes, they will likely respond “hoo-hoo” in a deep, resonant voice. However,...

Geoff Carpentier
Feb 5, 20253 min read


Walk Softly – Dealing with the Cold
by Geoffrey Carpentier Last time we explored how some small birds (i.e. chickadees) dealt with extreme temperatures. Now, I’d like to...

Geoff Carpentier
Jan 23, 20253 min read


Walk Softly: Baby It’s Cold Out there!
by Geoffrey Carpentier Well, we seem to be in a bit of a deep freeze at the moment. I know I don’t like waking up to these temperatures...

Geoff Carpentier
Jan 9, 20253 min read


Those Mysterious Owls
I’ve said it before, and likely will say it again, who doesn’t like those fascinating owls? Owls rely on sight and sound to locate prey....

Geoff Carpentier
Dec 19, 20243 min read


Walk Softly – Striped Skunk
by Geoffrey Carpentier Many of us over the past few years have been experiencing an incredible increase in the number of Japanese Beetles...

Geoff Carpentier
Dec 4, 20243 min read


Walk Softly – Climate – How are we doing?
by Geoffrey Carpentier I had the good fortune to tour Italy and several eastern European countries recently, on an actual holiday, not a...

Geoff Carpentier
Nov 27, 20243 min read
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