Something Wild

Something Wild

From the many birds that call our state home, to the trees around New Hampshire that have been granted "Big Tree" status, to stone walls that punctuate the state, we explain the behavior and science behind what we see and hear (and might take for granted) in our backyards.

Something Wild: Extreme weather is both a disaster and an opportunity

Heavy, wet April snow in New Hampshire snapped off saplings and uprooted trees. But in nature, disasters caused by all sorts of extreme weather are often followed by opportunities.
Something Wild: Extreme weather is both a disaster and an opportunity

Heavy, wet April snow snapped off saplings and uprooted trees in the state. But in nature, damage caused by all sorts of extreme weather is often followed by opportunities.
Something Wild: Peepers, The Unmistakable Sound of Spring

Spring peepers spend the winter under leaf litter in a state of suspended animation. Once overnight temperatures are regularly in the 40s, they start thawing out and begin singing.
Something Wild: How will animals react during the total solar eclipse?

With spring migration underway, scientists are eager to study how birds, and wildlife in general, will react to this year’s total eclipse. Research from the 2017 eclipse suggests some things to look for in N.H. on April 8, 2024.
Something Wild: Why our lakes need ice

Cold, clear lakes require the winter reset provided by long-lasting winter ice. Beyond the winter tourism of ice-fishing and pond hockey, ice is a crucial part of the ecological health of our living lakes.
Something Wild: Are birdfeeders for the birds - or us?

As little as six minutes of listening to bird song has been shown to reduce anxiety. No wonder an estimated 50 million people enjoy feeding feathered friends at a bird feeder. But who really benefits from feeding birds?
Something Wild: Are birdfeeders for the birds - or us?

Listening to as little as six minutes of bird song has been shown to reduce anxiety. No wonder an estimated 50 million people enjoy feeding feathered friends at a bird feeder. But who really benefits from feeding birds?
Something Wild: How cold is it? Check the rhododendron!

A phenomenon called "thermonasty" causes rhododendron leaves to curl up when it’s really cold out. This adaptation allows these broad-leaved evergreens to thrive in the doubly-challenging conditions of damp soil and freezing temperatures.
Something Wild: How shed antlers benefit N.H.'s forests

There's a reason you may never have found an antler in the woods, despite N.H.'s population of 100,000 deer (not to mention a few thousand moose). Shed antlers provide nutrients to a whole host of forest-dwellers who recognize their value.
Something Wild: The fir wave phenomenon and other challenges in NH's White Mountains

The weather in New Hampshire’s White Mountains has, over millennia, created forests that are specifically suited to extreme weather conditions.
Something Wild: How do their feet not freeze off?

Adaptations in many species in New Hampshire allows them to flourish in the cold winter temperatures. It’s also why you see more trees with light-colored bark the farther north you go.
Something Wild: Is NH’s spruce grouse the most audacious of the gallinaceous?

The elusive yet bold spruce grouse is a little-known New Hampshire inhabitant that relies on forests that are specifically adapted to colder temperatures.