Backyard and Beyond

Starting out from Brooklyn, an amateur naturalist explores our world.

As John Burroughs said, “The place to observe nature is where you are.”

evolution

  • Gone Mammothin’

    “Shall the great mammoth of the American forest leave his native element and plunge into water in a mad contest with the shark?” John Randolph (1773-1833) – a colorful, not to say histrionic, Congressman who brought his slaves and hunting dogs onto the floor of Congress, ate buckets of opium, and probably had a crush…

    mthew

  • Real-Time Urban Evolution

    Not so long ago, we were picnicking in Father Demo Square in the West Village of the Inner Borough. The square is really a triangle bordered by 6th Ave, Bleecker, and Carmine. It underwent a major redesign a few years ago. We’d picked up a few noshes at Murray’s Cheese Shop and parked ourselves on…

    mthew