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Don Scallen

Don Scallen enjoys sharing his love of nature through his writing and presentations. Check out his blog "Notes from the Wild".

Hummingbirds

Aug 12, 2015

The migration of ruby-throated hummingbirds to and from the tropics puzzled early birdwatchers.

Butterflies

Jul 8, 2015

Butterflies are some of the most beautiful and interesting creatures on earth and can be easily attracted to your garden.

Treefrog Blog

Jun 3, 2015

Treefrogs have adhesive disks on the tips of their fingers that allow them to climb trees.

Vernal Pool Fairy Shrimp

May 5, 2015

These aquatic shrimp fairies are aptly named, for they are tiny, gossamer creatures.

Green Herons

Apr 7, 2015

Humans and other animals – not so different. Green herons will sometimes use leaves and other objects to lure fish within striking distance of their rapier-like beaks.

Bobolinks and Meadowlarks in Search of Some Breeding Space

Mar 23, 2015

Long a familiar sight in southern Ontario farm fields, these grassland birds are disappearing. So conservationists and others are joining forces to find practical ways 
to reverse the decline.

Bur Oaks

Mar 6, 2015

Why do so many sentinel bur oaks grace farm fields in Caledon and other parts of southern Ontario?

Avian immigrants and bird-feeding

Feb 9, 2015

Bird feeding has been largely responsible for the expansion of cardinals and mourning doves into Ontario.

House Sparrows

Jan 12, 2015

House sparrows may now be the most abundant and widespread bird on Earth, occupying every continent except Antarctica.

Beech Trees

Dec 10, 2014

Beech trees are being destroyed at heartbreaking speed by an introduced pathogen called beech bark disease.

The Once and Future Great Lakes Country

Nov 17, 2014

History from the Ground Up

Where the Wild Things Are

Nov 8, 2014

Where brook trout flourish, expect other exquisite wild things.

Osprey and DDT

Oct 11, 2014

Look for Osprey near Island Lake, Orangeville.

Poison

Sep 12, 2014

Io moth cats sport a bristling armament of stinging hairs.

Great Egrets

Aug 15, 2014

Egrets were being slaughtered by the thousands in 19th century America.

Milkweed and Monarchs

Jul 25, 2014

The monarchs’ table was set, but alas, they wouldn’t come to dinner.

The Raven

Jun 25, 2014

Ravens are renowned for their ability to solve complex puzzles to obtain tasty tidbits of food.

Imperilled Turtles

May 26, 2014

May/June is the time that turtles emerge from a long winter’s dormancy to bask in the sun. Unfortunately fewer and fewer of them appear every spring.

In The Hills

In The Hills is an independent, locally owned print and online magazine that has earned its reputation as the best-read, best-loved magazine in Headwaters.

The magazine is delivered to more than 40,000 homes and farms throughout Caledon, Erin, Dufferin, Orangeville and Creemore – up to double the circulation of any other local publication. And it is available to visitors at local inns, restaurants, specialty retail stores and other tourist locations.