Rock Run Preserve

06/04/2026

Recognize this critter? Likely not, because we don’t see short-tailed shrews very often. Not because they are rare or endangered, but because they spend most of their lives underground. (Photo courtesy of Tate Bowers)

You may have seen a short-tailed shrew and mistaken it for a mouse, but these animals are entirely different. And the shrews are about as weird as it gets.

05/27/2026

Program coordinator Jess McQuown explains how fish and insects like mayflies use their tails to help them navigate.

05/21/2026

Just like we do, birds need food, water and shelter to survive. If you want to see more of them in your yard, it helps to meet their basic needs.

Want to attract birds to your yard? You'll need to meet their basic needs: food, shelter and water.

05/14/2026

Fun fact: Snapping turtles have existed for so long that they lived with the dinosaurs! They have changed surprisingly little over the millions of years they have existed. They still look and live much the same as they did in the age of the dinosaurs.

The imposing-looking snapping turtle is nothing to fear, but they are pretty interesting creatures.

05/07/2026

Spring is mud season, so you might be wondering where all that dirt even comes from.

The dirt on dirt — what's in it, where it comes from and why you should call it soil instead.

04/30/2026

Weird but true: Cottontail rabbits eat their own f***s. Because of how they digest food, it's a normal part of their diet.

Rabbits might seem ordinary, but there's more to them than meets the eye.

04/24/2026

The color of robin eggs is such a pretty shade of blue that they named a crayon color after it! Here's your chance to learn where that color comes from.

The color of a robin's eggs is a familiar shade of blue, but the source of that color may surprise you. 

04/23/2026

Go ahead and name this tree. You know you want to.

04/16/2026

Hummingbirds are starting to arrive, so get your feeders ready. You can make your own nectar by following this simple formula.

04/09/2026

The landscape changes rapidly at this time of year. More green appears every day, and the birds and wildflowers add little pops of color everywhere. That makes it the perfect time of year to prioritize spending time outside. Do you have a favorite spot to explore in spring? (Photo by Glenn P. Knoblock)

Nature can be a wild ride when the seasons are changing, but that's all the more reason to make time for it.