About Nature Notes
Nature Notes is a little website run by me (Laura). I'm an ecologist, artist, and writer with a life-long fascination for animals and wildlife.
I have been writing about nature and wildlife for more than seven years, during which time I've researched and written about animals of all sizes, shapes, and demeanors, from mites to blue whales. I've yet to encounter an animal that fails to amaze me—I have as much appreciation for oft-maligned creatures such as great white sharks, funnel-web spiders, and Komodo dragons as I do for beloved animal icons such as pandas, dolphins, and giraffes.
This site serves as an online notebook and professional portfolio. Here you'll find field observations, research notes, natural science illustrations, and various bits of information about plants, animals, habitats, and the natural history that ties them all together.
Education and Memberships
I hold bachelors' degrees in biology and chemistry from the University of Illinois as well as a master's degree in environmental science and ecology from Indiana University. I attended the Shoals Marine Laboratory where I studied Biological Illustration. I am a member of the National Association of Science Writers, the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Photographs
Each photograph used at the site is credited at the bottom of the article in which it appears. Images are obtained with all appropriate permissions from a variety of sources including press releases (I hold press passes for Eurekalert and Newswise), reader submissions, and stock photography providers such as ShutterStock and iStockPhoto.
Publishing
The content of the Nature Notes site is managed on the MovableType publishing platform and is hosted by BlueHost. I designed and coded all pages on this site to adhere to the latest Web standards and guidelines.
Photos © iStockphoto.
An Assortment of Articles
- Wolves Have Unexpected Effect on Elk Populations
23 Jul 2009 -
- Elk populations in the Yellowstone area are declining and scientists from Montana State University have been trying to identify the cause. Wolves, one of the elks' natural predators, were reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995. Although some elk are killed...
- Wildlife News Roundup - December 2008 31 Dec 2008
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- In this issue of Wildlife News Roundup, we find out about rising atmospheric carbon dioxide and its effects on large marine animals, the northward expansion of European butterfly populations, and the Old World origins of large cats. There is...
- A New Way to Track Migratory Songbirds 26 Feb 2009
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- Until recently, small migratory songbirds, too small to track via satellite, have eluded scientists who wish to follow their annual migrations. Now, a tiny device that senses light levels and records sunrise and sunset times, enables scientists to gain...
- New Hummingbird Discovered in Columbia 14 May 2007
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- A new species of hummingbird has been discovered in the montane cloud forests of south-west Colombian. The gorgeted puffleg (Eriocnemis isabellae) is named for its brilliant, bicolor throat patch (of iridescent blue and green feathers) and the white tufts...
- Deeper Calls Signal Dominance in Male Fallow Deer 05 Sep 2008
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- This week it seems to be all about animal declarations of dominance and territory. We started the week with news of a group of Jamaican lizards that mark their territory with vigourous displays of push-ups and head bobs. Now...
by Rachel Carson
by Douglas Adams
by Edward O. Wilson
