Articles written by Melanie B. Fullman
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A flip in Saskatchewan
The wildland fire community has functioned on a somewhat world-wide basis for a long time. As the fire situation worsened in the Canadian provinces a few weeks ago, official help was requested from the US, Australia, and New Zealand. I was one of...
Fungus among us
With all the recent rain, the diversity and number of fungi – what most people call mushrooms – in the woods right now is outstanding. Even though most should NOT be eaten by humans, the seemingly endless variety of colors and shapes make this...
Proud to Serve
Not quite two months ago, in mid-March, a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer and his dog were gunned down in North Carolina. A life-long criminal, suspected of having just murdered his own parents, fled into the woods, then ambushed Officer...
The Eagle Has Landed (and that's the problem)
A fellow employee came into the office last week bearing a package – the sad body of a recently deceased eagle. Not the type of “gift” one might want to receive during the holidays (or ever). The eagle had been struck and killed by a vehicle... Full story
In the Woods: Battle Creek Boom Town
Looking at a hundred or so tents, a dozen porta-potties and several rows of tables in what had been merely a sagebrush meadow just a few days before, it’s not hard to imagine the rise (and fall) of the mining and logging boom towns in the late...
In the Woods: Oh, for goodness snakes
Starting off a conversation with “I like snakes” usually gets suspicious looks. I like snakes for two reasons: their form of locomotion amazes me (who would design a snake?) and they tend to eat things for which I harbor less enthusiasm, mostly...
In the Woods: A Chorus of Frogs
Walking around town the other evening, I couldn’t help but notice the sound of frogs. Our earliest vocal amphibians are boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculate), with a sound much like running one’s fingers across a plastic comb; you can hear... Full story