Bryan's Blog

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The Butterfly Effect

In case you missed it, after 21 years of searching I discovered an imperiled butterfly the size of a penny flying in my home state of Vermont. Then came the international “notoriety.”

Walking, Limping, Sitting

On the occasion of my total knee replacement, here is a reflection on walking, limping and sitting — and on finding equanimity in nature.

Refuge in a Flower and its Bee

While conducting casual research on one of my favorite flowers, I discovered something intrinsic to nature: escape and respite. (My latest essay for The Boston Globe.)

Be the Flame and the Moth

The profound diversity of life on Earth — flying now to your doorstep.

Silent Spring at 60

Were it published today, would Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring have had the same impact? My essay for The Boston Sunday Globe.

War and Nature

As a biologist here in the relative safety of New England, I’m struggling to reconcile the new life of spring emerging from the horrific shadows of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

FALLOUT

Since last autumn I’ve been photographing fallen pandemic masks. Performance art? Pandemic zeitgeist? You decide.

The Eagle and the Gull

An exceedingly rare eagle and a gull at sea. Alone and away from the crowds, I more enjoyed the gull.

Sex and Light

On the shortest day of the year, when most of us turn toward the light, I seek out creatures of the dark: moths mating in the cold.

Birdwatching’s Carbon Problem

A moral question for birdwatchers and others who enjoy — and simultaneously harm — nature on a warming planet.

My Extra Hour

Time marches on — but I have a plan to beat the clock on Sunday when we dial back clocks and devices an hour. I’ll save mine for nature. Here’s an essay for The Boston Globe.

The World on the Wing of a Butterfly

From arctic bogs to southwestern deserts — and lots of places in between — I offer you transcendence on the wing of a tiny butterfly.