By Terry W. Johnson

When we are youngsters learning about the wonder and perils of the great outdoors, our parents taught us a number of valuable lessons aimed at keeping us out of harm's way. For example, we are taught that it is not a good idea to grab a bumblebee, or try to eat every berry we see. We also learned to recognize and avoid poison ivy at all cost. Often parents taught their children this important lesson using a short poem that goes like this, "Leaves of three, let them be."

By Terry W. Johnson

Due in large part to the amazing popularity of the film Jurassic World, Georgians of all ages have once again become fascinated with dinosaurs. Although the thunder lizards have been extinct for millions of years, modern day lizards, distant relatives of these often-mammoth beasts, lurk close to mankind.

By Terry W. Johnson

With each passing day, we are moving inexorably toward the peak of the hummingbird season. It is that special time of year when squadrons of hummingbirds invade our backyards, each vying for the opportunity to feed on nectar from our flowers and feeders.

By Terry W. Johnson

A common axiom states that if you want an abundance of wildlife in your backyard, you need to supply food, water and cover.

But the truth is you can provide wildlife with those three elements and still not attract as much wildlife as you thought you would. When this happens, the culprit may be the improper use of pesticides – insecticides, fungicides, herbicides.

Terry W. Johnson

Make no mistake about it, we Georgians love hummingbirds. Each year folks from Woodbine to West Point and Bainbridge to Helen and countless cities and towns in between spend hours enjoying the beauty and aerial acrobatics of the birds that John James Audubon called "glittering fragments of the rainbow."  

By Terry W. Johnson

One of the things I enjoy most about spring is that at this time of year we are treated to Mother Nature's annual parade of wildflowers. This special event actually begins before the official arrival of spring and extends well into May. Like the bands, floats and marchers in a traditional parade, each of our wildflowers appears across the Georgia countryside in an ordered sequence.

By Terry W. Johnson

If you would like to host a Baltimore oriole in your backyard, unbelievably there is no better time to try doing so than right now.

By Terry W. Johnson

I can remember years ago that I was surprised to hear a man say, "The only good sweetgum is a dead sweetgum." Although I knew that sweetgum had its detractors, until then I hadn’t realized that some folks passionately hated the tree.

By Terry W. Johnson

I consider the strawberry bush (Euonymous Americana) one our most beautiful native shrubs, and deserving of a place in home landscapes across the state. If you are not familiar with this plant, all it would take is for me to show you one laden with its attractive seed capsules and you would immediately agree with me.

By Terry W. Johnson