Author. Thinker. Other things.
Until recently, we had a number of dogwoods (Cornus florida) on our wooded North Carolina property. Every April, we'd enjoy their beautiful, saucer-like white blossoms peeking through the other foliage, virtually the only reminder of their existence through the thick undergrowth. In September, their berries were enjoyed by a riot of birds. Mockingbirds, bluebirds, thrushes,... Continue Reading →
Like many people, I'm very fond of manatees. Despite being mossy and a little bit potato-like, there's something incredibly engaging about them. And, like many people, I've also spent a lot of time teleworking over the last few months. Fortunately, the first situation has made the second a little easier. At noon, several days a... Continue Reading →
Dan letting me help rehabilitate a cold-shocked green sea turtle Last Wednesday, I teamed up with my colleague Dr. Dan Dombrowski, Chief Veterinarian at North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences to launch Love Nature: The Biophilia Podcast. The launch itself was part of of BugFest, the Museum's largest event of the year, attracting 30,000 people... Continue Reading →
This is my final blog post related to Carnegie Museum of Natural History, finishing up with a topic that has interested me for the last four-and-a-half years. Natural history habitat dioramas can provide passage to another place, and another time. In 1932 the artisans at Carnegie Museum of Natural History created this habitat diorama "Red... Continue Reading →
I just read an interesting blog post from National Geographic "Does Destroying Ivory Save Elephants? Experts Weigh In". Of course, a big public display of destroying artworks made from illegally hunted elephants makes in impact. National Geographic garnered the opinions of thinkers from all over the world, and their perspectives are equally varied. For me,... Continue Reading →
A friend just emailed me a series of articles which surprised me considerably. Each describes an event in which an animal has died at the hands of somebody - and in some cases many people - grabbing it to take selfies. Here are some examples within the last couple of weeks - warning this isn't... Continue Reading →
I was at a dinner party the other day when I overheard one of the guests describing a living room in disparaging terms because it was too filled with chintz. I have to admit it's not a fabric I spend much time considering, nor before writing this post even knew anything about (except that it... Continue Reading →
ERIC DORFMAN 