My name is Terry Thomas. I write the nature column for the Idaho Falls Post Register (70,000 readers) and also Island Park News. I'm a lifelong naturalist, a wildlife biologist for 30 years and have been writing this nature column for 25 years.
You can read the column here. Just scroll down and click on whatever interests you. There are over 300 columns here so you should be able to find something of interest.
This is also an excellent place for families that home-school. You can find many columns here to help you with nature studies, reports and such.
Longtime readers have been excited about the publication of, The Best of Nature, with over 100 of the best essays (232 pages) from past years. If you are new to the column, you especially don't want to miss this book as I started this website after I published the book.
I also illustrate the column with my own photographs and offer free photography classes on this site as well.
We'll post the latest columns here and may occasionally post a popular column from the past.
Sep-28-24_Smallest_Vertebrates
Sep-7-24_Antibiotic_Resistance
Aug-3-24_Adventure Planning Tools
May-18-24_Why_Wetlands_are_Important
Apr-27-24_Wetlands_Introduction
Apr-20-24_Atmospheric_Pressure
Mar-9-24_Will_lions_be_welome_Eastward
Mar-2-24_Mountain_Lion_Expansion
Feb-24-24_Bald_Eagle_Roost_Trees
Dec-23-23_The_Atmosphere-Part2
Nov-25-23_Creeping_Oregon_Grape
Nov-18-23_Plant_Adaptations_to_Fire
Oct-30-23_How_to_Best_Ovserve_the_Moon
Oct-22-23_Moon_Facts_and Terminology
Oct-1-23_Bald_and_Golden_Eagles
July-30-23_Home_Invasion_part2
July-9-23_Barred_vs_Spotted_Owl
June-4-23_Songbird_Monitoring_at_Camas_Part2
May-21-23_Songbird_Monitoring_at_Camas_NWR
May-14-23_Commenting_on_Environmental_Documents
May-7-23_Interpreting_Environmental_Documents
Apr-30-23_American_Kestrel_Decline
Apr-16-23_Has_Earth_Day_Mad_a_Difference
Apr-9-23_Fingers_and_Toes_Part2
Apr-2-23_Fingers_and_Toes_Part1
Feb-26-23_How_Earthquakes_are_Measured
Feb-19-23_Nature_Documentaries
Feb-5-23_Intelligence_and_Thinking
Jan-15-23_Mammal_Milk_and_Nursing
Dec-18-22_Lessons_from_Movement_of_Earth
Dec-4-22_Is_Wild_Meat_Healthier_Part2
Nov-27-22_Is_Wild_Meat_Healthier
Nov-13-22_Morels_and_puffballs
Nov-6-22_Shaggy_Mane_and_Chciken_of_the_Woods
Oct-30-22_Mushrooms_Foolproof_Four
Oct-23-22_Lamar-Valley_Reopens
Oct-2-22_Predicting_Fall_Colors
Sept-18-22_Protecting_Historic_Structures_from_Wildfire
Aug-21-22_National_Parks_vs_Monuments
July-24-22_Ruby-crowned_Kinglet
July-17-22_Pittman-Roberstson_Act_Under_Fire
July-3-22_Why_Rain_makes_plants_green
June-12-22_National_Pollinator_Month
May-8-22_Bulbs_corms_rhizomes_and_tubers
Mar-13-22_Reclaiming_Wastewater_Naturally
Feb-20-22_Great_Salt_Lake_Dying
Feb-13-22_Microclimates_Part_2
Jan-2-22_Wildlife_Management_in_Idaho
Dec-26-21_Winter_Wildlife_Hotspots
Sept-5-21_Wandering_in_Grizzly_Country
Aug-22-21_Idaho_Mountain_ranges
July-18-21_Butterflies_and_Moths
July-4-21_Aphelion_and_Perihelion
May-30-21_Politics_and_Wildlife
May-2-21_Western_and_Clarks_Grebes
April-25-21_Bear_River_Bird_Refuge
April-11-2021_Moose_in_Trouble
March-7-21_Feeding_Wildlife_Part2
Feb-28-21_Feeding_Wildlife_Part_1
Jan-31-21_Environmental_Regulation
Jan-17-21_Why_Duck_Feet_Don't_Freeze
Oct-11-20_Changing_Face_of_Camping
Oct-4-20_Lewis_and_Clark_as_Scientists
July-19-20_Collecting_Native_Wildflower_seed
June-25-20_Idaho_for_the_Curious
April-23-2020_Nictitating_Membrane
April-16-2020_Summer_Outdoor_Recreation
April-9-2020_Unintended Consequences_of_Covid-19
April-2-2020_Stay_at_Home_Order
Mar-19-20_When_Sexes_look_Alike
Feb-13-20_Mountain_Goats_in_Grand_Teton_NP
Jan-30-20_Wildlife_Depredations
Jan-16-20_Random_Nature_Trivia
Dec-19-19_Christmas_Tree_Hunting
Nov-14-19_Migration_Routes_Part_2
Nov-7-19_Elk_and_Deer_Migration_Routes
Sept-26-19_Nests_are_not_Homes
Aug-1-19_Continental_Divide_Trail
June-27-19_Precocial_vs_Altricial
June-13-19_Yellow-bellied_Marmots
April-18-19_Geology_Basic_to_Life
Mar28-19_NaturalResourceConservationService_Website
Mar-7-19_Keeping_Wildlife_Watching_Exciting
Feb-28-19_Astronomy_Observatories
Jan-24-19_Ecological_Partitioning
Dec-13-18_Christmas_Peace_of_Mind
Nov-15-18_Idaho_Falls_Birding_Guide
Oct-4-18_Nature_Therapy_Part_2
Sept-6-18_Travel_Acquaintances
July-19-18_Little_City_of_Rocks
June-14-18_20_Year_Anniversary
May-10-18_Yellowstone_in_Springtime
April-19-18_White-tailed_Antelope_Squirrel
Feb-8-18_One Mans_Pleasure_(and_Pain)
Jan-18-2018_Birding_along_Great_Salt_Lake
December-7-17_Salt_of_the_Earth
November-30-17_Transition_Time
November-16-17_Downy_Woodpeckers
November-2-17_WMA_State_Tour_Part3
October-26-17_WMA_State_Tour_Part2
October-19-17_WMA_State_Tour_Part1
October-12-17_Late_Leaf_Change
Sept-28-17_Prairie_Pothole_Duck_Factory
Sept-21-17_Five_Great_Native_Shrubs
Sept-14-17_Master_Naturalists_to_the_Rescue
July-13-17_William_Clark's_Journey
July-6-17_Economics_of_National_Monuments
June-22-17_Theodore_Roosevelt_NP
May-25-17_Neotropical_Migratory_Songbirds
May-18-17_Where_to_See_Waterfalls
Mar-9-17_Total_Solar_Eclipse_Part_2
Feb-16-17_Cabinets of Curiosity
Jan-19-17_Should_We_Feed_Elk_Part_2
Jan-5-17_We_Live_in_a_Great_Place
Nov-24-16_Birdhouse_Principles
Oct-13-16_Badlands_National_Park
Sept-8-16_Seeing_Red_and_Yellow
Aug-25-16_Migratory_Bird_Treaty_Act
Aug-4-16_Perseid_Meteor_Shower
July-14-16_Diversity_of_Aquariums
June-16-16_Secretive_Marsh_Birds
May-26-16_Black-crowned_Night_Heron
May-19-16_Politics_and_Wildlife
April-21-16_Invaders_on_our_shores
April-14-16_Idaho_Birding_Trail
Feb-18-16_Animal_Concentrations
Jan-28-16_Plant_Hardening_for_Winter
Dec-31-15_National_Park_Service
Oct-29-15_Yellowstone_Hydrothermal_Features
Oct-8-15_Gros_Ventre_Adventure
June-18-15_Craters_of_the_Moon
June-4-15_Selecting_Binoculars
May-28-15_Binoculars_are_a_Valuable_Tool
April-30-15_Yellowstone_Adventure
April-16-15_South_Fork_Cottonwoods
April-9-15_Meadow_VoleParadigm_Shift
Mar-26-15_Flight_of_Bats_and_Birds
Mar-5-15_The_Tooth_of_the_Matter
Feb-26-15_National_Natural_Landmarks
Feb-12-15_Winter_Bald_Eagle_Viewing
Jan-29-15_Traveling_to_see_Wildlife
Jan-22-15_Funding_Wildlife_Diversity
Jan-15-15_Black-capped Chickadees
Dec-11-14_Lessons_from_Chocolate
Dec-4-14_Protecting_Winter_Range
Nov-13-14_Cutthroat Trout: Icon of the West
Oct-23-14_Three_Challenges_Hunters_Face
Sept-18-14_Mount_Moran_Geology
August-28-14_Last_Passenger_Pigeon
August-21-14_Huckleberry_Picking_Time_Travel
August-14-14_Grasses_are_Staff_of_Life
June-19-14_Wildlife in China is Hard to Find
April-24-14_Lesson_in_Conservation
Feb-20-14_Hagerman_bird_festival
Feb-13-14_Elwha_River_Dams_are_Gone
Jan-9-14_Life_is_Rough_at_the_Bottom
Jan-2-14_Yesterday_Today_Tomorrow
Dec-26-13_Chaos_and_the_Butterfly_Effect
Dec-19-13 _Last_Minute_Christmas_Idea
October-17-2013_Third_face_of_fire
September-5-2013_Mining_for_star_garnets
August-29-2013_In_Search_of_Western_White_Pines
August-22-2013_Plant_Communities
July-4-13_Turning up the Heat on Fish
June-13-2013_Bloodsucking Leeches
June-6-2013_Dabblers_and_Divers
May-30-2013_Migration_at_Camas_NWR
May-23-2013 Delayed Implantation
"WOW. What a phenomenal piece you wrote. You are amazing." Jennifer Jackson
That is embarrassing, but actually a fairly typical response to my nature essays. Since The Best of Nature is created from the very best of 16 years of these nature essays published weekly in the Idaho Falls Post Register (online readership 70,000), it is a fine read. It covers a wide variety of topics including humorous glimpses of nature, philosophy, natural history, and conservation. Readers praise the style, breadth of subject matter and my ability to communicate complex and emotional topics in a relaxed and understandable manner.
Everyone can find something to love in this book. From teenagers to octogenarians, from the coffee shop to the school room, these nature essays are widely read and enjoyed.
Some of the essays here are my personal favorites, others seemed to strike a chord with readers. Most have an important message or lesson that will resonate with you. They are written with a goal to simultaneously entertain and educate about the wonderful workings of nature. Some will make you laugh out loud and others will bring a tear to the eye and warm your heart.
Readers Write:
"You hit a home run with your article on, Big Questions in Nature. It should be required reading for everyone who has lost touch with nature...great job!" Joe Chapman
"We enjoyed your column, Bloom Where Planted. Some of the best writing yet. The Post Register is fortunate to have your weekly columns." Lou Griffin.
To read more and to order a copy, click here or get the Kindle version
Copies are also available at:
Post Register
Island Park Builders Supply (upstairs)
Barnes and Noble in Idaho Falls
Harriman State Park, Island Park
Museum of Idaho
Valley Books, Jackson Wyoming
Avocet Corner Bookstore, Bear River National Wildlife Refuge, Brigham City, Utah
Craters of the Moon National Monument Bookstore, Arco, Idaho