Suppose it were perfectly certain that the life and fortune of every one of us would one day or other depend upon his winning or losing a game of chess. Don't you think that we should all consider it to be a primary duty to learn at least the names and the moves of the pieces . . .

 -T.H.Huxley, 1868

Online Video - For Your Website

Is your organization interested in adding online video to your website? Video assets are an ideal way to increase traffic to your site. Learn the basics of online video right here.

Online Videos - Content

The synergy of digital video and the Internet now allow individuals to access almost unlimited visual content directly from their desktops. A quick search of the WWW will reveal video of everything from the sublime to the ridiculous. Here you will find my contribution - with a focus on nature.

• Seasonal highlights for naturalists in the Northeast . . . Through The Seasons
• Summer in the sand . . . Solitary Wasps
• LBJs of the butterfly world . . . Skippers of the Northeast: A Guide to Identification
• Online clips to cure the mid-winter blues . . . New World Tropics - Central America
• In praise of small critters . . . Jumping Spiders

Brownbag Productions

In 1997 I joined forces with Greg Dodge and formed Brownbag Productions. We produce DVDs for Naturalists - visual guides to identifying various groups of birds and insects. We also provide Stock Footage to other production companies - video focusing on the wildlife and scenics of North and Central America. While Greg and I are first and foremost naturalists, the latest generation of digital cameras and editing software has enabled us to acquire high quality video footage in the field and to do sophisticated post production on the desktop.

Other DVDs

• Fall sojourn - the natural wonders of Cape May in Autumn Cape May - Fall Flight
• Hometown hero - the sights and sounds of Thoreau's Concord Henry David Thoreau - Speaking for Nature
• Discover the Neotropics: Belize - Costa Rica - Trinidad The New World Tropics - An Introduction For Naturalists

Birding by Ear

During the 1970s and early 1980s I taught at the Willard School in Concord, Massachusetts. In an effort to bring natural history into the classroom our curriculum included birdsong. Kids were enthusiastic about learning the common songsters inhabiting the field and woodlands around Willard. I also designed a course on birdsong for adults and offered it at the Massachusetts Audubon Society. In 1988 Bob Lawson was a student in our class. Bob, it turned out, ran Blue Jay Recording Studio in Carlisle. One thing led to another and by the following year we convinced the Houghton Mifflin Co. to collaborate in the production of an audio series called Birding by Ear . Follow the link to learn more.

Monarch Monitoring Project

Everyone knows something about the monarch. Dr. Lincoln Brower has devoted much of his life to improving the lot of this wondrous insect. In 1990 Lincoln and I established a monarch research project in Cape May, NJ. For nearly two decades the Monarch Monitoring Project (MMP) has gathered data on migrant monarchs. The MMP has also relied on the talents and hard work of Louise Zemaitis. For details follow the link; better yet . . . plan a visit to Cape May this fall!