Creating caches in preparation for winter
Community Loren Merrill Community Loren Merrill

Creating caches in preparation for winter

Red-breasted nuthatches, like the one hiding seeds under the white pine’s bark, typically stay in cold climates. They employ a clever trick to ensure they have enough food to last the winter: they create secret food caches across the landscape for later consumption. 

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Axel’s spotlights contest winner Justin Highet’s images through Nov. 22
Community Whitney Aldrich Community Whitney Aldrich

Axel’s spotlights contest winner Justin Highet’s images through Nov. 22

When Justin Highet moved to Vermont in 2016, photography was something he fit in “when there was time.” This fall, it takes the spotlight. After winning First Prize in Axel’s 2025 Photography Shoot Out, Highet now steps forward for his first solo exhibition at Axel’s Gallery & Frame Shop — a collection that celebrates his wide-ranging love for the craft itself.

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Ripples from the Reservoir: Mid-October edition
Community Sheila Goss Community Sheila Goss

Ripples from the Reservoir: Mid-October edition

Some thoughts as autumn marches by: We have loved being surrounded by the fabulous fall colors, no matter how muted or brilliant the foliage season may have been. We were forced to tolerate the increase in traffic and tourists, but those of us fortunate enough to get out on the water had the best experience!

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Avian tool use is not so bird-brained
Community William von Herff Community William von Herff

Avian tool use is not so bird-brained

The idea that a wide variety of birds can use tools is a relatively new one. In Jane Goodall’s 1971 global review of animal tool use, “Tool-Using in Primates and Other Vertebrates,” she only cited a handful of bird species as being capable of tool use. Now, a little more than 50 years later, dozens of bird species are known to use tools. 

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