Claire Smrekar

The Peregrine Falcon is, in fact, an afterthought in the chapter Williams devotes largely to starlings. What struck me most about this chapter was the acknowledgement of the fact that Williams is without a doubt […]

I live in a small town that really loves being a small town. Willoughby is the kind of place that has heavy regulations about new construction. They don’t mind that it happens, but they are very particular about […]

I will admit that reading Walden was not always easy for me. Half-way through “Economy” I found myself getting constantly distracted by my own thoughts about deadlines, social events, and meetings . I would have […]

In both my visits to Johnson’s Woods and Brown’s Bog I was struck by how abruptly the forest broke out of the farmland. It seemed as if there were carefully plowed fields as far as the eye could see until suddenly […]

While walking along the path at Johnson’s Woods I was struck not only by the constant presence of a wide variety of insects, but by how many chipmunks were running from tree to tree and beneath the boardwalk. As I […]

I’ve spent at least one day at the beach each summer since I’ve been able to get myself there. It is routine, it is calming, and it is the same thing that the people I’ve grown up with have done every summer. […]