She tranquilizes Moose snarled in volleyball nets. Using welder's gloves, she snatches frightened Porcupines from beneath cars in Midtown parking lots. And since she was hired in 2002 as the assistant area biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Coltrane has responded to hundreds of bear-in-the-garbage reports. Now her role has expanded.

The 32-year-old biologist has a lifelong fascination with wildlife. The daughter of an oil company pilot, she grew up in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. As a graduate student, Coltrane studied monkeys hunted by local people who ate them for subsistence in the Peruvian Amazon. She has also monitored endangered sea turtles in the South Pacific, Northern Right Whales in the Atlantic and Ringed Seals off Alaska's North Slope. (Black Bear)

This fall, she plans to launch a tracking study of Anchorage's Porcupines as... Read On

I spent a lot of time planning for a trip to the Smoky Mountains. The time of year I would be there was considered the off-season and, as with most seasonal locations, most businesses and services would be closed. This could mean long distances to travel for supplies, and lost shooting time as well. (White-tail Deer)

I previously photographed in the Smoky Mountains on several other occasions, but on this trip, instead of flying, I would be driving and staying in my truck camper for about two weeks. This would make it difficult to balance the quantities of food, water, propane, and other necessary supplies needed for the duration of the trip. In the small space of the truck-camper, the storage capacity for supplies and equipment is extremely limited and good planning becomes that much more essential.

For years I have used, and continue to add... Read On

Though decomposers perform an invaluable ecological service, their role in nature is often minimized or even dismissed. Biologists prefer to concentrate their attention on higher organisms, especially those that don't stink.

But it may be that the odors associated with decomposers may be more than by-products of their actions. It may be that decomposers compete with larger scavengers by producing repugnant chemicals that actually discourage larger consumers.

This notion was first suggested by ecologist Dan Janzen in a paper published in 1977 entitled, "Why Fruits Rot, Seeds Mold, and Meat Spoils."

He suggested that microbes make... Read On

Usually he's the "Bluebird of Happiness" but here he appears ruffled and disgusted with the onset of colder weather in this reproduction of the photograph by Michael L. Smith. This is one of the most famous nature photographs ever created and originally was seen in a National Geographic Society birding book.

Here it has been reproduced on 12-oz. porcelain mugs that are microwave and dishwasher safe. Makes a terrific gift!

Find more Mad Bluebird and other nature gift suggestions in the Nature Shop

"Although I have taken down the feeders, I haven’t taken in all my hummingbird paraphernalia. I have left the ant traps hanging and filled with water. This is being done at the specific request of my chickadees.

For the past several weeks, I have had chickadees coming to... Read On

"HAVING LIVED the rural life for the better part of my 24 years, I’ve seen my fair share of cows and goats and the likes, but it wasn’t until this past month that I’ve made some first-time sightings," says Jessica Richardson, Sherman, TX.

" Returning home around dusk, I noticed nine or 10 White-tail Deer grazing in our pasture.

"My husband and I were amazed and in awe of their delicate beauty. The herd, with one buck, captivated us for about 10 minutes. Then we realized we needed to capture this beautiful image on film. We were afraid to scare the deer, so we snapped some photos with our camera phones.

Zach, my husband, wasn’t satisfied with the small images, so he attempted to retrieve the... Read On