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Michael Simpson, PhD
Registered Professional Biologist
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Q&A Comments (66)
Co-authored Articles (29)
How to
Identify Oak Leaves
With over sixty different oak species in the U.S alone and hundreds more across the globe, it can be challenging to identify oak leaves. To help narrow down a specific tree, they can be distinguished into two basic categ...
Recognizing a Deathcap Mushroom: 13 Characteristics to Look For
Everything you need to know to stay safe and avoid toxic death caps while you forage The death cap mushroom (''Amanita phalloides'') is one of the deadliest mushrooms in the world. Because of the serious threat it poses,...
How to
Identify Edible Mushrooms
center Mushrooms make a delicious addition to pizza, pasta, salads, and more. That said, it’s best to leave searching for wild, edible mushrooms to professional mycologists (scientists who study fungi). If you still wa...
How to
Identify Poisonous Mushrooms
Learning how to identify poisonous mushrooms is the most important part of foraging for edible mushrooms. ''Amanita'' is a very common genus of mushroom, and some of the most toxic types of mushrooms belong in this group...
How to
Identify Hickory Trees
Hickory - belonging to a section of the walnut family - is a canopy tree that is prevalent in eastern North America, although other species of hickory have been known to exist in Europe, Africa and Asia. The hickory tree...
A Complete Guide to Pine Tree Identification
Learn how to tell the difference between pines, spruces, firs, and moreThere are many qualities that make pine trees well-known, such as their fresh smell. However, they can be difficult to identify from trees that look ...
How to
Identify Oaks by the Acorns
There are approximately 500 species of oak trees all over the world, almost all of them in the northern hemisphere. They can be deciduous, losing their leaves in winter, or evergreen (live oaks), keeping their leaves all...
How to
Count Tree Rings
Counting tree rings is one of the most accurate ways to determine a tree’s age. In order to do so, you need to find the stump of a tree that has been cut down or get a cross-section of wood from near the bottom of the ...
How to
Identify Oak Trees
Learn the key features of oak trees to ID them in the wildThere are literally hundreds of species of oak trees located in various areas of the world. This popular tree has been a valuable source of shade and beauty for c...
How to Read a Cladogram (and Make Your Own)
Cladograms are an important tool used by scientists to understand common ancestors and the characteristics of certain animals. If you're studying evolution in biology, you're likely to encounter a cladogram. At first gla...
How to
Identify Hickory Nuts
Hickory nuts are the fruit of the hickory tree, which is in the walnut family. There are over 16 species of hickory tree, and they share some similar characteristics, such as a compound leaf structure, a straight and nar...
How to
Identify Walnut Trees
Quickly ID walnut tree varieties with our handy guideIf you live in the central-eastern part of the United States, you've probably seen walnut trees in parks or low-lying areas between rivers, creeks, and dense woods. Th...
How to Find the Dependent & Independent Variables (With Examples)
Determine these variables in scientific studies, equations & graphsWhether you’re conducting a science experiment or learning algebra, you’re going to deal with variables. Independent and dependent variables are 2 im...
How to Determine the Difference Between Palm Tree Species
Gain quick palm identification skills with our helpful guide Palm trees are so named because many of them feature fan-shaped, or palmate, fronds. There are over 2,600 species of palm trees, including some that can withst...
The Sugar Maple: Key Characteristics & How to Identify Them
Examine the leaves, bark, and fruit of a sugar mapleThe sugar maple tree (''Acer saccharum'') grows abundantly in the northeastern part of North America: the northeastern United States (including as far south as Tennesse...
How to Extract Mushroom Spores from Prints for Slides & Cultivation
Grow your own mushroom patch from spores with this helpful guideCollecting mushroom spores is a simple process that allows you to grow your own mushrooms and make beautiful natural prints—you just need a bowl, some wat...
130 Interesting Facts About the Desert You Probably Didn’t Know
Learn what makes the Sahara, Atacama & more deserts uniqueWhen we say “deserts,” you probably think of sunshine, cactuses, extremely hot weather, and sand. But what if we told you there was more to these biomes than ...
How to
Identify Poison Sumac
You probably know about poison ivy and even poison oak, but poison sumac can be a little bit harder to spot. It’s a plant that’s native to the eastern United States and Canada, and it can cause a red, itchy rash and ...
How to
Identify Cedar Trees
A number of trees are given the common name of "cedar" in the US, despite belonging to other genera, such as the ''Juniper'' genus. For instance, you're likely to find the Western Red Cedar, the Eastern Red Cedar, or the...
How to
Identify Lemon Tree Diseases
Common citrus diseases--plus what to do to save your fruit if your tree is infected Lemon trees make a beautiful addition to any yard or grove. Unfortunately, they’re susceptible to a wide variety of diseases, includin...
