Dligi, red squirrels, are among the most active mammals in interior Alaska in December. Rather than hibernating, they rely on stored food caches, or middens, full of spruce cones gathered in summer and fall. They defend these middens all winter, so I often hear their loud territorial chattering throughout the forest. Their high metabolism, dense fur, and habit of nesting in insulated tree cavities or underground chambers allow them to remain active in temperatures well below zero. In Ahtna: dligi, pronounced "dlee-gee", red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus dligi ta', pronounced "dlee-gee taw", squirrel's nest or hole more

Who is making the tunnels through the snow? Dluuni, mice and red-backed voles, eat grass and sedges all winter long. There are also tiny łudałkayi, shrews, long-nosed and sharp-toothed insectivores who hunt invertebrates in the leaf litter. These small animals tunnel in the snow to access food all winter, but also to keep warm and to hide from predators. They make elaborate networks with air holes and branching passages. In Ahtna: dluuni, pronounced "dloo-nee", rodent family, Cricetidae łudałkayi, pronounced "koo-da-kay-yee", shrew, Sorex sp. more

This week, we decided to try something different and create a nature journal column that readers could interact with more as a coloring page. I've noticed the winter birds around, especially xaydudiye, pine grosbeaks, eating the leftover highbush cranberries. They are so colorful in the winter. Males (top) are red and gray, while females (bottom) are mostly gray with an olive-yellow head, rump, and sometimes breast. In Ahtna: xaydudiye, pronounced "hie-do-dee-ya", pine grosbeak, Pinicola enucleator more

Last week, we got a skim of snow, and colder temperatures began to freeze the creeks. It is beginning to feel more like winter, despite this year's mild fall, and I look forward to watching the rivers change further into their winter colors. more