McTigue, a longtime journalist and lifelong observer of the natural world, launched the column with a simple idea: people are more likely to care about the natural world when they slow down long enough to really notice it.

Her columns often begin with something encountered along the trail: a tiny red eft crossing the forest floor, a porcupine high in a tree, a stand of sumac along an old farm path, the first call of a bird in spring or one of the countless small dramas unfolding in the woods every day.

From there, she follows her curiosity.

Why is that animal behaving that way? Why does that plant grow there? What is happening beneath our feet or above our heads that we might walk past without ever noticing?

The result is a column that blends science and natural history with the sense of wonder that comes from simply paying attention.

Old School Naturalist has been growing rapidly and now appears in newspapers across upstate New York. The Mountain Eagle is the latest publication to bring the column to its readers.