The Village Naturalist

Mark M. Peyton has always had a deep love of nature and of natural history. Like many of us who grew up before the internet could fit in our pockets, Peyton spent his younger days exploring the wonders that lie hidden beneath rocks and logs and in the creeks and ponds that dot the landscape. He took his love of nature even further as he grew, earning degrees in biology and assuming the role of the Village Naturalist, among his various professional positions.

This collection of essays is an introduction, lovingly crafted by Peyton, to introduce the reader to only a small portion of the natural landscape of Nebraska. You'll meet slithering snakes, love-sick owls, pesky moles and even a few lickin' toads. Rather than serving as a replacement for actual interaction with the natural world, Peyton's stories will inspire you to go out and explore your own corner of the world. You never know what you might find.

About the Author

Mark M. Peyton is a biologist with 20 years of experience in the classroom and another 22 years in the field working for the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District. He has performed numerous studies and written and presented papers on everything from the fish of the Platte River to bald eagles to the American burying beetle. He has been published in the Rural Electric Nebraskan, the Prairie Fire and The Chicken Dance Trail Newsletter. A Master SCUBA Diver, he has gone on hundreds of dives, both professionally and for pleasure.

Peyton and his wife, Cindy, a retired special education teacher, hail from Gothenburg, Nebraska, and are the proud parents of two boys: Reece who lives and works in Kearney, Nebraska, and Alex, a Staff Sergeant in the Nebraska National Guard, as well as an agronomist also living in Kearney. They have two beautiful granddaughters, Ellie and Emmie. Four cats, a dog, some snakes, a spider, a lizard and some chickens round out the family.