## scottobear: backyard zoo & grotto musings
sometimes the smallest windows into the world are the ones that linger the longest. the **scottobear youtube channel** is one of those windows. gregory scott von berg — better known online as scottobear — calls himself an *author / blogger / coder / friendly dude. just this guy, you know?* it fits.
### backyard zoo
most of the channel is made up of short glimpses of the neighbors we don’t always notice. deer padding through the grass. skunks toddling in at dusk. chipmunks darting in and out of view. on a recent video, a monarch butterfly unfolded its wings for the first time, caught in quiet close-up.
a few recent favorites:
– [skunks visit 8-31-2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-64uG9cIvRI) (#backyardzoo #roanokeva #skunk)
– [deer and chipmunk 8-28-2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UASUmtxevGs)
– [monarch hatching august 28 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeaC7_pEPLU)
there’s nothing overproduced here, no polish. just the ordinary magic of nature slipping into view, the kind you’d catch if you left a trail cam running in your own yard.
### the grotto
alongside the videos, there’s a journal at [svonberg.org](https://svonberg.org), affectionately called **the scotto grotto**. it’s been running since 2000, which means there’s an entire archive of wandering thoughts, small joys, odd links, and philosophical asides.
the **about page** greets you with a smile: *gregory scott von berg – friendly bear. will not maul you. probably.* (ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ)
the **contract** encourages readers to take things lightly, to let ideas sit in the “maybe” pile before calling them true or false.
entries can be whimsical or weighty, sometimes both at once. in one, he imagines *if i were a tree, i’d be a redwood. if i were a book, i’d be dandelion wine.*
### why peek in
taken together, the youtube clips and grotto pages paint a picture of someone who notices things. the soft shuffle of skunk paws at night. the play of light in memory. the shape of a thought trying to form.
it’s not about being impressive. it’s about being present.
– **youtube**: [scottobear channel](https://www.youtube.com/@scottobear)
– **journal**: [the scotto grotto](https://svonberg.org)
drop by, if you’d like. watch the deer, read the words, take a moment. there’s a gentle kind of company here.