Spangled Skimmer
Here is a male Spangled Skimmer (Libellula cyanea) which felt very appropriate for the Fourth of July. Happy Independence Day to all! We hope you are enjoying the holiday outside with our natural friends.
Read MoreDaisies
It is not officially summer until you stop and smell the daisies so please be sure to make the time to do so this week! While Leucanthemum vulgare is a nonnative resident it certainly has its charms if we only think about the aesthetic. It is hard living among so many often beautiful but sometimes invasive species, and while we should work to rid ourselves of the most virulent to human agriculture or other conservation-priority native species and not add to the problem, we can still appreciate something in our environment without feeling too guilty…I hope! Conservation is not easy....
Read MoreJune Drought
Here are a couple more great graphics from the Northeast Regional Climate Center on the dry June we just wrapped up in the Northeast. The regional drought continues and will worsen even after some late week storms. We need significant rain and we need it soon, and for a prolonged period…but that is not in the forecast. As you can see in the table the precipitation stayed to our south causing record and tragic flooding in places like West Virginia. We need more balance, climate!
Read MoreSun in the Forest
Happy Fourth of July weekend! We hope you enjoy the holiday and get outdoors for a hike under the beautiful summer tree canopy and bright sunshine. Find something new in the woods near you!
Read MoreFemale Blue Dasher Ovipositing
How cool does this hovering aircraft look? This female Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) is ovipositing, laying eggs, into aquatic vegetation in a pond as photographed last week. As you can see they are quite skilled at keeping their head still while their wings are whipping and the abdomen is being pressed into the water.
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