Ghost Plant
Now that our outdoors are covered in white I thought it would be nice to post a splash of color to liven up the winter months. However, when looking through my plant images I noticed this picture of a clump of Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora) in the mix. Somehow their lack of color seemed appropriate for the time of year – and fascinating too. Lack of color in plants translates into a lack of chlorophyl, the pigments and associated cellular complexes that allow green plants to photosynthesize & turn solar energy into living matter, thus fueling all other life on our planet. Indian...
Read MoreSun Height
Have you noticed the days getting longer, and that sun rising in the sky? Between that and the weather it feels like spring is just around the corner! Not quite but hey, in three months the migratory bird machine will be running full throttle. Are you excited yet?
Read MoreThe HWA Survey Season Begins!
Don’t forget to join us tomorrow for our first Hemlock Woolly Adelgid survey of the season! We will be meeting at Dobbin’s Woods, a Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy property, at 9:30AM. With our recent snows and predicted cold temperatures, please be sure to dress warmly and bring some snowshoes or skis to get around as the snow pack will be deep. We will have some extra snowshoes available if needed. For directions to the site, please visit: http://chautauquawatershed.org/index.php/preserves/our-preserves
Read MoreFall Sunset
This was a surprising sunset last week on a day that I did not expect any sort of light show. It turns out that the clouds parted just enough to let the light in while getting that special glow. Unfortunately I was rather far from any water or hill, unable to get a great view of a spectacular scene unfolding so rapidly and ending so briefly. After a moment of thought – and a minute of two of running for my camera and swapping lenses – I noticed that I was soaking in the sunset from behind the bare branches and falling leaves. I decided to take advantage of that and shoot some...
Read MoreAutumn Sunshine
The fall foliage season is exploding around us! I hope you have been making an effort to get outdoors and enjoy our environment during this gorgeous time of the year. I will be sharing more recent sights of autumn over the next couple of weeks. Here is a shot of the sun adding even more yellow and gold to this tree on a beautiful afternoon. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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