RTPI gardens as rain arrives
I took this photo a few hours ago at RTPI as clouds moved in, the wind picked up and humidity rose. It’s going to be another wet few days for our region as the insects were already hunkering down for a tough stretch again. We wish we could send it to our friends out west.
Read MoreTick and disease warning sign
This was a very informative sign that certainly looks rather new that I saw recently here in Western New York. Please have a wonderful weekend outdoors and enjoy the gorgeous weather but always keep your family’s safety in mind – including those furry children, too. Without proper habitat management practices and the continuation of the degradation of our ecosystems signs like these will need to be all the more common as we create more edges, lose predators and spread invasive plants, permitting or even favoring environmental conditions that harbor ticks and foster their...
Read MoreGrasses, Sedges, and Rushes program
Join RTPI Conservation Technician Elyse Henshaw for a program on Grasses, Sedges, and Rushes at Jamestown Audubon Center & Sanctuary on Saturday, August 16 from 1:00-3:00PM. See more information here on their website: http://jasprograms.wordpress.com/aug/grasses-sedges-and-rushes-aug-16/
Read MoreOrange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
When we have had dry conditions here in Western New York during the first days of August I have seen a lot more butterfly activity with both common and scarcer species emerging and becoming more abundant. It’s always a terrific month to find butterflies on the wing while some of our breeding birds are already beginning to migrate to the south. Here’s an Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) from the gardens at RTPI.
Read MoreRed Admiral butterfly and neonicotinoids
Please be mindful of what you’re using in your yard or garden and keep bees, birds and butterflies like this Red Admiral in mind. I have seen a lot of needless and costly spraying of various chemicals by residents, commercial operations and municipalities all over the Northeast this spring and summer. Most folks do not know what they are using could be killing so many other forms of life besides the weeds they’re targeting and probably hurting themselves in the process. Neonicotinoids need to go!
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