Grape hyacinth
The Grape Hyacinth is one of those first signs of real spring in so many yards and gardens across America. Though native to the Old World the perennial plant has become naturalized throughout the New World. Here is an extra close close-up of some flowers from Friday that always come up around the same lamp post every year after being planted decades ago. Yes, this was taken a whole two days ago, back in spring – you know, before that arctic cold front packing powerful winds and snow brought some winter back to us…oh, climate…
Read MoreCrocus Flowers
It is only mid-March but the crocus have come to join us! We are about to hit spring and the first signs continue to spring up everywhere we look. These lovely crocus flowers were opening up this morning to feel some sun on another beautiful and unseasonably warm day. The first bees are in the air, too!
Read MorePink Glow
Last night the sky turned this amazing purple and pink color while the unseen sun set. I was not expecting anything remotely interesting about the clouds in the evening considering we were blanketed with low-level cover from the departing storm. A few minutes after sunset I glanced out the window and saw everything on the ground was covered in this wondrous hue. At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, or I had been staring at the monitor for too long. Nope, not this time – the shade saturated my surroundings and I hurriedly grabbed my camera, swapped lenses, and ran out...
Read MoreWinter Sunset
This is a more typical sunset shot than the otherworldly views I posted previously this week, with the December sun painting a very colorful but seasonal hue across the clouds. Our trees are bare but our air is as warm as this photo feels considering the date. Have you seen any buds in the forest? I certainly have, from maple to oak and on a variety of introduced flora…even with some flowering! It is not close to blooming time, but the days are now getting longer and the sun is rising… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreSuperb Sky
There was a superb sky around the moon after sunset one night last week, though only for a few minutes. It was a case of the atmosphere looking better through the camera lens and polarizer with the latter enabling the former to see what we could not with our eyes. I thought the view looked otherworldly to say the least. I guarantee that I was on Earth, but it felt like another planet. It helps to remind us how much is truly going on around us in nature and the atmosphere, all of it impacting the life of thousands upon thousands of species that we must work to keep protecting…including...
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