Drought Worsening
Hey, did you happen to notice how dry it has been? Because our drought is steadily worsening as well. The Northeast is dry and far more dry than earlier this spring, the beginning of the year, the start of the last water year after a dry summer of 2015, and this date one year ago. We also do not have a lot of water in the forecast. Let’s hope for some clouds and some rain, please! We need more than a thunderstorm or two, and a few well-placed lows saturating the region would certainly be welcome. Extremes hurt much of the life in our environment, and climate change increasing our...
Read MoreCocobolo Nature Reserve Monitoring
I’m leaving Saturday for another round of research and monitoring on the endangered Limosa Harlequin Frog (Atelopus limosus) monitoring with Alex Shepack, Michael Roy, and Abel Batista in the wonderful Cocobolo Nature Reserve in Eastern Panama. We’re looking for more clues on the enigmatic behavior of the deadly amphibian chytrid fungus in the area and the mechanisms that allow some local frogs to survive. In addition we’ll be setting up opportunities for student research on the project through the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History and Yale...
Read MoreLittle Rainbow
This little rainbow was a beautiful sight across the way in Milford, Connecticut as seen from Stratford Point yesterday afternoon. Scattered storms and periodic rain this month seems to be taking the place of April showers, and next month we may see May’s flowers thanks to this unbelievably historic and astonishingly warm winter. With that said, is there more snow on the way on Sunday? It’s a wild ride, but we hope you can get outdoors and enjoy nature this weekend. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreCould it Be That Time Already?!
Our winter weather has been getting stranger by the day! This week we are going to see daytime temperatures in the mid 60’s and overnight temps in the low 40’s and 50’s with possible rain. And you know what that could mean right? Amphibians could potentially begin their migrations to their vernal breeding pools within the next few days! This time last year we were still buried in snow and were still experiencing some of the winds and weather from the “polar vortex.” Due to the extreme cold last year, it wasn’t until early April when we saw spotted...
Read MoreSnail Attack
If you are in the mood for more Halloween madness, I witnessed this attack about a month ago on a sidewalk during a rainstorm. It looks like a snail had run into some bad luck with a harvester. It happened right as I came upon the snail, first seeing something in my viewfinder as I was about to snap the photo…what are those long, thin, moving…legs?! Oh my… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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