Category: Natural History
-
Walking Small
Nature will bear the closest inspection; she inspires us to lay our eye level with the smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain. ~Henry David Thoreau The heat of summer is not my friend. It slows me down, saps me of energy, and makes me a little complacent I’m afraid. But, there Read more…
Written by
-
Growing Up
Even though you’re growing up, you should never stop having fun. ~Nina Dobrev A quick update on the Cecropia caterpillars we are raising…you may remember an earlier post where the eggs from a Cecropia Moth began hatching. That was on June 10. We are almost a month out and they are growing and changing as Read more…
Written by
-
The Sweet Smell of Milkweed
Its flowers are very flagrant and when in season, they fill the woods with their sweet exhalations and make it agreeable to travel in them, especially in the evening. ~Peter Kalm, Swedish scientist, on Common Milkweed, 1750’s I don’t really remember how long ago it was that I spread some Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) seeds Read more…
Written by
-
Frills, No Frills
It is almost impossible to think of something no one has thought of before, but it always possible to add different frills. ~Isaac Asimov Friday morning when I went out the basement door to fill the bird feeders, a fuzzy blob on the window caught me eye. I leaned over and saw this strange-looking moth. Read more…
Written by
-
Day 1
There is beauty to be found in the changing of the Earth’s seasons, and an inner grace in honouring the cycles of life. ~Jack Cornfield A recent post discussed the eclosure of several Cecropia Moths that had spent the winter with us as cocoons. There was a mated pair when I found them that morning. Read more…
Written by
-
Eclosure
You do not just wake up and become the butterfly. Growth is a process. ~Rupi Kaur Eclosure = the emergence of an insect from the pupa case, or of a larvae from the egg… Nature is always providing examples of remarkable survival and transformation. Witnessing eclosure is one of those magical things to me (must Read more…
Written by
-
First of Season
Camouflage is the most interesting of all the arts. ~Kris Saknussemm I sometimes feel like we live in the jungle. Looking out across the small sunny area around the house you see a green wall of vegetation before the tall trees of the forest begin. The yard itself is a tangle of all sorts of Read more…
Written by
-
Not a Feather
Wide, curved, tall or long, so many shapes but none are wrong. ~Hermione Little It is a little harder (or at least less pleasant) to explore our yard and woodlands during a deluge like we have had the past few days. But, I was out filling bird feeders in the rain when a light-colored shape Read more…
Written by
-
Discoveries
The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery. ~Mark Van Doren Melissa was producing a short video on trees as part of her museum educational offerings for teachers when she made a fascinating discovery. While filming the segment, she was encouraging folks to observe trees in their neighborhood and look for interesting things Read more…
Written by
Roads End Naturalist 