In Defense of Fuzzy Caterpillars
No need to worry too much about these little guys. Hickory tussock moth caterpillars are not evil.
Read MoreKatydids: The Nightly Debate
Katydids are calling in endless argument: katy-did, katy-didn’t. Many voices raised in eternal disagreement. Sort of like Congress.
Read MoreInvasion of the Box Elder Bugs
Box elder bugs: unwelcome trick-or-treaters. They might creep you out, but they don’t suck blood, bite children, cause disease, or make the dog itch.
Read MoreRed Oaks: On Fire
Red oak. Really lives up to its name in fall. Late in the season, the red oaks are on fire. The oaks are important trees for wildlife, of course. Everyone knows squirrels eat acorns, but acorns are high-protein food for an astonishing number of animal species: blue jays, wild turkeys, black bears, wood ducks, opossums, woodpeckers, red and gray foxes, rabbits, white-tailed deer, and many more. But a close look at oak leaves shows their other, more subtle, contribution–to the insects. All those thousands and thousands–millions!–of little bumps, nibbles, gnawings, holes....
Read MoreRed, White, and Blue
The amazing diversity of flowers. Each bright color attracts a pollinator. Red beckons hummingbirds; yellow calls out to honey bees. Bumblebees prefer purple. Each blossom has instructions for the bees, flies, and beetles: lines and arrows and streaks to guide them to the heart of the flower where the nectar is hidden. Diversity is strength.
Read MoreGoldenrod Safari
A hungry predator crawls through a leafy jungle. Slow cautious movements make no sound. The well-camouflaged predator waits, motionless. Powerful forelegs stretch wide to grab its unwary prey. Beware the goldenrod jungle! A single goldenrod plant is a complex habitat, the leaves, stems, and flowers providing food and shelter for a bewildering variety of strange, hidden creatures. Each goldenrod plant has thousands of tiny blossoms crammed together, their nectar providing a vital late-summer source of nutrition for butterflies, moths and bees. Take a safari along the length of a goldenrod...
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