Posts by Anita

Invasion of the Box Elder Bugs

Posted by Anita on Oct 30, 2016 in birds, fall, insects, Unmowed Blog | 0 comments

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.

Sadness at Standing Rock

Posted by Anita on Oct 28, 2016 in fall, Unmowed Blog | 0 comments

Sumac: Not Poison

Posted by Anita on Oct 23, 2016 in fall, leaves, Unmowed Blog | 0 comments

Sumacs don’t seem to fit in a suburban backyard—they belong on a tropical island. So flamboyant a tree should have parrots and toucans perching in it instead of chickadees.

Purple Coneflower: Pollinator Favorite

Posted by Anita on Oct 17, 2016 in fall, pollinators, Unmowed Blog | 0 comments

Purple coneflower is a native American plant, a blast of purple petals surrounding a spiky central cone. Echinacea comes from a Greek word meaning hedgehog.

Yellowstone Hot Springs: Extremophiles

Posted by Anita on Oct 1, 2016 in environment, nature centers, summer, Unmowed Blog | 0 comments

It’s the weirdest thing I ever saw. A hole in the ground, filled with water. The most beautiful crystal clear water, turquoise and lovely as a swimming pool. It looks cool and inviting—but it’s hot. Incredibly, insanely hot. This clear water is steaming and bubbling with the heat from molten rock surging up from the earth’s core. Yellowstone National Park is dotted with these bizarre holes in the ground. Geysers and hot springs and pools. Old Faithful, of course, the reliably spectacular geyser, but also a host of pools and puddles, some no bigger than a good-sized kitchen sink. And they...