This week I discuss one of 13 frog and toad species in Michigan, the wood frog. Cutely masked and capable of cryogenic freezing, this amphibian is a key species in vernal pools and an important part of woodland food webs....
This week I provide an update on the mystery bird illness reported from the eastern United States this spring and summer and discussed in Mondays with Martha #60 Part 1. Although the cause of the illness remains unknown, major known...
This week I share a few native wildflower species that bloom late summer into fall, providing important late season nectar and pollen resources for pollinators and winter seeds for wild birds. Please consider adding these species to extend your landscape's...
This week I share some new species I observed during our recent adventures along hiking trails in the breathtakingly beautiful Red River Gorge in east-central Kentucky. Enjoy a sandstone bridge, rock arches, cliffs, and waterfalls while being introduced to numerous...
This week I share some recent adventures along hiking trails in the breathtakingly beautiful Red River Gorge in east-central Kentucky. We encountered many old friends, both flora and fauna, in this new (to us) Appalachian terrain. Enjoy a sandstone bridge,...
This week I discuss the 2021 Michigan Trails Week Challenge, running from September 19-26, and review some important ecological trail etiquette. I encourage everyone to enjoy the lovely September weather, explore some trails, and post your observations and favorite places...
This week I answer questions recently received from my customers about when best to pull down their hummingbird and oriole feeders in the fall. Learn how leaving your feeders up in the fall can help support migrants weeks after you...
This week I discuss the importance of host plants to our native insects. Learn about specialist and generalist feeders and why it's important to have native plant biodiversity and repetition of individual plants of a given species or lineage in...
This week I discuss the merits of planting natives towards the end of the growing season and describe best management practices for native plantings in the fall. Let's make a final push to support our pollinators! Get your landscapes ready...
