By mid-November, it has surrendered its surface life. The goldenrods are gone, the asters spent, the monarchs long departed. But beneath mat of grasses lies a dense web of roots and fungi, holding the soil together and storing life for spring.
Oaks are one of the most diverse trees in North America. The “keystone species” is a plentiful food producer. Acorns are packed with nutrition for birds and mammals, while their leaves are prime food for insects — 900 species of butterflies and moths alone. Insect activity brings in insect eaters and fuel the migration of songbirds in the spring and fall.
Wings of wonder: Fourth-generation of this marvelous butterfly travels 3,000 miles from the North back to Mexico
As daily sunshine decreases this summer, it signals some species — like swallows — to get started with their seasonal migrations
Unique species’ symbiotic relationship with Earth creates cross between shrub and herbaceous plant
Look for beautiful blooms of Prickly Pear, but beware: Be very, very careful handling the plant
Early bloomers — that is, if they do — attract bevy of bees to their colorful dog-toothed violet
A call to action to combat administration as it tries to rescind ‘harm’ in Endangered Species Act analysis. It would totally guts the ESA by saying it is OK to destroy entire ecosystems that endangered species depend upon for their livelihood.
Take care: HPAI virus strains are now a part of ‘our new normal.’ We will need to adapt our agricultural practices to meet this new challenge. We can only hope that wild bird populations will build some type of immunity, or that the virus evolves to be less lethal to its host.
Christmas Bird Count reveals 75 species and 10,396 birds as it reminds us of ebbs and flows of our planet’s history
