Between Covid-19, recession, political and racial anger, drought, and power failures, this charming year reminds us that nothing is static. Ouch. The eastern Connecticut biota that we attempt to preserve and protect is dynamically responding to climate-induced change. But before we get too grim, let’s review what we each noticed in flora and fauna behavior […]
Your Turn: Anecdotal “Science” Read Post »
I recently had a conversation with our 3-year-old about biodiversity. This was after hearing, as we were driving to school, a story about how the United Nations Global Biodiversity Targets set in 2010 had been almost entirely missed by the 2020 summit. [Me]: We need to save species. Help mother nature so we can save
Changing habits in the land of steady ones Read Post »
Alluring golden light glints through the forest ahead, inviting us up on the open ridge alongside the improbable, imposing glacial erratic. Long before Joshua’s Trust made Wolf Rock our first conservation area purchase in 1971, Mansfield residents would picnic on this overlook next to the locally famous boulder. The easy trail, though it has probably
Enduring Wolf Rock Read Post »
With all of us stuck at home on Friday evenings, there is no better way to unwind from the week than to relax on a warm night watching our volant, nocturnal friends fluttering in the sky. Yes, you guessed it, I’m talking about our backyard bats! When I tell folks that I study bats, many
Learn How Acoustic Monitoring Reveals Bat Biodiversity in the Night Sky Read Post »
We often think of planting habitat for pollinators in the springtime. However, there are some things we can do to help feed them through late fall. Natural areas are full of berries, seeds, but flowers stop blooming and the food source for pollinators quickly become scarce. Maintain a garden that blooms from early spring to
Bee Helpful to Pollinators this Fall Read Post »
Even tumbling through its ravine Tinkerville Brook makes barely a gurgle today. The stream is low and slow, but my educated fingertips tell me its temperature would still register below 68F. As it drops off steeply toward Bissonette Pond, the overstory is all hemlocks, and root-spreading mountain laurel is plentiful. It’s dark here, and a
Oasis at Tinkerville Read Post »
