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Notes from a Naturalist
September 2, 2022
Migrating Monarchs!
By Jennifer Meikle - Environmental Educator
"Did you know that Monarchs migrate? The Monarch Butterflies of New England are the rare few adult butterflies who live longer than six weeks. They can live up to nine months, which is long enough to migrate from here to central Mexico! This is an approximate 3,000-mile trek, which takes about two months! Monarchs are also particularly unique because they are the only butterfly that makes a long two-way migration. In August, they begin their Fall migration. The Eastern Monarchs embark on their flight toward their overwintering grounds, the mountainous fir forests in Central Mexico."
- Read the full article here
August 23, 2022
What's Happening to the American Beech?
By Tommy McCarthy - Environmental Educator
"To say that the American Beech is ecologically important would be an understatement. These deciduous trees make up over 80% of eastern forests, and the beech nuts they drop provide food for a wide range of the wildlife that inhabits them. If you don’t know the next thing about tree identification, the easiest way to discern beech trees would probably be by knowing that they are the smooth-barked trees that people commonly carve their initials into. If you spend any significant amount of time hiking in New England, you have passed by countless Beech trees – but have you noticed what’s been happening to them recently?"
- Read the full article here
June 23, 2022
Beaver Behavior: Observing and Questioning
By Tommy McCarthy - Environmental Educator
"Earlier this spring while spending the morning by a local pond, I saw the most beavers I’d ever seen out and about – they were swimming around, pushing piles of debris through the water, and two even sat on a little island to groom each other! This activity continued late into the morning, and watching them sparked all sorts of questions in my mind. For one, beavers are usually nocturnal. Why was there a group of them being active so late in the day? I also was curious about the fact that they did seem to be hanging out and working in a little group. I had not really considered before whether or not beavers were social creatures."
- Read the full article here
May 18, 2022
A Bird's Eye View: Ultraviolet Vision
By Jennifer Meikle - Environmental Educator
"To us humans, male and female birds can look identical, like the Cedar Waxwings pictured above. But there is more going on than meets the eye – our eye, specifically. Eyes contain cone cells which are sensitive to color and light. We have three cone cells in our eyes that allow us to see light ranging from 400 to 700 nanometers, while many birds have an additional cone that allows them to see from 320 to 400 nanometers. Their cones also contain tiny oil droplets that help protect their eye from excess UV and ignore unnecessary wavelengths."
- Read the full article here
April 25, 2022
Center Stage: The American Woodcock
By Jennifer Meikle - Environmental Educator
"Although Woodcock Nature Center is named after former Ridgefield First Selectman, J. Mortimer Woodcock, there also happens to be a strange little bird by the same name – J. Mortimer! Just kidding – wouldn’t that be funny though? It’s actually called the American Woodcock, one of the first ground nesting species to return to New England, appearing alongside the Eastern Bluebirds and American Robins at the first signs of spring."
- Read the full article here
March 17, 2022
Wood Ducks: A Conservation Success Story
By Tommy McCarthy - Environmental Educator
"Wood Ducks are much more shy than the ubiquitous Mallards which are often seen swimming about in our local ponds, though during the breeding season they are present in similar numbers. If you have spent time exploring around the pond at Woodcock, you have likely heard Wood Ducks calling as they become alerted to your presence – but since it is a far cry from a quack, you may not have attributed it to a duck. Folks who see photos of this species for the first time often doubt if it is real, and it is easy to see why."
- Read the full article here
February 10, 2022
Invertebrates in Winter
By Jennifer Meikle - Environmental Educator
"Spotting an invertebrate in winter (that didn’t sneak into your house) can be a rare sight! An invertebrate is an organism without a backbone and can include (but aren’t limited to) insects, arachnids (like spiders), crustaceans (like crabs), mollusks (like snails), and worms. Like many people, you might think that the cold temperatures kill most of these tiny creatures. But year after year, their populations remain relatively stable, which means that somehow, they do find a way to make it through!"
- Read the full article here
January 27, 2022
The Snow Bunting- A Winter Visitor
By Tommy McCarthy - Environmental Educator
"When we think of migratory birds, we often think of the colorful songbirds that visit us in the spring, gracing us with their presence after having made long journeys from Central and South America. However, there are a number of migratory birds that visit us in winter as well, coming from the far north to escape extreme cold temperatures, heavy snowfall, and depleted food sources. While these birds may not be as colorful, they have their unique characteristics which make them special and interesting to learn about!"
- Read the full article here