Naturalists'News@CromwellValleyPark

Ghost Trees at Cromwell Valley Park

2012-01-20T09:46:00.000-05:00

Sycamores. J. Schaeffer

The forest canopy in winter at Cromwell Valley Park is a mixture of grays and browns, with a few evergreens in the mix. But what stands out are the startling white branches of the American sycamores, which have earned them the nick-name "Ghosts of the Forest." Those distinctive, white branches make for easy identification of sycamores and their stream-side habitat, even from a distance.

From a closer perspective, you can see that the bark on the newer branches peels, creating a mottled, camouflage look of white, gray, brown and greenish. Why do sycamores have peely bark? Some surmise that peeling bark allows the tree to shed pests. It might also allow more oxygen absorption in a tree found close to water and whose roots may occasionally be flooded.

Whatever the reason, this unusual, "sick" appearance helps us remember the name, sick-a-more.

Gimme Shelter...Quick

2012-01-03T09:53:00.000-05:00

Garter snake in January. John Schaeffer

You never know what the new year will bring. Today, it's a chilled, immobile garter snake found on the driveway. It must have been lured out of hibernation by the recent sun and warmth and got stuck out in the cold when the temperature fell suddenly. With a few minutes of indoor heat, it began to move sluggishly, proving that it was in fact alive. Now what?

Garter snakes, like other reptiles, are cold-blooded animals, or more properly, ectotherms. They derive heat from their surroundings and do not manufacture it as we do. In cold weather, they chill and their metabolism slows down. Garter snakes are known to be very cold tolerant; they're usually the last into hibernation in late fall and first out in early spring. Needing a shelter that will keep them from freezing, they spend the winter underground, below the frost line and often with other snakes. For more information about garter snakes in winter, visit: http://www.gartersnake.info/articles/garter_snakes_i_1.php

We always hesitate to interfere, understanding that Nature Knows Best, but in this case we couldn't leave the snake in the middle of the driveway. With predictions of temperatures in the 20s and 30 in the coming days, we relocated it to what we hope is a more suitable, cold but frost-free dwelling for the coming cold weather. Pleasant dreams, chilly friend.

Sign of the Beaver

2011-12-23T13:19:00.000-05:00

Gnawed tree. M. Larkin

Possible beaver track. J. Schaeffer

Girdled tree. M. Larkin

We haven't actually seen them, but we've seen their signs: Beaver (Castor canadensis) are in the Park! Walk along Minebank Run, downstream from the Willow Grove bridge. You'll see some trees that have either been cut down, girdled, or partially gnawed, leaving the characteristic beaver chips scattered at the base. They're here! Snoop around the sandy bank of the stream, and you may even spot their tracks.

These signs are just one of the ways we observe animals in the Park. We see their tracks; we notice their scat; we find their homes; we see their trails; we spot their skeletons; we discover their food remains and caches; and, if we're lucky, we actually see the animals. Knowing a few animal signs turns a walk in the Park into a fascinating and informative treasure hunt. Thank you, Jim, for spotting the sign of the beaver.

Beaver. B. Hubick

37 Swans a Flying

2011-12-13T10:17:00.001-05:00

Tundra swans in formation. www.paulnoll.com

Today at our Hawk Watch site we experienced a wonder of nature: We saw a wedge of tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus) migrating high in the sky. Formerly called whistling swans, these gorgeous white birds nest in the arctic and spend the winter at Assateague Island National Seashore and points south along the Atlantic coast. Some may migrate over 3000 miles. Few birds of this size -- they are 3 times bigger than Canada Geese -- migrate this far. Because swans have to run over the water quite a distance to build up speed for a take-off, they make few stops between their breeding grounds and their winter homes. We were lucky to see them. Thank you to Mark for counting the swans and for sharing his telescope so that we could enjoy the flight of these magnificent birds.

Tundra swan. Bill Hubick

Where have all the insects gone?

2011-11-30T10:55:00.000-05:00

Mantis egg case. J. Schaeffer

We spotted a mantis egg case in the garden this weekend--another sign that this season demands a special survival strategy. We don't see many insects in December--where have they gone? Most are still here, but we have to look a little harder for them as they have sought out safe, freeze-free refuges.

Monarch. J. Schaeffer

Just a few insects migrate before winter. The monarch butterflies we tagged in September have arrived at their wintering grounds in the cool, moist mountains of central Mexico and will begin their return trip by March.

The honey bee workers and queen remain active inside their hive, eating honey they have stored. The workers warm their hive with the heat they produce by exercising their flight muscles. The now-useless drones were kicked out of the hive in fall and have perished. Many aquatic insects are also active in winter, even under the ice.

Most insects become dormant, remaining inactive and protected from freezing.
Some are eggs, like the mantids and tent caterpillars inside their freeze-proof ootheca, or the cricket's eggs in the soil. The adults that laid these eggs died with the first frost.

Wooly bear caterpillar. B. Hubick

Some are larvae, like the wooly bear caterpillars under a log on the forest floor.

Some are pupae, like the luna moth in its silken cocoon on the forest floor or the swallowtail chrysallis on a branch.

And some are adults, like the mourning cloak butterflies or bald-faced hornet queens that have found shelter under loose bark or a brush pile and will emerge with the first warm day in spring.

Where have all the insects gone? Gone to safe places, every one.
Where there's no freezer burn. In the spring they will return.
(apologies to Pete Seeger)

As the Crows Fly

2011-11-22T13:13:00.000-05:00

Flocking Crows. J. Schaeffer

Recently we've noticed massive Hitchcockian flocks of crows passing south along the valley floor, sometimes resting on the tree tops and red cedar near the stream. This occurs usually late in the afternoon, but earlier on cloudy days. Jim, our expert birder, explains:

"Beginning in fall and continuing through winter, crows form huge communal roosts that may contain many thousands of birds. It is believed that they return to the same roosting area each night. At Cromwell Valley what we see is one of the established flight lines that they use as they head towards the nightly roost. We've seen this flight line at CVP year after year, day after day, and it can be a very impressive sight indeed!"

Thanks, Maureen, for noticing this phenomenon.
(Did you know that a group of crows is called a murder?)

The Last of the Monarchs

2011-11-14T10:23:00.000-05:00

Release of the last monarch at CVP. 11.8.11. M. Larkin

We tagged and released the last two monarch butterflies of 2011 last week, much to the delight of a visiting school group. We had tagged 84 since late August, and were surprised when two late-season caterpillars were found in the Children's Garden in mid-October. Those two matured and are now on their way to Mexico, where many of their comrades have already arrived. Fortunately our last two didn't emerge during the recent Sno-tober storm, but chose this series of sunny, mild days in which to start their journey. According to Journey North, a web site that tracks monarch sightings, ours were not the only Monarchs seen in the area on that day (http://www.learner.org/jnorth/maps/Gallery.html). We wish them good luck, with lots of nectar plants and warm tail winds to speed them on their journey. Vaya con Dios, amigos.

The Scoop on Jerusalem Artichokes

2011-11-08T11:12:00.000-05:00

Jerusalem artichokes. Ohio State University

What looks like a sunflower, grows like potato, tastes like water chestnuts, and comes back every spring? We've been growing Jerusalem artichokes in the Children's Garden and dug up the edible tubers this week.

Don't be misled by the name: Jerusalem artichokes aren't from Jerusalem and they're not artichokes. The plant is closely related and similar to the familiar sunflower, with a tall stalk and bright yellow composite flowers. The name seems to have its origins in a corruption of the Italian word for sunflower; and Champlain, the French explorer of the early 1600s, recorded that they tasted like artichokes.

Jerusalem artichokes are an original North American plant. Native Americans cultivated the plant and shared it with early explorers and colonists who sent it home to Europe. Calling it the sunroot, it was an important winter food source for Native Americans throughout the central plains and eastern woodlands. The plant's tubers are harvested after the first frost and through early winter, a time when few vegetables are available to those living off the land. In Europe, the Jerusalem artichoke, also known as the Canada potato, became a part of French and Italian cuisine beginning in the 1600s.

Jerusalem artichoke tubers. J. Schaeffer

Jerusalem artichokes have been easy to grow in the native plant area of the Children's Garden. Because the tubers divide and spread, they can easily overwhelm a small garden plot. We recently transplanted a bunch to the No Mow Zone where we hope they will go forth and multiply without crowding issues for a few years.

Berries White, Take Flight: Poison Ivy in Autumn

2011-10-28T10:37:00.000-04:00

Poison ivy berries (right). J. Schaeffer

Most of us learned the adage "Leaves of three, leave them be" as children, an easily remembered (if overly broad) warning of the discomfort that the trio of poison ivy leaves can cause. But in the fall, we also need to be aware of poison ivy's white berries, which have broken off the vine and lurk innocently atop fallen leaves. Be careful during leaf collecting and raking to avoid touching the grape-like clusters, which also contain the offending oil urushiol.

The berries are a very important food source for wildlife during winter. Many songbirds consume them during migration, and our winter residents, including flickers, sapsuckers, other woodpeckers, robins, quail and pheasant, consume the berries during fall and winter--a time when other food is scarce.

Poison ivy berries. J. Schaeffer

ISO Shelter from the Cold: Milk Snake

2011-10-27T14:52:00.001-04:00

Milk snake. J. Schaeffer

A young milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum) surprised us this chilly morning at the threshold of the back door to the nature center. Milk snakes are usually secretive and nocturnal animals, so its arrival was something special. Like the young black snake last week, it must have been looking for a warm place to spend the winter. Snakes, and other cold-blooded animals, derive their heat from the air around them and cannot manufacture heat as we do; so when the air's cold, they're cold. In fall, they seek a safe hibernaculum, usually underground, and spend the winter in a chilly and dormant state.

Why are they called milk snakes? The myth is that they can suck milk from a cow's udder. In reality, they may be found in barns with dairy cows, but they are hunting and eating mice and other small mammals which may also call the barn home. Besides small mammals, milk snakes also eat a variety of prey items including other snakes, birds, eggs, frogs, insects, fish and earth worms.

Thanks to Oliver and Sophie, and their very startled mom, for noticing this, the perfect conclusion to the Nature, Mom and Me class. We enjoyed its visit, but the snake was returned to that chilly world where it thrives.

The Assassin Who Came in from the Cold: The Wheel Bug

2011-10-18T09:39:00.003-04:00

Wheel bug. J. Schaeffer

A well-equipped assassin dropped by the nature center recently, and we were happy to see him.   It was a wheel bug, a member of the assassin bug group, and its mouth is its weapon of choice. Wheel bugs attack and consume a wide variety of insects, many of which are considered garden, agricultural and forest pests.

Why do we like it? Let me count the ways:

1. It's a big bug. A bug this big (1.5 inches) is noticeable and it's easy to see the three insect characteristics: six legs, three body parts, two antennae.

2. It looks cool. The semi-circular, cog-like structure on its back gives it a bizarre, mechanical look.   In fact, no one is quite sure of the purpose of the "wheel".

3. This bug means business. It has formidable and prominent mouth parts (also called a beak or proboscis) equipped for piercing and sucking, much like a hypodermic needle or the straw on a juice box. When a suitable prey item comes near, the wheel bug lunges forward, seizes the prey with its front legs and plunges its sharp beak into a soft part of the prey insects' exoskeleton. It then injects enzymes which paralyze the prey and digest its innards. Finally, the bug sucks up its liquefied meal, leaving only an empty shell behind. Be careful handling this critter--its bite has been likened to the sting of a wasp, only ten times more painful.

4. It eats stink bugs. We've been looking for a way to eliminate, or at least reduce, the number of the marmorated stink bugs which have invaded the nature center again this fall, and the wheel bug may be part of the answer. Our new friend devoured two stink bugs in a dramatic (and smelly) predator/prey encounter. Dr. Mike Raupp, University of Maryland Extension, has an action video of a wheel bug/stink bug contest at his Bug of the Week web site at: http://www.bugoftheweek.com/BugOfWeek_38F.html#writelink1

Wheel bug vs. stink bug. J. Schaeffer

I think we'll keep our friendly assassin around for a while--should be a wheely good show and wheel certainly have plenty to feed him. Thanks, Larry, for noticing this armed (mouthed?) intruder.

A Spider Ms Muffet Would Like

2011-09-17T16:20:00.002-04:00

Yellow Garden Spider. Tom Ernst

It's hard not to notice the large yellow, black, red and white spider which has made a beautiful web alongside the shed in the Children's Garden. This is a harmless yellow garden spider, also known as the black-and-yellow Argiope (Argiope aurantia). A visitor to the garden told me that locally it's called the Maryland spider because the colors are the same as Maryland's state flag, and the University's new football helmets.

Yellow Garden Spider Egg Case. J. Schaeffer

These spiders make a large round web with a distinctive zig-zag design in the middle which may help hide the spider, attract prey or prevent destruction by birds and other large animals. In one corner of her web, our spider has hung a brownish, round 1" egg sac, made from layers of her silk and containing hundreds of spiderlings that will emerge in the spring. Her web has captured a variety of prey items--we've seen moths, grasshoppers and stinkbugs (yeah!) there. She will die as the cold of winter approaches.

We enjoy seeing the variety of beneficial insects and spiders that our children's garden attracts, especially if they eat stink bugs. This is a spider even Ms Muffet would love.

Lunas Away

2011-09-06T11:33:00.000-04:00

Luna moth. J. Schaeffer

We've seen it all this summer--the eggs hatching, caterpillars eating and growing, and cocoons "resting". Finally, the beautiful luna moths have emerged. What an amazing transformation!

These stunning creatures will live for only a few days, long enough to create the next generation. The adult moths have poorly developed moth parts and do not eat, relying instead on the vast amount of nutrition consumed as a very hungry caterpillar. From the next generation of eggs, the caterpillars will eat more sweetgum, hickory or black walnut this fall and over-winter as pupae that can be found on the forest floor.

The Most Creative Caterpillar

2011-09-02T12:06:00.002-04:00

White-marked tussock moth caterpillar. J. Schaeffer

In a world of unusual caterpillars, this one wins the prize for most creative. A red head, long black frills, thin black hairs, white tufts, yellow and black stripes and red dots--as creative as a preschooler with a new box of crayons. Believe it or not, this colorful caterpillar will turn into the small (1"), rather drab, brown/gray, white-marked tussock moth.


White-marked tussock moth.

This caterpillar eats the leaves of a variety of woody plants including sycamore, cherry, elm, maple. Always be careful handling caterpillars with hairs--this one may cause allergic reactions if the hairs come in contact with sensitive skin. The female moth has no wings and is, of course, flightless. She lays her eggs, which overwinter, in a frothy mass around the cocoon from which she emerged

A congenial group of moms and kids, enjoying an educational day at the park instead of at school with no power, found this one under the giant sycamore. Thanks to Laura, Max, Claire, Emily, Sean, Ellie, and Brayden for sharing their find as well as their enthusiasm.

A Tiny Reptilian Visitor

2011-08-31T09:51:00.002-04:00

Ringneck snake hatchling. J. Schaeffer

Look what slithered into the nature center recently--a ringneck snake. This one's a recent hatchling that bears the characteristic yellow necklace of the adult. At about four inches, we've seen worms bigger than this little guy. Even as an adult, it will be slim and small, maybe 15-20 inches long.

Ringnecks are fairly common, yet rarely seen because they are active at night and live under leaves and rocks on the forest floor. They are not aggressive and harmless to humans, but they produce a weak venom in their saliva which helps to subdue their prey. Ringnecks are important intermediate predators, eating a variety of small critters: worms, salamanders, frogs and the young of other snakes. In some areas, the red-backed salamander is an important food. Ringnecks can themselves become prey to predators like opossums, skunks, owls, other snakes, and bullfrogs.

Ringnecks mate in fall or spring. Fewer than 10 eggs are laid after the soil and air have warmed in June, and they hatch in August or September. They may live 10-20 years in the wild.

After a hasty photo-op, our visitor was released to the wilds of the back patio. Happy hunting, li'l guy! Let's meet again soon...outside. Thanks, Leo, for noticing and corralling this little critter.

Great Egg-spectations!

2011-08-26T11:15:00.001-04:00

Monarch egg on milkweed. J. Schaeffer

We're finding a lot of monarch butterfly eggs on milkweed this week. That's good news, considering that we've seen very few adult butterflies and caterpillars. The eggs seem to be on the youngest, most tender of the milkweed leaves, close to the top of the plant. Look on the underside of the leaf for a small white bump, about the size of the head of a pin. As the youngest caterpillars eat, they leave a small crescent-shaped or round hole in the milkweed leaf.

Newly hatched monarch caterpillar. J. Schaeffer

We'll be raising the caterpillars inside the nature center during September, and tagging the adults when they're ready for their journey to Mexico. This is the Methuselah generation, living for 6-7 months while the typical summer monarch lives for only about 6-7 weeks. The monarchs we're raising now will fly to Mexico, over-winter there, and begin the trip back in early spring. Come see our display and catch some monarch magic this month at the Willow Grove Nature Education Center.

All Hail the Imperial Moth Caterpillars

2011-08-15T11:29:00.001-04:00

Imperial moth caterpillar. J. Schaeffer

The newest addition to the caterpillar zoo at the Willow Grove Nature Education Center are four caterpillars of the Imperial Moth. Their size and horns and hairs make them unusual critters, indeed. We're feeding them Eastern White Pine, but in the wild they also eat a variety of leaves including maple, oak, sassafras and sweetgum. Soon, they will burrow underground and pupate, emerging next spring as very large (5"), yellow and purple moths worthy of their regal name.

Imperial moth. Will Cook

Like the luna moths, imperial moths belong to the giant silk moth family, the Saturnids. Many entomologists agree that we don't see as many of these large moths as we did a generation ago when they were a common sight around street lights at night.

Thanks Tim and Neil at the Natural History Society of Maryland for entrusting the caterpillars to us and allowing us to show them off.

A True Tomato Lover

2011-08-10T12:21:00.001-04:00

Tobacco hornworm. J. Schaeffer

Here's a critter that loves tomatoes--the leaves, the stems, the fruit. We found it in Tomato Alley this weekend, a large (2"), carefully-disguised caterpillar with a menacing-looking, but harmless, red spear on its tail end. This is called a tobacco hornworm, but it eats many of the plants in the nightshade family including tomato, tobacco and eggplant, as does its look-alike cousin the tomato hornworm. Both species turn into hawk, or sphinx, moths which are rather large, nectar-eating pollinators.
Mother nature has provided a biological control for this pest--a tiny beneficial wasp that parasitizes hornworms. The wasp lays its eggs inside the caterpillar; they hatch and the wasp larvae consume the caterpillar from the inside out. When development is complete, they form white silken cocoons on the outside of the caterpillar, and the caterpillar soon dies, leaving more tomatoes for us to enjoy.

Parasitized tobacco hornworm. J. Schaeffer

Got Milk...weed?

2011-08-02T10:54:00.002-04:00

John with common milkweed. J. S.

Got milkweed? The Children's Garden does...four different kinds. Each belongs to the genus Asclepias; has white, "milky" sap; fragrant, nectar-rich flowers that attract a variety of pollinators; and leaves that Monarch caterpillars eat.

Common milkweed (Asclepias syriacea) is the most abundant in our area and the tallest, growing to 3-4 feet along unmowed roadsides and the edges of fields. It has large thick leaves, pink flowers in early June and large green seed pods in the mid-late summer. Some of the common milkweed in the Children's Garden volunteered, forming the milkweed forest near the Curious Gourds this year, and some was transplanted into the native plant beds.

Swamp milkweed. J.Schaeffer

Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) grows in wet areas, and it is commonly available for purchase from nurseries. It, too, is tall but its leaves are smaller and it blooms in late July. Our swamp milkweed in the Monarch Waystation is currently crawling with butterflies.

Butterfly weed. J.Schaeffer

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) is a short plant that grows in abandoned fields and has brilliant orange flowers. Most native nurseries sell butterfly weed. Ours is growing in the rainbow garden, small butterfly garden and the Monarch Waystation.

Tropical milkweed. J.Schaeffer

Finally, we have tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), a non-native annual that does not survive our cold winters. It has yellow or orange blooms in mid-late summer. We're trying it this year in the Monarch Waystation and near the zucchinis.

With the demise of many naturally-occurring milkweeds due to mowing, herbicide use and habitat destruction, consider adding them to your backyard landscape. They attract an entertaining variety of colorful pollinators and are absolutely essential for Monarch caterpillars.

Luna Cocoons--Amazing Changes Under Wraps

2011-07-15T14:06:00.002-04:00

Luna moth coccoon. J. Schaeffer

The luna caterpillars have concluded their exponential growth and have become pupae. Each late stage caterpillar wrapped itself in a sweetgum leaf and spun a thick silken cocoon. Inside, the caterpillar's tissues are being "reorganized" into the familiar moth with lovely, pale green wings. Did you know that you can feel the luna pupa move inside its cocoon? That's a surprise! Check back in about a week to see the new luna moths.

Spicebush Swallowtails Return

2011-06-28T12:59:00.001-04:00

Check out a spicebush (Lindera benzoin) near you, and you may be lucky enough to find a spicebush swallowtail caterpillar. We find the most caterpillars on young plants growing in the sun which, some scientists have speculated, may have a more desirable chemical composition than older bushes growing in the shade. Look for a folded leaf or leaf tip--the caterpillars wander and feed at night, but in the daytime, they stay within a leaf they have folded for protection.

This week we found two tiny caterpillars on the spicebush in the sunny Children's Garden, and we are caring for several others in the nature center. The mature caterpillar has the surprising and protective coloration that resembles a green snake, with huge yellow and black eye spots. The little caterpillars are less impressive but equally protected, made to mimic unappealing bird droppings. These strategies must protect them from some predators, but we've observed that spiders don't seem to be fooled. Check out the caterpillars at the nature center soon, before they begin their change to butterflies.

Growing...Growing...Grown

2011-06-28T12:58:00.001-04:00

Luna caterpillar at about 22 days. J.Schaeffer

The luna caterpillars are growing...growing...almost grown. At three weeks of age, they are as long as my thumb and almost ready to make a cocoon. They are efficient eating machines, consuming an impressive amount of sweetgum each day and producing an equally impressive amount of frass. Frass is a fancy word for caterpillar poop--remember that in your next Scrabble game!

Alien Babes in the Woods

2011-06-28T12:56:00.002-04:00

Newly hatched brown marmorated stink bugs. J. Schaeffer

Circle the Wagons! The next generation of invasive brown marmorated stink bugs is upon us. We found these on the underside of sweetgum leaves which we harvested to feed the luna caterpillars. If you look closely at the photograph you can see one of the little stinkers crawling out of his shell.

These eggs were laid 5 days ago. The nymphs will spend the first few days on the egg cluster and then disperse. In the next five weeks, they will go through 5 growth stages (instars) gradually taking on the now-familiar adult form and coloration. There is apparently one generation each year in our area, so the little ones hatching now will be the adults that will live with us this winter. Fruit growers are concerned about the potential for extensive damage this year as the young and adults feed on apples and peaches, as well as other crops.
Thanks, John, for finding such noteworthy sweetgum for the lunas.

Welcome Back, Old Friend

2011-06-16T13:38:00.000-04:00

American chestnut seedling. J. Schaeffer

We planted two American chestnut seeds this spring in the Children's Garden, and we're happy to report that both have sprouted and are growing like a... well...like a weed, but a good weed. These little sprouts mark the return of an old friend. The American chestnut was once the most important tree of the Eastern North American hardwood forest. One fourth of this forest was composed of native chestnut. At Willow Grove Farm, the barn was constructed in the 1800s of durable, rot-resistant chestnut planks. A chestnut disease was brought to North America in 1904 on a tree from another country and the disease spread like wildfire through America’s forests. By 1950 the American chestnut had tragically disappeared. Many years of scientific research have given us these new chestnut trees which we hope will be able to resist the disease. Welcome back to our forests, Old Friend! Thank you Linda, a newly-minted Maryland Master Naturalist Intern, for contributing to this entry.

Tinkerbell at the Pond

2011-06-07T13:14:00.001-04:00

Common green darner on iris. J. Schaeffer

James and Evelyn noticed an amazing event at the pond last week. They were finding many large dragonfly exoskeletons on the iris, counting almost a dozen. Finally, hidden among the iris leaves, they found a recently-emerged adult dragonfly--a large common green darner! We watched several minutes as it quietly readied its wings, then suddenly flew off, with the sun creating sparkling jewels on its new wings--just like Tinkerbell.

Evelyn and James at the pond.

Thanks James and Evelyn for so carefully observing the wildlife at our pond.

Common green darners are among the largest of the dragonflies of our area, having a wingspan up to 4.5 inches. Their large and complex eyes give them the good vision they need to hunt on the wing, capturing other flying insects like wasps, mosquitoes and other dragonflies. They live in the water several years as nymphs (immature forms) where they hunt tadpoles and other aquatic insects. When mature, the large nymphs (about 2" long) crawl up onto the stems of water plants, and emerge as adults from their final nymphal exoskeleton. While some over-winter as aquatic nymphs, some adults also migrate, using the same migratory routes as song birds and raptors. In fact, they often become a food item for migrating American kestrels and merlins.

Happy Birthday, Li'l Luna!

2011-06-02T09:34:00.001-04:00

Luna caterpillar emerging from egg. J. Schaeffer

Last week we received a bunch of luna moth eggs from a local entomologist, each no bigger than the head of a pin. The caterpillars have started to emerge. This morning we were able to capture one's first few seconds of life as a caterpillar, just after eating its way out of the shell with its impressive mandibles. This tiny guy, about one-eighth inch in length, will grow, over the next 4-5 weeks, to a length of 3-4 inches. That would be like your average 20 inch baby growing to a super-sized 40 feet! That size, plus the impressive lime green color, make these mature caterpillars true incredible hulks.

We'll be raising some again this year, feeding them their favorite food--sweetgum leaves. A LOT of sweetgum leaves! Check back with Naturalist's News, or stop by the nature center to check on their progress.

Caterpillars on Parade

2011-05-27T10:03:00.005-04:00

Mourning cloak caterpillar. J. Schaeffer

What's black and white and red all over, travels in packs, covered with spines and eats the willows at Willow Grove Nature Education Center? The after-school FOX club found them yesterday wandering around the back patio--caterpillars of the mourning cloak butterfly! With no obvious damage to the willow, each caterpillar had apparently eaten enough willow leaves and was looking for a place to make a chrysalis. If you missed them, we have a couple in the nature center that we'll be raising to butterflies.

Mourning cloak butterfly. Bill Hubick

Mourning cloaks are considered uncommon in Maryland. As caterpillars, they eat the leaves of just a few plants: willow, elm and hackberry. The adults that emerge in June will rest (aestivate) during the hottest part of the summer, become active again in September. Only a few insects over-winter as adults, and the mourning cloak is one, sheltering under bark and emerging early in spring or even on warm, sunny days in winter. The adults typically eat sap, especially from oak, and rotting fruit. After living almost a year, they mate in early spring; lay communal eggs on the host plant; and the gregarious caterpillars feed inside of a silken web.

So, the official tree of the Willow Grove Nature Education Center is host to what's now the official caterpillar/butterfly--the mourning cloak.

And Green Frog Makes Four

2011-05-23T13:50:00.003-04:00

Green frog. J. Schaeffer

A new species has been spotted in the Children's Garden pond--the green frog. So far we've only seen one lonely soul, but it marks the fourth amphibian species that has called the pond home for some life stage, along with the wood frog, American toad, and gray tree frog. This important water feature makes a critical contribution to the biodiversity of our ecosystem garden, providing an important habitat component for a variety of birds, insects and amphibians that help control insect pests.

Find Me If You Can

2011-05-19T12:45:00.002-04:00

Baltimore Oriole. Bill Hubick

They can sing and they can hide. The Baltimore orioles inhabiting the giant sycamores gracing the Willow Grove Nature Education Center have been singing their sweet, sweet song for all to hear while keeping out of sight. Listen carefully and you'll hear them sing, "Park, Cromwell Valley Parrrrrk!" The blue trail, which runs along Mine Bank Run, is a veritable oriole boulevard. If you've never seen our Maryland state bird, hike the blue trail. You can't miss them.

A Tale of Two Plants

2011-04-18T10:56:00.005-04:00

Trillium and Japanese barberry. J. Schaeffer

The forest floor in mid-April is awash with sunlight that will turn to shade as the canopy leaves reach their full size in another six weeks. A variety of delightful wildflowers take advantage of this ephemeral season. On a recent hike in the mature forest behind Sherwood House we found: trillium, Jack-in-the-pulpit, mayapple, bloodroot, violets and two kinds of fern emerging as fanciful fiddleheads. But along with these native plants we also noticed too many invasives: lesser celandine, garlic mustard, and Japanese barberry to name a few. The fast-growing invasives tend to crowd out native plants. Both of the accompanying photos show a lovely native plant growing beside an invasive--the best of plants and the worst of plants. Will both be back next year?
The park's Habitat Restoration Team works enthusiastically and perpetually to remove invasives, plant natives and restore a landscape disturbed by three centuries of agriculture, industry and suburbanization. Join them on May 7 and June 11 and every second Saturday, 9-12.

Budding garlic mustard, mayapple, emerging fern. J.Schaeffer

The Fungus Among Us Have A Lot of Gall

2011-04-18T10:56:00.003-04:00

Cedar-apple rust. J. Schaeffer

"What IS this thing?" asked Paula on a recent visit to the nature center, as she presented this weird growth. We figured it was some sort of a gall, and we've since learned that it's a gall with a very interesting story.

   Galls are unusual plant growths, something like tumors, that are caused by a an insect, bacterium or fungus. The gall that Paula found is caused by cedar-apple rust, a fungus that requires not one, but two, host plants to complete its complex life cycle: an evergreen (typically junipers, cedar or arborvitae), and apple or closely related crab apple.

     The fungus over-winters in the gall that the cedar made for it, and with warm spring rains it will swell into a large, orange gelatinous mass with fleshy tentacles from which spores will be released. (Some have said that this phase looks extra-terrestrial, straight out of Star Trek). If the spores land on young, wet apple leaves or fruit, they will develop into yellow and black spots which can damage the leaves and disfigure the fruit. The lesions will eventually produce another kind of spore that will then spread to a cedar again. The whole process takes about two years. The cedar host is usually not damaged significantly, but the rust can cause serious damage to the apple tree and fruit.

Black knot fungus. J. Schaeffer

Another fungal gall is very obvious on many of our native black cherry trees in the park. Black knot fungus causes thick, dark growths on the twigs from which emerge wind-borne spores. These growths can interfere with the movement of water and nutrients up from the roots and sugars down from the leaves, killing the twig or causing poor growth of the tree.

Fascinating fungi--an interesting group of organisms. Be glad athlete's foot just itches and doesn't make a gall!

Wood Frogs in the Children's Garden

2011-03-18T09:33:00.001-04:00

Wood frog. J. Schaeffer

Wood frog egg mass. J. Schaeffer

Will amphibians find new backyard ponds? You betcha! Today we saw and heard two wood frogs in the Children's Garden pond, and noticed one wood frog egg mass. Add that to the American toads and gray tree frogs last year and we're up to three amphibian species which use our 2 year old pond to reproduce. What's up for next year--spotted salamanders??

Mayflies in March

2011-03-14T17:13:00.001-04:00

Mayfly nymph. J. Schaeffer

If mayflies fly in May, what do they do in March? They swim or, more accurately, they scoot. We found several mayfly nymphs in the Children's Garden pond recently.

Mayflies are flying insects that have an immature stage, called a nymph, which lives in water. To help obtain essential oxygen from the water, mayfly nymphs have several pairs of gills along the sides of their abdomen that help circulate water around their body.

Adult mayfly. UMichMusZool

The adults emerge from the water in May, but last year we saw them flying in April, too. The adult mayflies do not eat, having greatly reduced, vestigial mouth parts. They live for just a few days, enough time to reproduce. The female mayfly lays eggs on the top of the water of streams and lakes, restarting the cycle. Fly fishermen know the mayfly as an important food for trout, and carefully craft look-alike lures.

Which Witch is Which?

2011-03-02T15:00:00.001-05:00

Ornamental Witch Hazel. J. Schaeffer

Cromwell Valley is currently painted in shades of brown and gray and a wee bit o' green from the evergreens and the very new grass. But what is the explosion of yellow blossoms behind the Sherwood garage? Every year, this ornamental witch hazel blooms in late winter with large golden flowers. The sweet, orange-scented and nectar-bearing flowers attract an assortment of pollinators, especially certain bees and flies that become active during the warm and sunny portions of our chilly early spring days. This ornamental is related to our native witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) that blooms in late fall, after most of the leaves in the forest have fallen. Witch hazel--an unusual flower at an unusual time.

Spring in 5D: Sights, smells, sounds, tastes and touches of early Spring

2011-02-24T10:43:00.001-05:00

The seasons are changing! The days are longer and warmer, and there is more and more evidence that winter's hold is beginning to loosen. At Cromwell Valley Park, you can experience the change in 5 dimensions: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch.

Snow drops at WGNEC. J.S.

Take a look: The snowdrops are just emerging behind the Willow Grove Nature Education Center. Native to Europe, they will form a lovely white carpet in a few weeks.

Cardinal. B. Hubick

Take a listen: We've heard them already. Northern cardinals start singing early to stake out a territory and establish a bond with a mate. Listen for a loud "Cheerup, cheerup, cheerup, cheer, cheer, cheer." Something like what's at: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Cardinal/sounds

Skunk cabbage. E.B.Lick

Take a smell: What looks like a cabbage and smells like a skunk? It's skunk cabbage. The flowers, which emerge before the large leaves, emit a malodorous smell which attracts some pollinating flies and bees. Unlike most plants, they can chemically produce heat which melts surrounding snow, protects new flowers and leaves from freezing, and probably helps disperse their odor to attract pollinators. There is skunk cabbage in the wetland at the intersection of the green and orange trails. It is not blooming yet, but look for it in the next two weeks.


Tapped Sugar Maple.J.S.

Take a taste: The cool nights and warm, sunny days have made the sugary sap in our sugar maples begin to flow. Most of the sap, that's been stored all winter in the trunk and roots, will flow to the buds to nourish the miniature leaves and flowers that formed last summer. Some of the sap will flow into our collection buckets and become yummy maple syrup. Grab a taste of the sap and syrup and learn more about the process at our Maple Sugarin' program on Saturday, March 5.

And finally, the warm sun--doesn't it feel good! We've had a couple of those days when you can leave the winter jacket in the car and hike the trails in a t-shirt. Can't wait for more.

And in this corner...

2011-02-07T10:42:00.001-05:00

Spider vs. stink bug. J. Schaeffer

Save those cobwebs and see predator/prey interactions, live from a ceiling near you. In this corner, stinking up the joint, the despised marmorated stink bug is up against the ropes. His opponent, smooth as silk, floats like a butterfly on 8 legs and delivers a lethal jab.

Hooray for spiders!

Baby, it's cold outside!

2011-01-24T10:17:00.003-05:00

On this, the coldest weekend so far this winter, let's think about those critters which might be better adapted than we are to survive winter's freeze without central heating. Look at three of the most remarkable:

Groundhog. Bill Hubick

1. Our groundhog, safe and chilly in his underground winter burrow, is a true hibernator--a warm-blooded mammal like you and I, but one that can lower its body temperature to just above freezing and rewarm itself in early spring. Our organ functions stop, and we die, when body temperatures fall more than 5-10 degrees below normal (98.6'F), but the remarkable groundhog safely cools, and greatly slows its organ functions. Some don't much appreciate their damage to vegetable gardens, but you gotta love their physiological adaptability.

Wood frog. Bill Hubick

2. Have you ever found a frozen frog on the forest floor in February? Well, William Schmid did in Minnesota in 1982, and that began the amazing discovery of how our wood frogs survive freezing winter temperatures. Wood frogs can freeze solid, looking and feeling much like frog-shaped ice cubes. At the first sign of freezing, the frogs pull water from their cells into inter-cellular spaces where it freezes without damage. And sugar is pulled into their blood to lower its freezing point. Check out a short video on:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/video/3209/i05.html

Black-capped chickadee. B.Hubick

3. And then there are the winter songbirds. Those little critters, with their feathers fluffed for more insulation, look so chilly at our feeders, chowing down on suet and seed. They have to eat almost constantly when it's cold because it's food that fuels their metabolic furnace and enables them to maintain a high body temperature like ours. But what about at night, when it's cold and they don't eat? We know the birds will burn stored fat, but the black-capped chickadee actually lowers its body temperature at night by 10-15 degrees F to use less of that fuel.

Baby, it is cold outside, so button up your overcoat and consider the remarkable diversity of adaptations which enable animals to survive winter's chill. Bernd Heinrich's Winter World is a good fire-side read.

Giant Sycamores Tell a Story

2011-01-04T10:40:00.003-05:00

Several large, old and beautiful trees grace the yard around the Willow Grove Nature Education Center, including a few remaining willows and two large sycamores. We have just learned that one of our pair of sycamores may qualify as a certified Maryland Big Tree!

Sycamore at WGNEC

These two sycamores are special, having shaded this old house for a long, long while. In spring, the sounds of their numerous residents, including nesting Baltimore orioles, provide a sweet melodic accent to all of our outdoor activities. Summer campers delight in watching black rat snakes climb the trunk in search of prey. Our preschoolers measure the trees, determining just how many little ones it takes to reach all the way around, and comparing that to other trees in the park. But now we know that, with a 16 foot circumference, the larger sycamore is one of the largest in Maryland.

We've always assumed that our sycamores are about as old as the building that now houses the Willow Grove Nature Education Center. The WGNEC building is about 150 years old, having been built by Arthur Washington Shanklin sometime in the mid-1800s. The forester who visited last week suggested that the two large sycamores flanking the house could be bride and groom trees. In olden times it was customary to mark a marriage and the establishment of a new household with a pair of trees--one remembering the husband and one for the wife. If he is correct, the trees could have been planted in 1867, when Arthur married Ann Bosley.

Imagine how refreshing the shade from these two trees must have been a century ago, as so many of the other trees in this area were felled to clear agricultural fields or to fuel the lime kilns. Imagine, too, a young couple starting a promising life together at Willow Grove Farm, nurturing the trees as they nurtured their love and eventually their 10 children.

The Maryland Big Tree program catalogs and recognizes the silent giants in Maryland. Visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/trees/bigtree.asp for more information.

Making Tracks

2010-12-19T15:54:00.001-05:00

Fox tracks on pond, Children's Garden.

Fox and small rodent tracks.

The one-inch snow earlier this week provided the perfect slate on which to record the tracks of the mammals and birds that frequent the nature center grounds. We were able to locate tracks of the usual suspects (gray squirrel, mice, rabbit, fox, crow and deer), and some have a story to tell. For example, did you know that our very clever fox can walk on water? Well, make that frozen water. He left his small, circular tracks in the snow over-laying what is now solid ice covering the pond in the Children's Garden. His meandering path included several investigations of the crevices between the stones at the edge of the pond, where we imagine something, perhaps a mouse, must live. In the Pumpkin Patch, we noticed both the tracks of several tiny rodents, as well as the fox, but no sign of a deadly interaction. The compost and mulch piles are apparently home to quite a few small rodents which must enjoy the relative warmth and safety within these garden apartments. At least one rabbit entered the garden through a hole in the back fence but, happily, no sign of deer inside the garden. Dear Santa--Please bring a new fence before the groundhogs wake up!

Hooo Dat?

2010-11-28T20:37:00.001-05:00

Hooo Dat? by J. Schaeffer

The leaves are gone. The trees are bare.
The garden's put to rest.
But what's that call? A bird I think.
But...is it time to make a nest??

How can it be, I ask of you,
A bird that starts to sing
In winter, when it's cold outside!
Whatever can it mean?

But call it does, the Great Horned Owl,
His "I'm awake, Are you?"
We hear him now, up on the ridge,
Singing for us few.

To find a home, attract a mate,
Set up a territory.
The Great Horned Owl, he and his mate,
Start early as can be.

Into a nest, high in a tree,
Maybe a hawk's last year,
They'll lay some eggs and raise the chicks,
Even when there's snow.

Come join us soon, on Saturday
The eleventh, at four,
To call one in and see it perch,
And learn a little more.

There's nothing like it, that's for sure,
To hear the low pitched call.
And see it fly on silent wings,
A terrific thrill for all.

Jim and crew will be guiding us,
As we pursue our quest.
Give Susan a call, get your name on the list,
And come and be our guest.

Owl Prowl. December 11. 4-5:30.
Meet at Willow Grove Nature Education Center.
Reservations required. Call 410-887-2503.

Some Spider has a name.

2010-11-24T19:10:00.001-05:00

Typical Orb Web. U.Kentucky

Marbled Orb Weaver. J. Schaeffer

That was quick! I posted Some Spider's photo on BugGuide.net earlier today and received a response right away: She's a marbled orb weaver (Araneus marmoreus), also known as a Halloween Spider because of the orange and black coloration and their typical occurrence in late fall. Ours is a female, which tend to look a bit shriveled or "raiseny" in fall after depositing their egg masses. The colorful abdomen can also be yellow, or even white with a black spot. Like all orb weavers, this one spins a vertically mounted, circular web which catches small insects. A "signal" thread attached to the center notifies the marbled orb weaver, hiding in an adjacent retreat of folded leaves, when a struggling prey item has been captured. The webs are often found in meadow grasses, but also in shrubs and trees throughout Canada and the eastern and central U.S.

Some Spider!

2010-11-24T13:02:00.001-05:00

Orange Spider. J. Schaeffer

Orange legs. Black and white striped socks. Eight eyes. Florescent orange markings on the back of the abdomen. Found on the forest floor. You'd think that a spider this distinctive would be easy to identify. Not so, but remarkable nonetheless. Charlotte might even call him "terrific". Thanks, John, for noticing this critter.

Orange spider. J. Schaeffer

A couple of interesting sites related to insects and spiders:

BugGuide.Net --an online community that shares "observations of insects, spiders, and other related creatures."
(http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740)

Bug of the Week--a weekly update of interesting local insects from Dr. Mike Raupp at the University of Maryland, College Park. (http://www.raupplab.umd.edu/)

Climbing...climbing...higher...higher: Oriental Bittersweet

2010-11-12T11:45:00.001-05:00

Now that many of the spectacular yellow, orange and crimson leaves have fallen from the trees, the orange and red fruits of the oriental bittersweet have become very obvious. Although undeniably visually attractive, their story is more than what meets the eye.

Oriental bittersweet was brought to North America from Asia during the 1860s for ornamental use, precisely because of those colorful fall fruits. But the seeds spread, dispersed by birds which eat the fruit, and now the invasive vine has become a terrible problem in our park, as well as throughout Maryland and much of the Eastern United States. The fast growing, woody vine climbs over and entangles trees, which frequently die as a result of excess shading or girdling. After a few years, there is often so much heavy vine at the top of the tree that the extra weight can cause the tree to fall, especially during high winds or times of ice and snow accumulation. Our native bittersweet has become quite rare, displaced by competition and hybridization with the oriental variety. And yet, this aggressive and damaging invader, nicknamed the "Kudzu of the North," is still sold in garden centers!

Oriental Bittersweet, November
J. Schaeffer

Our Habitat Restoration Team works diligently to control oriental bittersweet and other invasive nuisance plants in the park, and to restore disturbed habitats with native plants. They will be working Saturday, Nov. 13 (9 am-12 noon) to remove invasive vines. Meet at the Sherwood parking area, and plan to join them again on Saturday, Dec. 14. Call the park office (410-887-2503) for more details.

Adios, NNP 924

2010-10-29T20:20:00.001-04:00

The pokey little pupa finally completed its metamorphosis and emerged as our last Monarch this morning. Today was windy and chilly, so we'll release the tagged female tomorrow when the weather is expected to be a little warmer. The experts say that the butterflies can fly at temperatures above 50`F if it's sunny, and above 60`F if it's cloudy. Typically, the monarchs begin arriving at their winter roost in the mountains south of Mexico City in time for the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead, on November 1. Vaya con Dios, amiga!
Next year, think about being part of the Monarch tagging effort. Visit www.monarchwatch.org for more information.

And One More Makes 100

2010-10-22T11:59:00.001-04:00

working on #100

We are anxiously awaiting the emergence of our last monarch butterfly of the season from a chrysalis it made over a week ago. This was the caterpillar that was found on milkweed in the Children's Garden by a visitor to our Fall Harvest Festival last Saturday, October 9! This tardy fellow is not alone, however. We released two other adults earlier this week. Never have I found monarch caterpillars or adults so late in the season. There is some anecdotal evidence that monarchs tagged and released this late can make it to Mexico. Let's hope that's the case for late-goers. By the way, this last one will make an even 100 monarchs tagged and released at Cromwell Valley Park this fall. That's a record too.

Good Hawk Watching

2010-10-01T12:56:00.002-04:00

CVP Hawk Watchers 10.01.10

Tuesday, 9/21/10, was an exciting time at our Hawk Watch site. On that day, 3,387 broad-winged hawks were spotted flying over Cromwell Valley Park on their way to wintering grounds in Central and South America. This surpasses previous daily record at CVP--2,391 on 9/25/09. In fact, there have been counts on three days this year that broke the previous daily record. While many raptors migrate through Cromwell Valley, broad-wings are the only hawk in our area that flies in loose groups, so their migration can be quite impressive.

The hawk watchers at CVP, known for their patience, persistence and unflappable good spirits, camp out each day on Hawk Watch Hill at this time of year, and count the number of migrating raptors. The group on 9/21 was rewarded with a sight that few are fortunate to witness. During one 45-minute period, the group counted 2,740 broadwings! What does that look like?--"a non-stop flight with groups spread out across the sky." Which reminds me--there are so many important, spectacular occurances in nature that most of us miss just because we're not looking. Thanks Andy, Mark, Brad and Jim for observing and recording this one.

Visit CVP's Hawk Watch Hill and check out: http://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=621 for more information.

Bugged!

2010-10-01T11:29:00.001-04:00

There's an addition to the live animals at Willow Grove Nature Education Center--actually a collection of them. They are easy to spot as they contrast nicely with the cream-colored walls and ceiling in our south-facing office. No need for camouflage--their stinky odor is their primary defensive weapon. In contrast to our preference for native animal displays, this animal is a recent immigrant from Asia, but we're including it in our exhibits because, well, we don't seem to have much choice. We expect to have them on display for the remainder of the fall and winter seasons.

Yes, marmorated stink bugs have invaded our area in Biblical proportions. Want some real information--check out: http://www.hgic.umd.edu/content/brownstinkbug.cfm. No photo this time--they're just too gross.

The Very Beautiful Caterpillar

2010-09-29T16:58:00.002-04:00

Black Swallowtail on Dill

Today we found yet another, and perhaps the most beautiful, caterpillar in the Children's Garden--a black swallowtail. We were especially impressed with the vivid green body, which can also be cream-colored. These butterflies weren't common this summer, but obviously at least one was there to lay an egg on the dill. The black swallowtail caterpillars also like to eat carrot, Queen Anne's Lace, parsley and other members of the carrot family, and over-winter as pupae. Some have noticed a decline in populations of the black swallowtail with the reduction of agricultural land in our region.

Monarchs Like Milkweed

2010-09-03T10:10:00.001-04:00

Fifteen! Today we found 15 monarch caterpillars on the 3 swamp milkweed plants that are part of our Monarch Waystation. The caterpillars' parents were undoubtedly attracted to the garden by the Joe Pye Weed and asters that have been blooming recently. The Monarch Waystation was planted last year as part of a Girl Scout Gold Award. It's true--if you plant it, they will come.

Another interesting caterpillar

2010-08-30T11:53:00.001-04:00

Another very distinctive caterpillar has come our way. This one will turn turn into a drab prominent, a rather plain brown moth that is rather, well, drab. The caterpillar is definitely not drab, with its red caligraphy in a white stripe down its back and its "forked tail". It typically eats sycamore leaves. Thanks, Coral, for finding this one.

Monarchs on the Move

2010-08-17T16:29:00.002-04:00

We're gearing up for another monarch tagging season at Cromwell Valley Park. We seem to be finding more adults and caterpillars this year, and earlier in the season. The Joe Pye Weed in the Children's Garden seems to be a favorite for the adults, as is the common milkweed for the caterpillars. We're rearing 15 (so far) caterpillars in the nature center and will tag them when they become adults, before sending them on their journey to Mexico.

This is the second year that we've been a part of Monarch Watch, which organizes the annual, nation-wide citizen science activity to tag monarch butterflies during their fall migration to Mexico. The tags are recovered in Mexico or during the butterflies' spring return along the Gulf Coast. Winter populations were devastated by severe storms that caused mud slides and destruction to the oyamel fir habitat in the cool, moist mountains south of Mexico City, but Monarch Watch is hopeful that the population recovers somewhat this summer.

Come learn more and develop your tagging skills at one of our Monarch tagging programs in the next month:
August 27 for children ages 7 and up
September 4 for educators, adults
September 25 for families, ages 5 and up
Call 410-887-2503 for reservations and more information.

The UnCommon Buckeye

2010-08-17T13:58:00.002-04:00

We're seeing a lot of the Common Buckeye butterflies in the Children's Garden this month, many more than the isolated sightings in July. Apparently, the buckeye immigrates to Maryland from the south, forming temporary colonies in late summer, but it does not overwinter here. The butterflies can be seen nectaring at Joe Pye Weed, and puddling on damp soil. The eyespots are thought to confuse predators, particularly young birds. Some youngsters at the insect program on Saturday had great fun (and success) netting and releasing the quick-flying buckeyes.

Joe Pye Who?

2010-08-13T20:38:00.003-04:00

The tall plant with pinkish flowers blooming in the Monarch Waystation in the Children's Garden is Joe Pye weed. It is an impressive nectar plant that paints late summer meadows with a lovely mauve hue and provides nourishment for Monarch butterflies on their long migration to Mexico in the fall. To call it a pollinator magnet is a bit of an understatement. Ours is usually covered by a diverse array of butterflies and bees, wasps and flies.

But did you ever wonder who Joe Pye was? How does he rate name recognition by gardeners all over the Eastern United States? Legend has it that Joe Pye was a Native American from the New England area who used leaves from this plant to heal typhoid fever and other ailments during the 1700s. An alternate, although less imaginative, explanation is that the name is a corruption of jopi, a Native American term for typhoid. Ancient peoples considered the leaves of Joe Pye weed to be a love medicine; to win the heart of his intended a brave would hide a wad of the leaves in his mouth before he went a-courtin'.

Think for a minute about which wild flower should be named after you. Queen Anne has her lace, Susan has her dark eyes, Johnny has his jump ups, and Joe's got his weed. What's out there for you, and what magical power would it impart?

Butterfly Flutterbys

2010-07-24T15:20:00.002-04:00

The Children's Garden is populated with a wide variety of winged beauties this month. Our plants are attracting large numbers of butterflies and other pollinators like bees, moths, beetles and flies with their sugary nectar and pollen. To retrieve nectar from flowers, the butterflies unroll thier long, coiled and hollow tongue. You'll be able to see this if you sneak up on a resting or nectaring butterfly in the garden.

Recent sitings: Great Spangled Fritillary, Variegated Fritillary, Common Buckeye, Red-spotted Purple, Tiger Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, Clouded Sulfur.

Let it Grow, Let it Grow, Let it Grow

2010-07-14T12:54:00.001-04:00

We know them all too well. There's the obnoxious Canada thistle, the uncontrollable English ivy, the dandelion we snatch out of a child's hands before he or she blows seeds all over the lawn- weeds. But when a commonly unwanted visitor, purslane (Portulaca oleracea), arrived in our garden a month ago, we embraced the plant with the warm welcome it much deserves. Purslane is a short, succulent, broadleaf annual with fleshy, paddle-shaped leaves, small yellow flowers, and reddish, trailing stems. It grows from late spring through autumn, and like any weed, it can be found almost anywhere. If you find it at the edge of your lawn or garden, don't destroy it- eat it! Originally from India, purslane was Gandhi's favorite food and is great raw in salad, sauteed, stir-fried, or used as a thickening agent in soups. Considered a spinach-like delicacy, it's commonly used in gourmet recipes at fancy restaurants. Still aren't sold on the idea of eating weeds? Purslane contains heart-friendly omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, calcium, and beta-carotene, to name a few of its countless health benefits. Obviously, weeds can't be all bad. Maybe they're just misunderstood.
Thank you, Annika McGinnis, for contributing this entry!

If you plant it, they will come.

2010-06-30T13:26:00.002-04:00

We transplanted a small spicebush into the native plant area of our Children's Garden this spring, hoping that someday, a spicebush swallowtail butterfly would lay an egg and we would find a caterpillar. That day was yesterday! The spicebush is only about 12" high, yet it supports the next generation of this beautiful butterfly. The spicebush swallowtail eats only spicebush (Lindera benzoin) as a caterpillar. The moral of the story: native plants support native insects. If you want butterflies, plant what the caterpillars like to eat.
In the left photo, the caterpillar has created a day-time home by folding the leaf in half. This is the best visual clue that a swallowtail caterpillar is in residence. In the right photo, our caterpillar has assumed the coloration of a snake--the better to scare you with, my dear.

On a related note, we found our first Monarch butterfly egg on the milkweed just outside the Children's Garden, just in time to show the summer camp kids!

The Very Hungry Caterpillars--Luna Moths

2010-06-27T21:09:00.003-04:00

We've finally finished a monumental task--raising luna moths. We were given more than 56 of the tiny creatures, no bigger than your little fingernail in late April. Most were farmed out to schools in Baltimore and Howard Counties, our sister nature centers and interested families who could convince me that they had a ready source of sweetgum, one of the Luna's favorite food. We kept 10, and watched as they all ate and grew, and ate and grew, until they were as long as my thumb. We watched as each of them spun their silken cocoon and "rested" inside for several weeks. Did you know that you can feel the pupa inside the cocoon move a few days before it emerges? All of the cocoons have "hatched" into beautiful Luna moths, even the last slow-poke who emerged earlier this month. We released them one-by-one at night, and watched as each pale green fairy disappeared into the leafy canopy. One female stayed close by and by the next morning had attracted a male.

What Doesn't Belong in This Oriole Nest?

2010-06-12T14:17:00.003-04:00

Today, a group of eagle-eyed birders noticed that a young Baltimore oriole was having difficulty leaving its nest high in a silver maple tree alongside Mine Bank Run. Its foot had become hopelessly entangled in the green plastic mesh that its parents had unwittingly built into the nest. The fledgling was rescued and is being cared for at Phoenix Wildlife Center.

Keep our wildlife friends safe. Please dispose of trash properly.

The Tadpoles...They Are A-Changin'

2010-05-14T13:13:00.001-04:00

If you're a wood frog tadpole you've got to be quick. Wood frogs typically deposit their eggs in temporary vernal pools that dry up by summer. We "rescued" a batch of the eggs from a puddle in the blue trail in mid-March. By late April, they had sprouted their back legs, and, by mid-May, they lost their tails and started breathing air. The little frogs are no bigger than your thumb nail but represent an amazing transformation that never ceases to enchant and amaze. Besides their legs, just about every other physiological system changes to accommodate their new life on land. For example, the tadpole's mouth changes from a circular mouth that scrapes algae to a wide mouth that can catch and devour insects. During this transformation, the critters don't eat, but use the fat stored in their shrinking tails as food. Imagine having to go through so many radical changes in such a short time!

So they got out of the water,

And up on the land.

For the tadpoles, they are a-changin'

(apologies to Bob Dylan)

Worth Waiting For: Spicebush Swallowtails

2010-05-12T13:50:00.001-04:00

We waited all winter and half of the spring, but it finally happened--the spicebush swallowtail chrysalis that overwintered under the deck has finally yielded a beautiful butterfly! Last September, we found several of the caterpillars on spicebush shrubs. While eating only leaves of the spicebush, they grew from tiny caterpillars, which look like brown and white bird poop, to bright green caterpillars with big yellow and black eye spots. Each of the caterpillars eventually formed a small brown chrysallis which was attached to a twig with several thin threads of silk. This morning, we noticed that one of the chrysallises was more colorful, showing the black and blue and orange of the butterfly that emerged a few hours later. Definitely worth waiting for!

Everything's Coming Up...Rhubarb!

2010-03-17T13:25:00.001-04:00

Our first crop of the season is emerging in the Children's Garden--rhubarb. For some, the lazy gardeners among us, rhubarb is the perfect plant. It returns reliably year after year, requiring very little effort, and yields a tasty dessert. Rhubarb is a cool season and drought resistent perennial that requires cold winter temperatures (less than 40 degreesF) to stimulate growth in the spring. It grows best in areas where temperatures don't exceed 75 degrees in the summer--ok, that's not us in this part of Maryland. Our rhubarb does slow down in the hottest part of summer, but perks up again when temperatures cool down. A visitor to the garden last year told us that it was one of the few vegetables she could grow when she lived in the Rockies at 10,000 feet elevation. We eat the leaf stalks, but the leaves themselves are poisonous, containing high levels of oxalic acid. Combined with strawberries, rhubarb makes the perfect pie, just in time for Father's Day.

Have You Heard What I've Heard?

2010-02-25T13:55:00.000-05:00

It's still February, and there are at least 12 inches of snow remaining on the ground, but I've heard spring in Cromwell Valley. A few male cardinals in the park have started their courting and territory song, and soon the females will be answering. Listen for a loud, sweet whistle sounding something like "cheer, cheer, cheer" or "birdie, birdie, birdie." Cardinals are a favorite winter bird, because they are so colorful and common at backyard bird feeders. With such an early start, they typically raise 3-4 clutches of youngsters each year.
I've also been hearing more from the Carolina wren. They sing a little on warm winter days, but now I'm hearing more frequent and louder songs. Their call sounds like "tea kettle, tea kettle, tea kettle," or if you're hungry, it sounds like "cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger" and is sometimes followed by "fries!"
Check out http://www.allaboutbirds.org/, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, to hear recordings of bird songs and calls.

Valentine's Day Nature's Way

2010-02-12T10:46:00.001-05:00

We all look forward to Valentine's Day, a special time for us humans to remember romance and courtship. Is there anything like it in the natural world? Take advantage of the snow this month to see if you can find evidence of courtship in action with our groundhogs. The male groundhog typically awakens from his hibernation and emerges from his burrow in February, before the females. In fact, if there is any truth related to Groundhog Day, it is that the groundhog in February is looking for love, and not his shadow. He will travel to the burrows of a several females within his home range and visit with each one in succession. It looks like our snow will last for a long while, so at some point, you may be able to follow the male's muddy tracks as he visits each of his lady-loves. I wonder if he brings chocolates.