Blogs

Pine Pollen Season

The pine pollen really started to be noticeable last week. Everything seems to be covered in sticky yellow dust. How long will it last? I read a very interesting article from the NC State Extension Forestry division explaining how to calculate the beginning and peak of the pine pollen season. Essentially, starting on February 1,… Continue reading Pine Pollen Season

What’s That? March 23, 2024

Have you ever noticed a green slime or jelly like substance on the ground after the rain? What is that? It’s Nostoc commune, or star jelly. It is not a plant. Nostoc commune is a special kind of bacteria called cyanobacteria. Regular bacteria use food to get their energy, while cyanobacteria use light to produce… Continue reading What’s That? March 23, 2024

Field Report- March 10, 2024

The violets, periwinkle, large yellow vetch, and mayberry are starting to bloom this week. The eastern redbuds are very close to blooming, keep watching for them!

Wait and See

There’s always something to see in nature if you take the time to look. Today, I heard something crunching in the dry grass. It sounded like someone walking very slowly, but no one was around. I stopped for a minute to see if I could spot what was making the noise. I didn’t see anything… Continue reading Wait and See

Cherry or Plum?

You can’t help but notice the beautiful flowering trees this time of year. I stopped to take some pictures of the plum blossoms this week and had a number of people comment on the beautiful cherry blossoms I was photographing. Wait a minute. Was I looking at a plum tree or a cherry tree? I’m… Continue reading Cherry or Plum?

Ants

Have you ever noticed the large ant mounds that always seem to appear after the rain? The ants are busy rebuilding and relocating their nests. We saw at least 8 large ant hills on our walk today, all of them swarming with activity. This ant hill didn’t appear to have much going on. But look… Continue reading Ants