Life beneath ice and snow: Turtles in winter
Some water turtles, such as painted turtles and common snapping turtles, search out the soft substrate at the bottom of ponds, rivers, and lakes, and burrow down into the mud to survive the winter.
The incredible shrinking shrew
Masked shrews are one of our smallest mammals, tipping the scales at between 3 and 6 grams (one to two pennies), with a 2.5-inch-long body and a 1.5-inch tail.
Native hollies offer more than holiday cheer
while Christmas holly (Ilex aquifolium) originates across the Atlantic, our region has two native holly species of which to boast – and they do much more on the landscape than brighten homes and spirits at yuletide.
Spotting giant silk moths in winter
Late fall and early winter are the best times of year to spot giant silk moth cocoons in New England.
Rough-legged hawks come visiting
In late autumn, cold air masses come barreling down from the Canadian Arctic like an atmospheric avalanche, bringing with them a visitor from the North: the rough-legged hawk (Buteo lagopus).
The quiet persistence of clubmosses
Despite their name, clubmosses are not true mosses. They are the oldest group of vascular plants, which have specialized tissue called xylem that transports water and nutrients.
Factors behind burgeoning black bear populations
The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department set a statewide population goal of 3,500 to 5,500 black bears, based on available habitat for food, cover, and winter denning, as well as the size of black bear territories. But in 2024, the population numbered between 6,800 and 8,000.
Moving on: Porcupettes no more
Young porcupines are dispersing from their mothers this time of year, and with that, leaving behind the cutest name for a baby animal – porcupette – as they strike out on their own.
Young loons may linger before winging to the ocean
At this point in the season, most migrating songbirds and raptors have already left. But on lakes and ponds across New England, some loons are still fishing and paddling.
Creating caches in preparation for winter
Red-breasted nuthatches, like the one hiding seeds under the white pine’s bark, typically stay in cold climates. They employ a clever trick to ensure they have enough food to last the winter: they create secret food caches across the landscape for later consumption.
Nematode nemesis: The hidden world of carnivorous fungi
Every major lineage of fungus has produced some species capable of consuming the minuscule animals that occupy nearly the entire surface of the earth. Nematodes make up the majority of this micro-zoo.
Black Locust: An invasive with roots?
The coming of autumn often makes trees harder to identify – but sometimes, it does the opposite. Take the black locust, for example. Without foliage, many of its distinctive traits become visible.
In the (tiny) footsteps of a chipmunk
As autumn nears, I find myself returning to botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer’s line in her book, “Gathering Moss,” where she describes ecological succession as “a tale of the interwoven fates of mosses, fungi, and the footfall of chipmunks.”
Sumac galls offer proof of an ancient association
With the onset of late summer’s cooler nighttime temperatures and shorter days, staghorn sumacs (Rhus typhina) are among the first leafy plants to lose chlorophyll from their cells. The breakdown of this pigment triggers the transition from green foliage to yellow, orange, and red, often starting as early as mid-August. After a striking autumnal display, their rich red to burgundy-colored fruit clusters remain all winter.
Turtlehead tests bumblebees’ pollinator mettle
The lockbox blossoms of white turtlehead (Chelone glabra), a native plant in the plantain family, are an ideal match for the powerhouses of the pollinator world: Bombus (bumblebee) species.
Cyanobacteria’s ancient, hidden history
Cyanobacteria have become a detrimental presence in New England’s lakes and rivers, erupting into toxic blooms that choke out other forms of life. Yet while we are familiar with their destructive side
Syrphid flies puzzle and pollinate
Survey the insects orbiting a globe of milkweed blossoms or the delicate blooms of a chokeberry, and you might spy an apparent chimera.
Northeastern bulrush is on the edge, but not on the brink
The northeastern bulrush, which is sometimes called the barbed bristle bulrush (Scirpus ancistrochaetus), grows from rhizomes along the margins of ponds, marshes, ephemeral pools, and other wetlands.
The Baltimore checkerspot: Finding Maryland’s state insect in Vermont
Unlike most butterflies, Baltimore checkerspots overwinter as caterpillars. They have antifreeze chemicals that enable them to partially solidify without damaging their bodies and then thaw out again.
What makes blueberries blue?
Like many eye-catching berries, blueberries contain pigment chemicals that selectively absorb some light wavelengths, reflecting the other colors back to our eyes for us to see. They also have a waxy layer, or bloom, that scatters and reflects blue light.