Jewelweed: A hummingbird magnet
Community Susan Shea Community Susan Shea

Jewelweed: A hummingbird magnet

Delicate orange flowers spotted with red-brown are known as jewelweed or spotted touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis). The name jewelweed may refer to the way silvery drops of rain and dew bead up on the bluntly toothed leaves or the way the flowers dangle like earrings.

Read More
As hunters, dragonflies surpass sharks in catching prey
Community Rachel Sargent Mirus Community Rachel Sargent Mirus

As hunters, dragonflies surpass sharks in catching prey

Imagine you’re a fruit fly by the pond on a sunny day, whirring along in search of food or other flies. Suddenly, you’re scooped up, whisked to a perch, and efficiently devoured by a blue dasher dragonfly. For little flies like you, blue dashers have a 97% capture rate. For comparison, great white sharks only catch their prey 50% of the time. 

Read More