Wildlife Watch

Happy New Year! Before going forward into the new year, I like to look back on the most notable wildlife sightings of the past year, so here goes: The year was notable for climate change: generally warmer and wetter, which is what has been predicted for the northeast. In fact, 2023 was the warmest year … Read more

In late fall and early winter, a walk in the woods still reveals some lovely green plants. One of New England’s prettiest evergreens is most noticeable at this time on the forest floor;  the tiny tree-like plants called clubmosses. In our area, there are five species of clubmosses: ground pine (also called princess pine), shining … Read more

The Last Flower of Fall When walking on my favorite trail recently, I noticed the last flowers of fall blooming in profusion. The Common Witch-hazel shrubs were sporting their yellow leaves, and their surprising bursts of yellow flowers. I always seem to forget to look for them in October, and am always happily surprised to … Read more

Where Are All the Birds? Where are all the birds? Many people have mentioned that their feeders seem bereft of birds. Our feeders, too, are attracting very few takers this fall. This is a pattern we see every year. At this time of year, there is a great deal of natural food available to the … Read more

New England’s greatest treasure is its forests. We rely on our forests to cool the land, and provide moisture to our air. And in this era of abrupt, serious climate change, trees are a major route for carbon sequestration. The more trees that are cut, the more global warming will occur. Forests provide sanctuary for … Read more