This Week in the Woods

This week in the woods, we’ve been finding flies smooshed to the underside of tree leaves. This is the gruesome work of a parasitic fungus. Although not well understood, the process…

This week in the woods, and lawns, and perhaps in your garden, American toads are on the hop, hunting nighttime insects. Although most are predominantly brown or gray, some are more orange.…

This week, we’re straying out of the woods, and out of our “15 miles from the office” rule, to share a photo by Meghan McCarthy McPhaul of a snapping turtle crossing a road…

This week in the woods, we’ve noticed three different species of crane fly resting on leaves. At first glance, crane flies look like giant mosquitoes, but they’re harmless.…

This week in the woods, the forest floor has become noticeably darker. It is also getting drier. As trees and other plants unfurl their leaves, they’re pulling up a lot of moisture from…

This week in the woods, we’ve been noticing the new, bright green leaves of young quaking aspen. This is an early successional species, meaning that it quickly colonizes cleared areas…

This week in the woods, the forest floor is still sunny, but new leaves on our hardwoods are becoming more noticeable. Look for the glossy red leaves of last year’s red maple seedlings;…

This week in the woods, we’re noticing many more insects, including an abundance of tiny and hard-to-identify pollinators visiting spring wildflowers. Along with the increasing insect…

The spring ephemeral wildflower show continues. Red trillium (wakerobin) and round-leaved violets are just coming into bloom, while bloodroot is continuing (notice how it folds up its leaves…

In this difficult period, many of us find joy in observing local nature, and many families are seeking outdoor enrichment opportunities for children. Here are nine photographs taken this past…