When you gaze out at our mountains in the winter, the magnificent dark green groves of eastern and Carolina hemlocks used to stand out against the winter browns of deciduous trees. However, you may notice a decrease in green as these hemlocks are fighting a somewhat...
Ornithologists, scientists who study birds, have their hands full. Birds are an important component of the environment, because they limit insect populations and spread seeds for many of our native flowering plants. They are also key indicator species, meaning that...
Throughout February, The North Carolina Arboretum is celebrating everything from the love of birds to lovebirds. From the Great Backyard Bird Count and adult education classes about our feathered friends to a special Valentine’s brunch and wedding planning, we have...
Winter officially begins on December 21; however shorter day-length and cooler temperatures have already triggered the inner timepieces of our local wildlife. Gone from the trails at the Arboretum are the songs of hooded warblers and other migratory birds. Moths and...
According to a study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, birding is the fastest growing outdoor activity in the nation, and both kids and adults are getting into the action. Oftentimes, we may find ourselves spending less time outdoors and in nature during the...
With the start of November, many of us are beginning to think about the upcoming holidays and spending time with friends and family. But what about the winter break days when we will not be travelling or hosting visitors? This year, many schools have anywhere from...
Monarch butterflies are one of the world’s most recognizable species, and with good reason. In just two weeks, they emerge from jade-green and gold chrysalises to become strikingly colored and uniquely patterned adult butterflies that make an amazing 2,000-mile annual...
“Be Prepared.” To most, it’s a familiar phrase and recognized as the motto of the Boy Scouts of America. Perhaps less widely known but just as crucial to scouting is the last tenant of the scouts’ Outdoor Code: “Be conservation minded.” A local scout, Bennett David,...
Eastern box turtles are a familiar resident in much of the eastern United States. Many of us, including myself, link these iconic reptiles to our childhood memories. Growing up in the suburbs of Cincinnati, I recall one particular box turtle (who had a missing limb,...
It wiggles nicely on a hook at the end of a fishing line. It also has such a large appetite for decaying vegetation that it can eat its body weight every day, so it’s great for composting. It’s no wonder that fishermen and gardeners love it so much. It can also jump...