Fantastic Feathers

Feathers, being unique to birds, are one of the most remarkable structures in nature.  They are the ultimate multi-taskers.  Here are some fun feathery feats:  Feathers provide thermoregulation since birds can adjust each feather position at will with …

Happy (Indoor) Cats

With the exception of size, a cat is a cat and that is that. From the largest and most aggressive wild cats to our pampered pets, the body form of a cat remains the same. This may be viewed as efficiency in the cat design: A very effective predator and the purr-fect hunting machine.

Widow Skimmer

It’s a wonder that one of the world’s most spectacular and strongest flying insects begins life as a dingy, sinister-looking aquatic larva.  Dragonflies undergo incomplete metamorphosis; there is no pupal stage, during development from egg to …

Bloodroot

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canandensis) is a beautiful spring ephemeral found throughout our area growing in moist woodlands and along streams.  The genus name –sanguinarius- is Latin for “bleeding” and refers to the blood-red juice present in the …