by Marlene Berlin In the fall, as acorns rain down on our heads and mushrooms abound, another rather strange plant pops up: the beech drop. This year, they are ubiquitous. […]
Backyard Nature: Some delights of nature to look for as summer slides into fall
by Marjorie Rachlin In September I make a trip to Rock Creek Park to see how the Chinese chestnut trees are doing. These trees were planted nearly a hundred years […]
Backyard Nature: More wild and wonderful mushrooms
by Marjorie Rachlin This is a great summer for mushrooms. A walk in the neighborhood or in the woods of Rock Creek will show you an amazing variety of shapes […]
Backyard Nature: The wild and wonderful world of mushrooms
by Marjorie Rachlin This is a good time of the year for mushrooms – and for people who love to look for them. Mushrooms come in an astonishing variety, and […]
Rock Creek trail tales: Taking a stroll with some real turkeys; Quick work clearing a downed tree
by Marlene Berlin The last thing I expected to see on my Rock Creek hike last Tuesday was two weird looking heads pop up above a guard rail alongside Broad […]
Backyard Nature: Meeting the mallard family and sneaking up on frogs in Linnean Stream
by Marlene Berlin Say hello to some of our newest neighbors. I had been seeing these two male mallards hanging out together, and wondered whether a family was nearby. I […]
Backyard Nature: The mosquitoes are late, but they’re still coming for dinner
by Marlene Berlin Many of us have been able to enjoy our yards, balconies and neighborhood walks these last couple of months without being pestered by mosquitoes. It’s been nice, […]
Backyard Nature: A owlet’s odyssey
A young barred owl went on quite a journey early last month. And as luck would have it, photographer and neighbor David Cohen was there to capture it all with […]
Backyard Nature: Mother Nature brightens the days
Words by Marjorie Rachlin Photos by Marjorie Rachlin, Eric Kravitz and Kathy Kravitz A lot of homebound people have turned to Mother Nature during this strange spring. The number of […]
Backyard Nature: A raccoon babies rescue
by Marlene Berlin Something had caught the attention of the tree crew removing two dead oaks from my backyard. It was their lunch break, and Mark Reddinger, the arborist crew […]