by Marjorie Rachlin Have you noticed the mallard ducks swimming lazily in Rock Creek when it’s cold and there is snow on the ground? “Why aren’t they freezing?” a friend […]
Backyard Nature: Insects produce the backyard symphony of August
by Marjorie Rachlin It’s 8 a.m., and I’m sitting on the back porch, looking out at the garden. No birds, no bees yet. It’s August and nature is slowing down. […]
Backyard Nature: The creatures that put on a magical light show
by Marjorie Rachlin Your backyard or local park is the stage for a magical light show each summer night. It’s firefly time. And I’ve been sitting on my back porch […]
Backyard Nature: I went down the rabbit hole on the rabbit-fox connection
by Marlene Berlin This spring, I was getting numerous reports of rabbit sightings, with some neighbors complaining that the visitors were nibbling on stuff they shouldn’t. And I had my […]
Backyard Nature: Sure, they’re big. But these snakes aren’t so scary once you get to know them.
by Ken Sands Every spring in our region, snakes emerge from their hibernation dens looking for food and water and to mate. And while snakes are not abundant in Rock […]
Backyard Nature: Our bullfrog neighbors are quiet now. But just wait.
by Marlene Berlin One day in late April I stopped by the lily pond at the Tregaron Conservancy to see how the bullfrogs are doing. I found the frogs – […]
Backyard Nature: What to look for when venturing into parks and backyards in April
by Marjorie Rachlin April is a month of changes. Plants and animals begin to wake up. We become optimistic. And as we move into late spring and the temperature swings […]
A frog song for your Friday – and other life at the Broad Branch and Linnean streams
by Marlene Berlin Now that it’s warmer, live outdoor concerts are happening every night at the Linnean and Broad Branch streams. The spring peepers and American toads were chirping away […]
At the Broad Branch and Linnean streams, beauty in the cold
by Marlene Berlin Many of us might prefer to see our local streams in their spring and summer blankets of green, or in the winter, blanketed in snow. But there […]
Backyard Nature: How do tiny chickadees survive the frigid cold? A boost in their brain power
We often see chickadees at our feeders in the cold of winter, taking sunflower seeds and flying off with them. They somehow make it through the frigid temperatures. But how? […]