by Marlene Berlin What would tempt me out on a hot July day that was supposed to reach 99 degrees? Bullfrogs, of course. I heard a couple of bullfrogs on […]
Backyard Nature: These spring wildflowers are fleeting beauties
by Marjorie Rachlin It’s time to look for the spring wildflowers in Rock Creek Park. Don’t wait – they don’t last long. They are called “ephemerals” because they bloom for […]
Backyard Nature: Spring’s opening act
by Marjorie Rachlin March is maddening. Cold on, cold off, and occasionally, a snowstorm zaps us. But right now there are daffodils in bloom, and blossoming cherry trees bedeck our […]
Backyard Nature: How do tiny chickadees survive the frigid cold?
We have been seeing chickadees at our feeders this winter, taking sunflower seeds and flying off with them. They somehow made it through the frigid early January temperatures. But how? […]
Backyard nature: A fox encounter at Linnean Stream
by Marlene Berlin I was tramping along Linnean Stream when a small, thin red fox with a thin, raggedy tail caught my eye. It cautiously watched me as I tried […]
Backyard Nature: How our wild neighbors are preparing for winter
by Marjorie Rachlin As the days get shorter and colder, squirrels, chipmunks and bees are laying in stores to feed themselves. Some birds are heading south. Many plants and animals […]
What its tiniest residents tell us about Broad Branch Stream’s health
by Sarah Becker Tucked away in the Forest Hills community flows the recently restored Broad Branch stream. At first glance one would not assume that just a few years ago […]
Backyard Nature: The romantic life of slugs
by Marlene Berlin Here’s something you don’t see every day. This is the sight that greeted Adam Sieminski early Friday morning. He’d walked outside to get the newspaper (yes some […]
Backyard Nature: Fireflies put on a 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: The frog serenade
by Marlene Berlin I’m afraid, dear readers, that you are subjected to my obsessions. First it was mushrooms. Later, my new backyard bird feeder. Now I have another confession – […]