tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40684938362332758582024-03-20T01:23:13.211-07:00Ethan's Sketch PadWhat began as an art space has evolved to cover my experiences as a Cornell Plantations Intern in the Mundy Wildflower Garden. Generally I'll introduce plants, record animal sightings, and follow the progress of projects in the garden.Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-79311466740001743342012-07-30T05:28:00.000-07:002012-07-30T12:10:23.423-07:00Richford Seed Collecting Trip.
On Friday we headed up to Krissy's neck of the woods in Richford, New York to collect Danthonia spicata, or Poverty Oatgrass seed which grows along the old roads of an abandoned seed potato farm with the Natural Areas Crew. Here we are gearing up for our expedition.
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Here's a shot of Zeb and Kelsey collecting seed along the road bed.
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It was a really nice day, partly cloudy, mid-seventies, lots of blackberries to eat along the way. This shot should give you some idea of how nice the trip was.
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We had views "out to Pennsylvania" apparently.
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And took our mid-morning repast at the side of a delightful former irrigation pond left over from the potato farming days.
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Here's what all the fuss was about, Danthonia spicata - Poverty oatgrass. This fantastic little native is drought tolerant to the extreme, clear thrive in rocky soils and is used in the native lawn display becuase of its naturally low growth habit. when used at a lawn grass it only needs mowing about once a year. all in all an excellent little plant.
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But not he only exciting plant we found that day, Polygala sanguinea - Field Milkwort
was found in fairly large concentrations in certain spots. A relatively overlooked plant it's beauty and poor soil tolerance may lead to its increased horicultural use in the future. Add to the its use a native nectary and the liklyhood looks even better.
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Also on this site I saw one of my all-time favorite plants Spiraea tomentosa, or Steeplebush. This showy sub-shrub has not gained much traction in the nursery trade, passed over time and again for the over-used, over-varietized, increasingly invasive Spiraea japonica - Japanese Spiraea. With more interesting flower shape, and a greater tolerance for soil moisture extremes (as well as fuzzy orange leaf undersides) I think its high time the nursery trade gave this beautiful, versatile native its due.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGOCEPDr6AjHDFzM_uNbC1Gb8YBGVEpiyKBKhvLX_Sp9E6DLmA8OgFBIfnXMn1-FM7AB2psNaqhsw7u13TrIjn2ow2MYRVlmDZPG5RdXtSzrV7oHBj4VoZ621DUcvSbSeV-Iy67T9WFNV/s1600/Spiraea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGOCEPDr6AjHDFzM_uNbC1Gb8YBGVEpiyKBKhvLX_Sp9E6DLmA8OgFBIfnXMn1-FM7AB2psNaqhsw7u13TrIjn2ow2MYRVlmDZPG5RdXtSzrV7oHBj4VoZ621DUcvSbSeV-Iy67T9WFNV/s400/Spiraea.jpg" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-79363182664071874622012-07-30T05:22:00.001-07:002012-07-30T11:56:17.580-07:00PEEPS on Patrol
This week Krissy and I had the pleasjure of working with the PEEPS. It stands for Plantations Environmental Education Program for Sustainability and is comprised of a group of carefully selected Ithaca-area teens who intern at plantations in all of its various areas and participate in educational experiences. Initially we had them workking on identifying and eradicating the invasive weed Torilis japonica - japanese Hedge Parsley but once they finished that we moved on to collecting seed from Elymus hystrix- Bottlebrush Grass. You can see us harvesting the seeds below.
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While we were there a pair of PHD students working on a native bee study were there netting bees and we got to learn a bit about the role of native pollinators. Here is the male half of the PHD team.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIC2T6qAD3nhUJu6sBcCzcjoRVdAsc0H-tdhAcp824fegi3DaU1jzCC1HH0FRUCOhoBOkO9V3I2GwNENknt9FgBq2t9NqdiVe98CM4nVhyphenhyphenEZk8rNK8WSGDd856udZM1B-wsUMz9zJbg7PG/s1600/Pollinators+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIC2T6qAD3nhUJu6sBcCzcjoRVdAsc0H-tdhAcp824fegi3DaU1jzCC1HH0FRUCOhoBOkO9V3I2GwNENknt9FgBq2t9NqdiVe98CM4nVhyphenhyphenEZk8rNK8WSGDd856udZM1B-wsUMz9zJbg7PG/s400/Pollinators+1.jpg" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-58654601905941166802012-07-30T05:21:00.001-07:002012-07-30T11:50:23.959-07:00Garden Bugs
This butterfly was enjoying the anise flavored nectar of Agatache foeniculum - Anise Hyssop. I think the butterfly is Limenitis arthemis arthemis - The White Admiral or Red-spotted Purple, either way its a beaut!
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This medium-sized version of a very large spider is Argiope aurantia, the Garden Spider is found throughout north America from Canada to Mexico, from the Atlantic to the Pacific and even on Hawaii. This lovely lady (you can tell its a female by it's overall robustness, specifically in the abdomen) has set up house in one of the Lavendula angustifolia shrubs in the herb garden.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2euZiqAniP4TTg081wYg7Ht0GLhWDb_gja3hVoMNgFBRBUaZ3MPSjZUs5cpiB99Eermlx7e0vHz8bON39Hr4yyY7xPnZ9Mv9bFRWSmEpeXriFwEV-UlL-B-UOwEcbpKb-XaRKLK7rNvhP/s1600/Spider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2euZiqAniP4TTg081wYg7Ht0GLhWDb_gja3hVoMNgFBRBUaZ3MPSjZUs5cpiB99Eermlx7e0vHz8bON39Hr4yyY7xPnZ9Mv9bFRWSmEpeXriFwEV-UlL-B-UOwEcbpKb-XaRKLK7rNvhP/s400/Spider.jpg" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-38554203708480360552012-07-30T05:20:00.001-07:002012-07-30T11:40:37.615-07:00Floral Field Day.
This learning Monday we participated in Cornell's Annual Floriculture Field Day. The morning was essentially taken up by lectures, which while interesting, did not offer many opportunities for photos. The afternoon however was spent out at Bluegrass Lane, Cornell's Horticultural test fields. It was windy, but I did manage to get a few shots for the blog. Here we see one of the first-prize winners of the container planting contest. It helps to prove my point that while flowers are enjoyable its always better to think about the effect of longer lasting foliage first. Not a flower on it, but the creative use of bog/emergent plant foliage netted it a goal over more blossom heavy arrangements.
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Here's a close up of Sarracenia leucophylla, or White-top Pitcher Plant, one of the bog plants used in this award-winning container.
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And here is an unidentified species (at least by me) of the same genus as above as used in the winning container.
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The following are a few of the shoits I took of the perennial field collection housed at Bluegrass Lane. Check out my Picasa page in Sept./Oct. for more pics of this site as I'll be up there a lot in Bill Miller's Perennial and Annual ID class.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdEj-SAOcK7f_iuiOJ-GxhX_yQckBzD2i11MRPkDStZMoRgm5upVj3ZhjTFmgUn8YXbBAduNJJ9F2hPgw1nz-akdUkdhUYryZe0TyDw_eHBRlTcIP8Ugi6mWfPE-QSwtbo0L1wqE5bq3d/s1600/Floral+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmdEj-SAOcK7f_iuiOJ-GxhX_yQckBzD2i11MRPkDStZMoRgm5upVj3ZhjTFmgUn8YXbBAduNJJ9F2hPgw1nz-akdUkdhUYryZe0TyDw_eHBRlTcIP8Ugi6mWfPE-QSwtbo0L1wqE5bq3d/s400/Floral+4.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjied-o-gvMlKvK2z2qlyKCNI3hlJH6F4-U1tT1R3B61wf_g7abubGT3hMpFGW3hTsdeP2aml1D0ngwRmjDeFrfCyo_iBGkZBqOhjHBtJTZV87-_dt_swAu3tcVQ4H7skmoN3EclahQ6C29/s1600/Floral+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjied-o-gvMlKvK2z2qlyKCNI3hlJH6F4-U1tT1R3B61wf_g7abubGT3hMpFGW3hTsdeP2aml1D0ngwRmjDeFrfCyo_iBGkZBqOhjHBtJTZV87-_dt_swAu3tcVQ4H7skmoN3EclahQ6C29/s400/Floral+5.jpg" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-1000316063005518072012-07-30T05:19:00.001-07:002012-07-30T05:58:29.492-07:00More Plant Profiles for your general edification. First we have a shot of Rudbeckia laciniata, the Green-headed Coneflower. This tall cut-leaved plant has the distinction of being the only Rudbeckia (the genus of Black-eyed and Brown-eyed Susans) which is truly native to the Cayuga Lake Watershed.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9VAEGrjQKpQkTg1MbI0nx4zfixIK5vR-pobuAELbE0JLHO4iFy4m_eB8LSiZc9ggDyBPLQD6jLOfa2iuB5ifY_w1fncKVG3sbTAshPliosifqj1s1EeKyTTXTPKjMPGqH8O46jv_5evCP/s1600/Rudbeckia+laciniata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9VAEGrjQKpQkTg1MbI0nx4zfixIK5vR-pobuAELbE0JLHO4iFy4m_eB8LSiZc9ggDyBPLQD6jLOfa2iuB5ifY_w1fncKVG3sbTAshPliosifqj1s1EeKyTTXTPKjMPGqH8O46jv_5evCP/s400/Rudbeckia+laciniata.jpg" /></a></div>
Here is a close up of the blloms of Pycnanthemum muticum, the Clustered or Shot toothed Mountain Mint. This aromatic native is a favorite of many pollinators including: Honeybees, wasp mimic flies, sweat bees, and many other native bees.
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Mimulus ringens, or Allegheny Monkeyflower is a beautiful member of the Figwort family (Scrophulariaceae). It is found in floodplains and open swamps throughout the northeast but I feel is very reminiscent of a more tropical clime.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OFknWHLJ4ysdg6zbbDux41Yj215kdNKXgVy7YmPo31CP4xrfPOHwoiBqaLbWpS8SAfNiYkGknLqZaRYJv8olukZ9DwJqltBjlt6TZXGWhQCMpqT61_F3_X34TcAE-z2CLNpL3z7-EHPX/s1600/Mimulus+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0OFknWHLJ4ysdg6zbbDux41Yj215kdNKXgVy7YmPo31CP4xrfPOHwoiBqaLbWpS8SAfNiYkGknLqZaRYJv8olukZ9DwJqltBjlt6TZXGWhQCMpqT61_F3_X34TcAE-z2CLNpL3z7-EHPX/s400/Mimulus+1.jpg" /></a></div>
Another native of floodplains Eutrochium purpureum, or Joe Pyeweed is a favorite of pollinators and gardeners. Capable of reaching upwards of 7 feet in ideal conditions this tall perennial is a show stopper along stream beds or in garden beds.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2LKcK5de72MkaKtIOj9YEEjaAq6nOM1e1cAOYsER7WnU8vl4yq8f_frBSSSPBKdspx7kwdlYmJwnpgcK32TLNR4PmnjY1EMuo89s_iSQ9bZGuv6Uyhy7qFX1SgXltyBFR3Ne09ckFssH/s1600/Joe+Pyeweed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY2LKcK5de72MkaKtIOj9YEEjaAq6nOM1e1cAOYsER7WnU8vl4yq8f_frBSSSPBKdspx7kwdlYmJwnpgcK32TLNR4PmnjY1EMuo89s_iSQ9bZGuv6Uyhy7qFX1SgXltyBFR3Ne09ckFssH/s400/Joe+Pyeweed.jpg" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-77673907633939548792012-07-30T05:18:00.000-07:002012-07-30T05:46:29.658-07:00More birds in the Garden!
Here's a shot of Megaceryle alcyon, the Belted Kingfisher. I've been trying to get a shot of this particular bird for weeks now but it remained stubbornly camera shy. I finally got this one of it perched on the glacial erratic joined by a Quiscalus quiscula, or Common Grackle.
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Cardinalis cardinalis or the Northern Cardinal is seen here exhibiting some odd behavior. Because of the fact that it was perched on the ground and splaying its wings and tail in an odd fashion I thought it might be injured. When i walked closer to take a look the bird flew away and perched in a tree normally and without apparent discomfort. As a result I feel this bird was originally warming itself in the sun or possibly anting. Anting is a habit of many birds, and is known to be practiced infrequently by Cardinals, whereby the birds allow ants to crawl on their feathers and essentially attack them with acids. These acids can act as insecticide, miticide, fungicide, or bactericide for the birds. Occasionally some birds (mainly blue jays) will ant in an effort to get the ants to discharge their acid sacs rendering them more palatable to the jay!
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These fellows are a common site on Fall Creek as they prefer to live in running water and are common in our area. These are female Mergus merganser americanus, or Common Mergansers. These narrow-billed diving ducks have toothed beaks which allow them to catch and hold their slippery fish prey.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRxiM7YXLyQuc_8CsQ4A9v4VC6rh1jupjc8flUojrWnwoMvURHyqjJctYgJk-iNSE8JOrrIa1V5qltzo07upd8yNHRiYJMs2MDVEB9TZbeTV_LRZsfP47JC3wJIMTd6yYth1IMMLGEivP/s1600/Bird+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRxiM7YXLyQuc_8CsQ4A9v4VC6rh1jupjc8flUojrWnwoMvURHyqjJctYgJk-iNSE8JOrrIa1V5qltzo07upd8yNHRiYJMs2MDVEB9TZbeTV_LRZsfP47JC3wJIMTd6yYth1IMMLGEivP/s400/Bird+3.jpg" /></a></div>
I believe these fledgling Ardea herodias, or Great Blue Herons are the same one that were raised up at the Lab of Ornithology Nest. Four of them gangled around in the treetops along Fall Creek until my photographic intentions unfortunately caused them to fly on.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWL1zjRczeiMMt4z8hdHOxBhqkv8AiTCqGS1gv8Q99dbnNHSgT_7coawjjIXxHzcUX4NDzk-vPR1biJ5DyhME0jSX-Hep5W_H7_M7UdhWBfy63Qut7eL_BmsylMvgdY0rgLSSKvBBhz7Zq/s1600/Bird+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWL1zjRczeiMMt4z8hdHOxBhqkv8AiTCqGS1gv8Q99dbnNHSgT_7coawjjIXxHzcUX4NDzk-vPR1biJ5DyhME0jSX-Hep5W_H7_M7UdhWBfy63Qut7eL_BmsylMvgdY0rgLSSKvBBhz7Zq/s400/Bird+4.jpg" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-17965163128592151532012-07-20T10:56:00.001-07:002012-07-20T10:56:28.596-07:00Here's a few new plant profiles. First up is Allium cernuum the Nodding Wild Onion. This native of dry woods, rocky outcrops, and prairies is perfectly suited to the hot dry summer we're having. Like all onions it has a thick fleshy bulb the helps support it through droughts. It is also a great attractor for pollinators.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgTPwxQSYaNmIUbldfBAIehnJXpRUn_9M6pzNzSvIm-QcZjE2vtVhZCNoeofiX6zAnmNKac8m9goK1GwdewI1gKWe4ZWPFI5S9-UKOWY9c9lUNoMK4TfQWUAuF4u5QsbxRhCzidKHfESY/s1600/Onion+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgTPwxQSYaNmIUbldfBAIehnJXpRUn_9M6pzNzSvIm-QcZjE2vtVhZCNoeofiX6zAnmNKac8m9goK1GwdewI1gKWe4ZWPFI5S9-UKOWY9c9lUNoMK4TfQWUAuF4u5QsbxRhCzidKHfESY/s400/Onion+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu54Y-fmbW4v-9eCyf5k2O8za7MTkLGTgPf7cEofU91tJ-wAnhJ7vqRNgeYo1Xx6KiquLDi24s2NrgLKvHYpl6AJTYLxyh4KbBpb0JdEBCGNqgZJ7Fv_NCwKn15M9elcTE6Xt1Ap_-H2Au/s1600/Onion+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu54Y-fmbW4v-9eCyf5k2O8za7MTkLGTgPf7cEofU91tJ-wAnhJ7vqRNgeYo1Xx6KiquLDi24s2NrgLKvHYpl6AJTYLxyh4KbBpb0JdEBCGNqgZJ7Fv_NCwKn15M9elcTE6Xt1Ap_-H2Au/s400/Onion+2.jpg" /></a></div>
Also drought tolerant and loved by pollinators is this Pycnanthemum muticum(?) or Clustered Mountain Mint. This relative of true mint does have a strong relatively minty smell and as you can see here is a favorite of pollinators.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSiuqCswIlHyC1b4FXbQJIHWLTexNRgtZPeFYrhOgMiHq67oPrCBcRtsFrBF8Tjtm1U3t30bygxU3nENFNUkT0NafKcGH8WcXpXuvRZdj30SER_ZIG3n7pt3DKrDkXVHvWj53NBUSPwiG/s1600/Pycnanthemum+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSiuqCswIlHyC1b4FXbQJIHWLTexNRgtZPeFYrhOgMiHq67oPrCBcRtsFrBF8Tjtm1U3t30bygxU3nENFNUkT0NafKcGH8WcXpXuvRZdj30SER_ZIG3n7pt3DKrDkXVHvWj53NBUSPwiG/s400/Pycnanthemum+1.jpg" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-67892063705962470782012-07-20T10:43:00.001-07:002012-07-20T10:43:47.142-07:00On Tuesday and Thursday Krissy and I got a chance to work with a group of 13 year old's taking part in a The Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC)summer program. They helped us greatly by scuffle hoeing the paths, pruning, and removing weeds. In return we taught them a variety of plants and let them ride in the Gator. All in all everyone got something fun and productive out of the experience.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcOV2OE5y_cL66OFFKdvGjzgWjV7GTR431D5sVTqmy7kqPNdvUt-xcV_v-SxRUg6Bn715BB3izPwnkJjFPdayW7_k3PhcMjHJosSrnoKF3eeAcIGv7cuiDQMo1-zwZG39tb_5VcSxrlOk/s1600/Me+and+the+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixcOV2OE5y_cL66OFFKdvGjzgWjV7GTR431D5sVTqmy7kqPNdvUt-xcV_v-SxRUg6Bn715BB3izPwnkJjFPdayW7_k3PhcMjHJosSrnoKF3eeAcIGv7cuiDQMo1-zwZG39tb_5VcSxrlOk/s400/Me+and+the+kids.jpg" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-14241689823829860702012-07-20T10:38:00.001-07:002012-07-20T10:39:14.305-07:00Critter Time Again!
First we have Rana pipiens the Northern Leopard Frog. This common frog of the northeast is informally grouped with Rana sylvestris (Wood Frog) and Rana palustris (Pickerel Frog)and called meadow frogs. This implies that these frogs unlike some of the others found in the same region can be found in meadows and woodlands and not always directly ajacent to warter. The fellow pictured here however was accidentally scooped out of Beebe Lake when I was doing some watering there the other day.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzccdVZEJcLqiBzOX3ZT5uS1NfUknYGdUyS0TXH5hUNqCte0csfgFW-Vgb0SiJb3QsdxYlLb_0WdADu5bE68Z_eh8bB8GTfuH-F7mNWupympo8NBi7REuCcw6DrJf2E3UH_aln3ZaWXhyphenhyphen/s1600/Leopard+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzccdVZEJcLqiBzOX3ZT5uS1NfUknYGdUyS0TXH5hUNqCte0csfgFW-Vgb0SiJb3QsdxYlLb_0WdADu5bE68Z_eh8bB8GTfuH-F7mNWupympo8NBi7REuCcw6DrJf2E3UH_aln3ZaWXhyphenhyphen/s400/Leopard+2.JPG" /></a></div>
These little fellows were also accidentally captured during the same Beebe Lake watering episode. They are Daphnia or Water Fleas. there common name comes from the way they "jump" through the water. These miniscule freshwater crustacea are an important link in the food chain of the freshwater ecosystem as many animals depend on them as a food source at various stages of development. They are a particular favorite of salamander larvae and fish fry.
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We move from Beebe Lake to the Cornell Filtration Plant retention ponds behind the Hort Center. Here if you look closely you can see a young Vulpes vulpes fulvus -American Red Fox stalking an equally young but inexplicably soaking wet Marmota monax or Groundhog.
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In the end the fox decided they were too close in size for now to risk an attack and slunk away.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rk2-BTJ8AZWd20Ak375uktZ1JgF3-g5O6DJJ-6ILmbWYRfpWyOgHRUfB6X7Yn0vEhfAEpIwxFzbg4kOv6FCD2840S5_7JOBF1XX-tdrjJi-J0_pv7IkackqoCOBnfSt5479wktA7kYb-/s1600/Fox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4rk2-BTJ8AZWd20Ak375uktZ1JgF3-g5O6DJJ-6ILmbWYRfpWyOgHRUfB6X7Yn0vEhfAEpIwxFzbg4kOv6FCD2840S5_7JOBF1XX-tdrjJi-J0_pv7IkackqoCOBnfSt5479wktA7kYb-/s400/Fox.jpg" /></a></div>
I got closer to get a picture of the groundhog and saw why the fox thought better of his attack, look at that glare!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95ugjcDsSe-FNPVvCoHcH_cuG2geRBLG5BoI3c3VhF3Vr-Vq6ZDs9btr07gaKLPiVIeQwC1va-L2Cii8ubaktjDNQLhB_cJgKQ_ByCEca3-bAAUxGsiaD0YuD-_VOebcP3ikBdNg-ZdW-/s1600/Hog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh95ugjcDsSe-FNPVvCoHcH_cuG2geRBLG5BoI3c3VhF3Vr-Vq6ZDs9btr07gaKLPiVIeQwC1va-L2Cii8ubaktjDNQLhB_cJgKQ_ByCEca3-bAAUxGsiaD0YuD-_VOebcP3ikBdNg-ZdW-/s400/Hog.jpg" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-85968981292713971472012-07-13T12:33:00.000-07:002012-07-13T12:33:27.669-07:00We also got to go the quarry on learning Monday to see where the stones come from, which was AWESOME! Here's what the quarry looked like.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHM1Zmz7uPr_CCLjRTmkUMvd0T00OWnrrV0caMRIYqdmrtyzYo6rB6aSp7aB9WAg4mN6y38RlOrCFUMboWmys2AhqClgFqKpmQGMlUV3JuG1kkOpQ39Q0Y1aWtdB_PbGFd7KVwSKzLiJA/s1600/Quarry+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHM1Zmz7uPr_CCLjRTmkUMvd0T00OWnrrV0caMRIYqdmrtyzYo6rB6aSp7aB9WAg4mN6y38RlOrCFUMboWmys2AhqClgFqKpmQGMlUV3JuG1kkOpQ39Q0Y1aWtdB_PbGFd7KVwSKzLiJA/s400/Quarry+1.JPG" /></a></div>
Here's the giant diamond-embedded, horror-movie saw they keep in a dark warehouse for cutting up stones (an human bodies).
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Here we all are on the tour getting schooled about cutting stone in the winter as opposed to the rest of the year. As the stone below ground tends to contain moisture it has to be protected in the winter and allowed to dry out before it is exposed to freezing temps. If it is not protected the freezing of the water it contains could cause the stone to fracture and crumble.
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Finally here's a shot of one of the super-sized fork lifts they use to move stne at the quarry. The truck-loving little kid in me was loving this!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuSXGP5jEPMy4GL1Eu7UyjHl9kGxwlxm8K67NPLwRVDKYQNTd1Ahp7WS-20e5PEtHm5M-Czie6Wmrb5iJ_ymEjPxAYFp-v2DrNuWaHEM83EmgdxAUeHwrAJNA31yJ9MXRsVAlLcealXjl/s1600/Quarry+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVuSXGP5jEPMy4GL1Eu7UyjHl9kGxwlxm8K67NPLwRVDKYQNTd1Ahp7WS-20e5PEtHm5M-Czie6Wmrb5iJ_ymEjPxAYFp-v2DrNuWaHEM83EmgdxAUeHwrAJNA31yJ9MXRsVAlLcealXjl/s400/Quarry+4.JPG" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-85469808678629361962012-07-13T12:16:00.000-07:002012-07-20T10:05:38.490-07:00Here we all are bright and early for the Masonry and Stonework Learning Monday!
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But seriously it was a really cool, fun, and informational day. Here's a shot of all the tools we got to work with! There were 3lb. Hammers and acute and blunt tipped chisels depending on what kind of a break you are trying to get the stone to do.
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Here's a shot of John Dawson, the Plantation head mason demonstrating how to split guillotine block.
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Now the interns are all safety goggled up getting ready to break blocks.
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And here we are breaking them, everyone did an excellent job although there were a lot of jokes about how prisoners are forced to break blocks as well. To these Marita replied that she didn't think she'd do too well in prison.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Aside from breaking block we also did some work dry laying a field stone wall which is alot like building a very heavy three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. You have here the before pile, the finished product and a shot of us testing it for "structural integrity".
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Here are a few interlude shots I took on stone day. The fist is of a really lacy egg case of some invertebrate we found on one of the rock we were working with. I think it looks like a kitchen sponge egg.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Vq6bXeA4-mD-6t-E3z2AJjGBcdoZkcJl7x6tz5jxYoRK73sF65hyphenhyphenmSj07AuVTPne-_3Kz_GH5spBEXyoP8-FcjiSNRBbgl1umeTQcwR6vTLkRD04gYuzQvEd2zypFYmy5LUer5Ge6m60/s1600/Stone+Day+Inter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Vq6bXeA4-mD-6t-E3z2AJjGBcdoZkcJl7x6tz5jxYoRK73sF65hyphenhyphenmSj07AuVTPne-_3Kz_GH5spBEXyoP8-FcjiSNRBbgl1umeTQcwR6vTLkRD04gYuzQvEd2zypFYmy5LUer5Ge6m60/s400/Stone+Day+Inter.JPG" /></a></div>
This second shot is of one of the immature instars of Omocestus viridulus the Common Green Grasshopper I believe although its possible its something else. Also this grasshopper happens to be in the midst of defecating, how charming!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfGT8XJALVQ7mHJ6HsEfFUhusAOYXmC3VLLqYN4J19NQoPi0D4g-5EqXOQL0ZcNO8nOcbKmfT04O5rWVFXIPstsyXdjI6GscbXyVii3oqoYlGXuv3HfzldE-xR-WmvOZytnPIlOJilfvad/s1600/Stone+Day+Inter+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfGT8XJALVQ7mHJ6HsEfFUhusAOYXmC3VLLqYN4J19NQoPi0D4g-5EqXOQL0ZcNO8nOcbKmfT04O5rWVFXIPstsyXdjI6GscbXyVii3oqoYlGXuv3HfzldE-xR-WmvOZytnPIlOJilfvad/s400/Stone+Day+Inter+2.JPG" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-86352469485857580202012-07-13T08:26:00.000-07:002012-07-20T10:04:39.695-07:00Marvelous Monardas!
These lovely and quite fragrant members of the mint family are a must for any perennial garden, and quite popular these days. We'll look at two of the five species native to New York State: Monarda didyma and Monarda fistulosa.
Monarda didyma, known as Beebalm is the more moisture and shade tolerant of the two we're looking at. With its bright red flowers it should be called Hummingbirdbalm instead of Beebalm but that's more of a mouthful.
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Monarda fistulosa or Wild Bergamot gets its common name from the likeness of its flavor and scent to that of the bitter citrus fruit called Bergamot used to flavor Earl Grey tea. It is only slightly less showy than M. didyma, but its extreme drought tolerance makes up for that in scores.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbZB_tYrrbcls7o9RxDvEn4ztifON42_Ge20mUVeUb4yb3Zcnu2OPUMgnqsnPBialtM3pDFq2civw6U2jsuSvombX3wNg3ItNeaG_okH474o4Lh2wT_o7ZnQHUIlWIWlo3gjEMTWaSBVy/s1600/Monarda+2c.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJbZB_tYrrbcls7o9RxDvEn4ztifON42_Ge20mUVeUb4yb3Zcnu2OPUMgnqsnPBialtM3pDFq2civw6U2jsuSvombX3wNg3ItNeaG_okH474o4Lh2wT_o7ZnQHUIlWIWlo3gjEMTWaSBVy/s400/Monarda+2c.JPG" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-77089685747947867862012-07-12T13:00:00.000-07:002012-07-13T08:16:58.918-07:00As always when walking around the garden, I kept my eye out for new critters and was not disappointed on the fern walk. First I caught a large Rana clamitans in the almost dry vernal pool at the rear of the gardens.
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Then Peter Kwon one of the natural areas interns pointed out this beautifully colored spider right across the path from the pool. After some research I discovered it was Leucauge venusta the ORchard Spider. This colorful arachnid has a range stretching from eastern Canada all the way down to Panama, I love it when life displays that kind of adaptability.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdnZzqgJQK9XkiHE5_wCmOyrMAr2f-YB1MNH7duUXfRMCeFfOMZUCT7MkhjZs6PmvCZaWyTEpaB5eUD08thXgQLTU5UfCeDqTvY5w5g865KouORp5rPzOLpvcEMmG3Ck2vSYsN1zFtayYv/s1600/Fern+Walk+Critters+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdnZzqgJQK9XkiHE5_wCmOyrMAr2f-YB1MNH7duUXfRMCeFfOMZUCT7MkhjZs6PmvCZaWyTEpaB5eUD08thXgQLTU5UfCeDqTvY5w5g865KouORp5rPzOLpvcEMmG3Ck2vSYsN1zFtayYv/s400/Fern+Walk+Critters+3.JPG" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-82884748297148503282012-07-12T12:54:00.001-07:002012-07-13T08:16:25.399-07:00So this Tuesday our wonderful volunteer in the wildflower garden, Susanne, led the rest of the volunteers (and Natural Areas interns) on a fern identification walk and I though I share some of the plants we saw.
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First we have one of my favorite ferns Dryopteris marginalis the Marginal Shield Fern. Called marginal because its sori (spore bearing bodies) occur along the margins of its frondlets. I really appreciate this plant's combined drought hardiness and shade tolerance.
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Here we see a large gorgeous population of Matteuccia struthiopteris or Ostrich Fern. This floodplain species is called Ostrich Fern because its fronds reminded early Americans of ostrich tail feathers. This plant is both adored and despised. Adored for its edible fiddleheads in the spring and despised by some gardeners because of its tenacity. It is very hard to remove once it has been established and can become agressive in the right conditions.
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Finally we have one of the most delicate and beautiful ferns in the northeast Adiantum pedatum, the Maidenhair Fern. This ferns frondlets are reminiscent of fish tails or ginkgo leaves. As all ferns frond unfurl they do so according to the fibonacci sequence, but none more so than this one.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZDYLBGep8WL9oIxR1WTw1nkfjQ6RnvwVy4e3i58_vK0sQfTkmk4Yohq63Pp6aLsg4odMzUesEdKVO985AsH9XvFEWNtMuqfsHX1uMHMa7V0CvF1Uugz7v4zbeKqQ7_jwHT3iYcVSlAvK/s1600/Fern+Walk+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZDYLBGep8WL9oIxR1WTw1nkfjQ6RnvwVy4e3i58_vK0sQfTkmk4Yohq63Pp6aLsg4odMzUesEdKVO985AsH9XvFEWNtMuqfsHX1uMHMa7V0CvF1Uugz7v4zbeKqQ7_jwHT3iYcVSlAvK/s400/Fern+Walk+5.JPG" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-5714728399028702582012-07-12T12:43:00.000-07:002012-07-12T12:43:30.102-07:00Just a short post about a cool tree. Catalpa speciosa or Northern Catamlpa is blooming late in the garden this year. Though native to the northeast, its original range was restricted to a small area around the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers but because of its wildlife value it was spread by the native americans and then by the Europeans but for different reasons. First, it is very hardy and bears beautiful flowers as can be seen in the photo. Secondly, I just found out that its soft wood has one of the lowest shrinkage/expansion rates of any U.S. hardwood which makes it great for carving and boat building. pretty and pretty cool.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9yKdOyrRzsLtvUsVlIvAAuynah3vaHPTYpWFMkj2EE5__sNbaMC1GCU6bkHfk1WYhLRdO8OiQp0vmMUtbC410-0cshsy2Xtuvxl5swyPLNVvakNwF0MuV96uni7erQ9Kctd9hAentj0N/s1600/Catalpa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9yKdOyrRzsLtvUsVlIvAAuynah3vaHPTYpWFMkj2EE5__sNbaMC1GCU6bkHfk1WYhLRdO8OiQp0vmMUtbC410-0cshsy2Xtuvxl5swyPLNVvakNwF0MuV96uni7erQ9Kctd9hAentj0N/s400/Catalpa.JPG" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-26226983499290395882012-07-12T12:36:00.002-07:002012-07-13T08:15:09.560-07:00Caterpillars galore in the garden this week, some I have identified, others are giving me trouble(any help will be greatly appreciated. The first suspect is some sort of Looper Moth in the superfamily Geometridae, see here reposed on a Rudbeckia hirsuta. These caterpillars are know as inch worms due to their mode of locomotion which looks a bit like they are measureing their path as they walk.
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This next character is Lophocampa caryae the Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar, any time caterpillars are hairy like this guy it's to deter predation rather than to keep them warm. Sometimes the hairs are even prickly or poison tipped but not on this fellow.
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These two very different caterpillars were found on the exact same plant, a Sambucus canadensis. I am unsure as to the identity of either, but they looked pretty cool curled up next to each other like this.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8w_Mzn-SVLRue7G075E41fioO6oM5kL_Xhbsy2Ndv0fKsiabexhPmcYtt1SIFfXMnbDRhemERlQu7g7-Uk0gnjIq93Sk_d-8Mavj_ukB5kyly2evR7HjiVpEtJDjUzDnjmmVYs02c7gbl/s1600/Caterpillar+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8w_Mzn-SVLRue7G075E41fioO6oM5kL_Xhbsy2Ndv0fKsiabexhPmcYtt1SIFfXMnbDRhemERlQu7g7-Uk0gnjIq93Sk_d-8Mavj_ukB5kyly2evR7HjiVpEtJDjUzDnjmmVYs02c7gbl/s400/Caterpillar+3.JPG" /></a></div>
Finally we have this red-headed punk rocker. Orgyia leucostigma, the White-marked Tussock Moth feeds on Acer negundo as a larva and is welcome to it as there is more than enough to go around already, as well as a variety of other plants including conifers. Some people can get a rash from their hairs although thankfully I am not one of them.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5h56becD6nS8foabhKdk0M2ms3BuBLqOAZnIyjO7-lObUvYG42WxsfUmg__Wdy_L75FGfnLMXMMJUg-BFzP5R1v_shO_N2q3mXswa27rBEUNh2K6XxpnevRVOcNxYsVAJIi_Oi6I0jjQI/s1600/Caterpillar+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5h56becD6nS8foabhKdk0M2ms3BuBLqOAZnIyjO7-lObUvYG42WxsfUmg__Wdy_L75FGfnLMXMMJUg-BFzP5R1v_shO_N2q3mXswa27rBEUNh2K6XxpnevRVOcNxYsVAJIi_Oi6I0jjQI/s400/Caterpillar+4.JPG" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-82072522374641510702012-07-09T12:47:00.000-07:002012-07-09T13:22:21.335-07:00The second bog we visited last Monday was called Jam Pond and was located in Chenango County. Here's a panoramic view of it:
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMG5Z0VAO44wx4wUBPqxsT1g3yjM8DkM4R5h7TvAbRWshjdXhazHEmy3BUxd413B4bYhwmZiuRERj7zvQaF3emyG4Riue_JNyFuDQPFJHF3IOBY0eFkvWaZSwZkUN6aQKAL5AAIvzXrzRj/s1600/IMGP4311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="104" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMG5Z0VAO44wx4wUBPqxsT1g3yjM8DkM4R5h7TvAbRWshjdXhazHEmy3BUxd413B4bYhwmZiuRERj7zvQaF3emyG4Riue_JNyFuDQPFJHF3IOBY0eFkvWaZSwZkUN6aQKAL5AAIvzXrzRj/s400/IMGP4311.JPG" /></a></div>
Like the first bog it contained many rare and unique plants. It is bordered by a swampy band of Picea mariana or Black Spruce and Larix laricina or Tamarack. Both are conifers but whereas the spruce has the more traditional evergreen habit seen here,
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the Tamarack, or American Larch,(the lighter green trees in the foreground)loose their needles every fall just like broadleaf tres and have the distinction of being the only deciduous conifer native to New York State.
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Growing out of some of the twigs of the spruce was this cool parasitic plant Arceuthobium pusillum, the Dwarf Mistletoe. Mistletoes actually grow into the xylem and phloem of their hose plants and steal nutrients from them!They're little little plant vamprires.
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At both bogs we saw a variety of sphagnum mosses. Bogs tend to preserve rather than decay and thick layers of semi-decayed sphagnum make up what we call peat moss. Unforunatly it is impossible to harvest peat mos without essentially destroying bogs, therefore it makes for a rather unsustainable practice. Sphagnums make up a large amount of the surface of many bogs, but unlike the other plants found there it is found anywhere that is relatively wet and acidic. Mostly they are green but can come in a variety of colors from purple to chartreuse as can be seen here.
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I also discovered one of the non-plant denizens of the bog a Pseudacris crucifer or Spring Peeper froglet.This little fellow must have just made the switch from water to land as you can still see its nub of a vestigial tail.
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The highlight of the trip for me came in the form of four rare orchid species, these plants grow exclusively in bogs and are generally extremely beautiful, all except one of them. First is Pogonia ophioglossioides the Rose Pogonia:
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Next we see Platanhrea blephariglottis, the White-Fringed Orchid:
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Now Calopogon tuberosus the Grass Pink:
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And finally Listera australis the Bog Twayblade. Whereas the more showy first three were quite common on site we had to search long and hard for this plain little number, but search we did and man what an anticlimactic orchid this was:
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Here are a few last images just to give you an overall feel of the bog.It was a great day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQAi7kisTqraoLjn4Stg9aiiqDnwooPcnEhna61jW3GQEwfgsvRk0cTonWtkT7kXULB0cvBh9zUmiFaQDxw3Gjw18lJX0YCrkLWHNVPwaJUlUKgKR57_Lp-o6_PyW-KO5fjLN9Ai-7C9g/s1600/IMGP4327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQAi7kisTqraoLjn4Stg9aiiqDnwooPcnEhna61jW3GQEwfgsvRk0cTonWtkT7kXULB0cvBh9zUmiFaQDxw3Gjw18lJX0YCrkLWHNVPwaJUlUKgKR57_Lp-o6_PyW-KO5fjLN9Ai-7C9g/s400/IMGP4327.JPG" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-76759459995923445152012-07-09T05:58:00.000-07:002012-07-09T05:58:51.626-07:00This learning Monday was the greatest one yet! We went to two bogs with Robert Wesley, Plantation's resident botanist and naturalist, and got to check out all the rare and unique plants found therein. The first was Landers Corners bog in Cortland County. The bog formed in a glacial kettle. A kettle is formed by a boulder of ice leaving a depression in the soil before it melts. Bogs by there very nature are formed on higher ground generally, and have small watersheds, which allows them to become and stay so acidic.
First I'll give you and overview shot of the bog.
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The large leaved plants in the foreground are Golden Club or Orontium aquaticum a plant in the family Araceae (a family which includes Skunk Cabbage, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and a wide variety of houseplants). This population is the only one in the Finger Laker regions and is one of, if not the, furthest western population. Here's a close up of the full plant and immature fruits.
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Next we have an example of one of the dwarf shrubs that make up the bog community, Vaccinium macrocarpon the Large Cranberry in flower. These moisture loving acid dependent plants are common in bogs but not really anywhere else and create the edible cranberries we Americans so enjoy.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVc05dyOMi1FkZCc_SKJvcJXFoMSdAs9F5NHgYYM-6Nnl2qwiV9B2RNMg7CEoOzHPLdtf-UZm6zOr4Ex93KnOYI9LnzIiMUsN5RjSARBI-INLthPKUTcRvTmLRqznKMe-M5z0ZiP6Zzeh/s1600/Bog+1+Cranberry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwVc05dyOMi1FkZCc_SKJvcJXFoMSdAs9F5NHgYYM-6Nnl2qwiV9B2RNMg7CEoOzHPLdtf-UZm6zOr4Ex93KnOYI9LnzIiMUsN5RjSARBI-INLthPKUTcRvTmLRqznKMe-M5z0ZiP6Zzeh/s400/Bog+1+Cranberry.jpg" /></a></div>
Always an exciting sight for me Sarracenia purperea the Northern Pitcher Plant. These bizarre beauties are also common in bogs but nowhere else. They are carnivorous, unable to glean enough nitrogen from the poor bog soils these plants evolved modified leaves. These leaves emit sweet smelling droplets around their rim to attract insects. Any insects who venture further inside however slip on the downward pointing hair coating the inner part of the leaf and drown in pools of liquid stored in the leafs reservoir. The plant then leaches nitrogen from the decomposing insects in its pools. Here is a shot of the leaves and the flower.
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Another carnivorous plant found in the bogs is Drosera or Sundew. There were two species of Sundew found int he bogs we visited Drosera spatulata the Spatulate-leaved Sundew and Drosera rotundifolia the Round-leaved Sundew. They shared the bog D. rotundifloia preferring more shaded sites and D. spatulata grows in sunnier openings. Both catch insects using the sticky hairs on their leaves. The leaves then curl around the unfortunate insect and dissolve it.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjjVLO0AIIewRbu6JX0dKqLGtIRVJuUlU48V6rPFJGMzqlZxFWEZyb-JXJcOAZrOIBFtve-ereAIdJpVE1ZoUa7VtYObeu74X9x-B0RfQXwhgJbf3Bd3wBtmv94MChaprSNbj8lr2_ipa/s1600/Bog+1+Sundew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLjjVLO0AIIewRbu6JX0dKqLGtIRVJuUlU48V6rPFJGMzqlZxFWEZyb-JXJcOAZrOIBFtve-ereAIdJpVE1ZoUa7VtYObeu74X9x-B0RfQXwhgJbf3Bd3wBtmv94MChaprSNbj8lr2_ipa/s400/Bog+1+Sundew.jpg" /></a></div>
Another dwarf shrub Gaultheria hispidula or Creeping Snowberry grows at the edges of the bog up on some of the relatively drier hummocks. This ericaceous relative of blueberries has an edible, white berry which tastes like wintergreen!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpP0i0K9sKvLKTBdEGSw3ijuYKtsKYxEiUMo9aOGZm6axyfD80vEM4nrN3LSJO4PVYEKrQ8Bvhi_tu2E4hXEGRAJgvEU8OfpOfG9X2RIe9zy3w8gz7HaAk658lW9InkmlfXShyphenhyphen0arrSTWt/s1600/Bog+1+Gaultheria.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpP0i0K9sKvLKTBdEGSw3ijuYKtsKYxEiUMo9aOGZm6axyfD80vEM4nrN3LSJO4PVYEKrQ8Bvhi_tu2E4hXEGRAJgvEU8OfpOfG9X2RIe9zy3w8gz7HaAk658lW9InkmlfXShyphenhyphen0arrSTWt/s400/Bog+1+Gaultheria.jpg" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-84836812306017622232012-07-02T05:52:00.000-07:002012-07-02T12:32:48.655-07:00Finally this week we visited Eames Bog, a rare community protected by Natural Areas. Despite its name this site is actually a fen rather than a bog, the difference being that fens are high pH wetland whereas bogs are specifically low pH.
Here's a shot of the new boardwalk made from locally harvested, naturally rot-resistant Robinia psuedoacacia - Black Locust.
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Next we see some of the flora found on site including, but not limited to:
the lemony tasting Oxalis montana or Wood Sorrel. This little plant gets its zigng from oxalic acid, which while harmless in small doses, can inhibit the bodies ability to uptake calcium in large amounts.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here we agin see Lilium canadense except this time locally native plants in there habitat.
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Poison Sumac - Toxicodendron vernix abounds in the wet soils of this fen. Luckily noone in our group seems to have been effected.
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Although the ones we saw were spent here's a picture of the Cypripedium reginae - Showy Lady Slippers from this site last year!
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Also at Eames I noticed many of this gorgeous species of damselfly Calopteryx maculata the Ebony Jewelwing. These mosquito eating beauties are difficult to get close to. I took these photos at another site a few years back but am using them because the shots I got at Eames were terrible!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPu0im5nwdK9x-9BLMh65aLBshSom6qGHrzhKDFcAvNbbzWHKARBA4WtHfh5axzyI6KdH5HMhHQT2Oz56LyYRgAoABi2damDJGylAh5a8FIaol7Cjs6hmogaTeiOVlXBSLN0-n3EH7Mkb-/s1600/Ebony+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPu0im5nwdK9x-9BLMh65aLBshSom6qGHrzhKDFcAvNbbzWHKARBA4WtHfh5axzyI6KdH5HMhHQT2Oz56LyYRgAoABi2damDJGylAh5a8FIaol7Cjs6hmogaTeiOVlXBSLN0-n3EH7Mkb-/s400/Ebony+1.jpg" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-81980624658054773112012-07-02T05:47:00.001-07:002012-07-02T05:47:54.762-07:00Thursday and Friday of this week we teamed up with the Natural Areas crew to restore a recently cleared bank along one of the trails leading down to Fall Creek from campus. We selected a variety of xeric-loving native plants which, once established< will need no watering and flourish on the steep dry site.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYId6-3FnSs6zldlGM_MrWZL_NmpcEAZHNsUIdp0GpmcEO20HiBuG2-PcqI2WwzLknHnEtY1NKQ5WIavixa3Ow1YpoOxhsl55Tvjk0K9EK_xgEj1ZE8f_uAT7U2Rxz2RkJE49l3gp86FwJ/s1600/Fall+Creek3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYId6-3FnSs6zldlGM_MrWZL_NmpcEAZHNsUIdp0GpmcEO20HiBuG2-PcqI2WwzLknHnEtY1NKQ5WIavixa3Ow1YpoOxhsl55Tvjk0K9EK_xgEj1ZE8f_uAT7U2Rxz2RkJE49l3gp86FwJ/s400/Fall+Creek3.jpg" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-48678168761888700232012-07-02T05:44:00.001-07:002012-07-02T05:44:22.134-07:00Here's a mixed bag of plants and animal. This week I witnessed a Common Loon - Gavia immer in Fall Creek. This beautiful bird is one I tend to associate with large, still, lakes of the far north rather than medium-sized creeks of central New York but there it was big as day. Here some relatively grainy shots I got as proof.
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Now for the plants, here's Asclepias incarnata, the Swamp Milkweed, a favorite of Monarch Butterflies.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZyNiT1Jbakuslvb0xY-5p6fC5jr3v_1gvyXBpYK2Ayks0FO_93xOh9T31bH7ajcMBheYlLxS_Z6xbJsAX1L6m7O5LPUmwhLwPVQa_Yx_-4ctQv5RPoeSzBBw2cY0DYvmg9KmFQZG7uRC/s1600/Swamp+Milkweed+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZyNiT1Jbakuslvb0xY-5p6fC5jr3v_1gvyXBpYK2Ayks0FO_93xOh9T31bH7ajcMBheYlLxS_Z6xbJsAX1L6m7O5LPUmwhLwPVQa_Yx_-4ctQv5RPoeSzBBw2cY0DYvmg9KmFQZG7uRC/s400/Swamp+Milkweed+2.jpg" /></a></div>
And here is Lilium canadense -Canada Lily. This a protected, rare plant in NYS as are all of our native true lilies. This beautiful flower likes full sun to shade, "wet feet", and can reach heights of over 6'! It comes in shades from deep red all the way through the oranges to golden yellow.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHTbnzgv_v_E9wrkhQ6ikaDO-N_js865uwiHzaQWmIxmd_vRQ7yQbxGItNPFaLYasPN6O118p7q5O-bsTPaStdn8hnNdXbrsTAk-3CiLBxPKd81_NBjtD99fuqWB95L0cMF_wqmyybCIy/s1600/Canada+Lily+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXHTbnzgv_v_E9wrkhQ6ikaDO-N_js865uwiHzaQWmIxmd_vRQ7yQbxGItNPFaLYasPN6O118p7q5O-bsTPaStdn8hnNdXbrsTAk-3CiLBxPKd81_NBjtD99fuqWB95L0cMF_wqmyybCIy/s400/Canada+Lily+1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi19ESY6wN1B45N3Egu7ooU-3M3m4uJ28XmxwhEErouXTXpRnUOyY5oXJ9v_AyUVpNhaJB1cDSvIN-1iZS0jjCrO8wQPhRj6gzh9V1y1LIg7IHIjYkllEykQZG_qkBvxno1_jJKLEWoh-yr/s1600/Canada+Lily+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi19ESY6wN1B45N3Egu7ooU-3M3m4uJ28XmxwhEErouXTXpRnUOyY5oXJ9v_AyUVpNhaJB1cDSvIN-1iZS0jjCrO8wQPhRj6gzh9V1y1LIg7IHIjYkllEykQZG_qkBvxno1_jJKLEWoh-yr/s400/Canada+Lily+2.jpg" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-40378313904472683892012-07-02T05:35:00.001-07:002012-07-02T05:35:18.900-07:00You never know what you might find on a trip to the greenhouse. This week I managed to frighten a mother Junco hyemalis - Dark-eyed Junco off her nest in the vertical greenwall experiment. On the upside, I got a shot of the chick.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxek7XOdcWkufq-2yqTxvnla00kyhuRWbaMRdOQ8fsoGU9zTXonfSMTRoL3scmVDT_5UHStWBeOpZp2rgy8twb1Xi3_giYMFnMNMUPvxeGsGzdeK1pzrSQ_V5iKgKSE-14aXDQY7GFb5yI/s1600/Greenhouse+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxek7XOdcWkufq-2yqTxvnla00kyhuRWbaMRdOQ8fsoGU9zTXonfSMTRoL3scmVDT_5UHStWBeOpZp2rgy8twb1Xi3_giYMFnMNMUPvxeGsGzdeK1pzrSQ_V5iKgKSE-14aXDQY7GFb5yI/s400/Greenhouse+1.jpg" /></a></div>
Additionally, when dealing with the cold frames I was faced with an astonishing infestation of Marchantia polymorpha, the Common Liverwort. This species of liverwort, a plant somewhere on the evolutionary spectrum between algae and mosses, is found around the world on wet stones and as a greenhouse pest. I think it looks like a plant from another planet or at least another, earlier point in history (which it really is)!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuEyNhygc2auYhon2ETCaDYxDDEq_-23qzGu_KnO34OGUP8mY88Uu9bXv7a4ueK33kfnxmElS9k8Hlne4CEvDoWzExyHKsHEvq0UEguoA45M6Sr-JEEHSZ2CQpKJcCdIk63dw9B4-33S4/s1600/Greenhouse+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuEyNhygc2auYhon2ETCaDYxDDEq_-23qzGu_KnO34OGUP8mY88Uu9bXv7a4ueK33kfnxmElS9k8Hlne4CEvDoWzExyHKsHEvq0UEguoA45M6Sr-JEEHSZ2CQpKJcCdIk63dw9B4-33S4/s400/Greenhouse+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqT8ehd-KbU7h3DJjf-05hhNUentuXj0HFIKAQL3Ij1QwS9wVXqI-I0rc3YQ9VQvBiQEZZA2HNATDO2J30EPKfzYIH-Ed8qzEQnJQoXuL2TE5rq9rUldMnIx2fCzbPYns2_6cyBgQD8JXe/s1600/Greenhouse+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqT8ehd-KbU7h3DJjf-05hhNUentuXj0HFIKAQL3Ij1QwS9wVXqI-I0rc3YQ9VQvBiQEZZA2HNATDO2J30EPKfzYIH-Ed8qzEQnJQoXuL2TE5rq9rUldMnIx2fCzbPYns2_6cyBgQD8JXe/s400/Greenhouse+3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipC22xrqkqgz7iDu59sOLpWBAoL7dUNC527VrcDp_f0K-q56Y1BTJuTDvklxu_QiRFEY3ijigGeW0uyn-hnR9goLuFhdwoDfhKS55G5xSCn3YQn4x4e7Sdsij19m57Ggn5R_wC6PScx-kw/s1600/Greenhouse+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipC22xrqkqgz7iDu59sOLpWBAoL7dUNC527VrcDp_f0K-q56Y1BTJuTDvklxu_QiRFEY3ijigGeW0uyn-hnR9goLuFhdwoDfhKS55G5xSCn3YQn4x4e7Sdsij19m57Ggn5R_wC6PScx-kw/s400/Greenhouse+4.jpg" /></a></div>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-24676399931446074922012-06-25T05:40:00.000-07:002012-06-25T05:46:20.067-07:00New critter post! This is the Papilio polyxenes or Black Swallowtail Caterpillar. I found this guy on a Zizia aurea (Golden Alexanders) that looked like he'd had a feast on it. The coolest thing about these guys is that they have an osmeterium which is a fleshy, neon orange gland they keep inside their foreheads. When threatened, they inflate it to frighted off predators. It looks like a snakes tongue and emits a foul smell. I got a shot of a partially inflated one but when fully inflated it really does look like a snakes tongue.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZm6lxpHV2_w0LP0QKe8V4ocA9QONteDMgP-LwsqMA9Vn4m7NFJLQ4aoHzEr7nUHjcUEPvBzWs6DCbjCRleRBk73c0rwYZdcQrD2rYt2TUHOHJSo_MKBHmX9xQ1CM9aWplR-_ARE-TInF/s1600/BST+Leaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZm6lxpHV2_w0LP0QKe8V4ocA9QONteDMgP-LwsqMA9Vn4m7NFJLQ4aoHzEr7nUHjcUEPvBzWs6DCbjCRleRBk73c0rwYZdcQrD2rYt2TUHOHJSo_MKBHmX9xQ1CM9aWplR-_ARE-TInF/s400/BST+Leaf.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5Hzq7mMeeJcbBccwdXk43Xl5oGL8OiYxCj14gO7Tm7fAdRGuQcAfX_Ga7bNeo7ZSMhM-Qer0PM2VccriggIRNOM7RArf70J47jWCXJtnpyq3Kkc7quXamzLAKwTJx9MLqtbHCR9TL0Jk/s1600/BST+Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ5Hzq7mMeeJcbBccwdXk43Xl5oGL8OiYxCj14gO7Tm7fAdRGuQcAfX_Ga7bNeo7ZSMhM-Qer0PM2VccriggIRNOM7RArf70J47jWCXJtnpyq3Kkc7quXamzLAKwTJx9MLqtbHCR9TL0Jk/s400/BST+Back.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSysr2ViyGDE7ucEGDmuq0dNCCilw4qs1uBIIlC9lGjTzh9Qvi23JeiCp1LBOA8ZbEto9BuShJH_9xAMZlZ3nthDlV7fD6GfTigezgOgP26OhkbUNPh7axJL4zYWwdrFKqljf4-SA40MiC/s1600/BST+Side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSysr2ViyGDE7ucEGDmuq0dNCCilw4qs1uBIIlC9lGjTzh9Qvi23JeiCp1LBOA8ZbEto9BuShJH_9xAMZlZ3nthDlV7fD6GfTigezgOgP26OhkbUNPh7axJL4zYWwdrFKqljf4-SA40MiC/s400/BST+Side.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuzbhizEuHeLxq4tdMVmobLQQ0zRdsVf_YVQ7jEiHrCKLSIrv72hCALXVyvWN7dDqEqMyyIblhZjhTw2xU1UNqVsA6UGM0jPx-bACGEarPRTsdTgd21hlclwD8-bLIRTpWArvbBZWV6UQ/s1600/BST+Orange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuzbhizEuHeLxq4tdMVmobLQQ0zRdsVf_YVQ7jEiHrCKLSIrv72hCALXVyvWN7dDqEqMyyIblhZjhTw2xU1UNqVsA6UGM0jPx-bACGEarPRTsdTgd21hlclwD8-bLIRTpWArvbBZWV6UQ/s400/BST+Orange.jpg" /></a>
I also just found out that I saw this guy in an earlier level of development where they mimic bird poop to avoid getting eaten, check it out:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCfwXNbHiu-Je80masvLsaXdM9XVLLVQ3XnPi2j3-Dvw_CCvrgMlzJioarYhKdBB3GqbSrlhB-TFLkpLVbO_tTtfBYjoB7FeF5uAS62nMndhekmBU3nN6xJ8J1t1fuV4RZvxytMsG9kYU/s1600/BST+Instar+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCfwXNbHiu-Je80masvLsaXdM9XVLLVQ3XnPi2j3-Dvw_CCvrgMlzJioarYhKdBB3GqbSrlhB-TFLkpLVbO_tTtfBYjoB7FeF5uAS62nMndhekmBU3nN6xJ8J1t1fuV4RZvxytMsG9kYU/s400/BST+Instar+1.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fPJsj_FqA6I49PnB8uwnGdyfGl1OJVb8TgjW69YIvWe1cmHYK_QVwdfd02rUXHQigeKS6PvA_xy1-TRh1SwsAAWBWqPVk-iU2cr2h9TF0bTSmwjslylh-QtbY4ThlkpdpL2yLTPfx3bJ/s1600/BST+Instar+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6fPJsj_FqA6I49PnB8uwnGdyfGl1OJVb8TgjW69YIvWe1cmHYK_QVwdfd02rUXHQigeKS6PvA_xy1-TRh1SwsAAWBWqPVk-iU2cr2h9TF0bTSmwjslylh-QtbY4ThlkpdpL2yLTPfx3bJ/s400/BST+Instar+2.jpg" /></a>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-3987897122315824442012-06-25T05:33:00.000-07:002012-06-25T05:33:54.542-07:00This week I went out with the Natural Areas crew to do clip and drip control of invasives at the Edward's Lake Cliffs Preserve. Clip and drip is pretty self explanitory, you clip off the majority of the plant and then drip a small amount of herbicide on the cut tip thus giving the herbicde direct contact with the xylem and phloem of the plant and accelerating its spread throughout the plants system. This method is useful when dealing with weeds that occur in places where they are surrounded by plants you don't want to get herbicide on. The invasives we attacked were Cynanchum rossicum - Plae Swallow-wort and Securigera varia - Crownvetch, both super-noxious plants. Here's a view from the cliff tops:
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uNUVgzobNB784PJO_JgEU58tv-33vcTbRCBMUUgHPu7TBAify1c7-uUWdVjeyfe487ncYiHXUMAuiHnCsbEzxooscRE6RiRg40gtILhoQ78GcDulXijN_jCiJ2H4BfY6QMR1KC5muCyk/s1600/Edwards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uNUVgzobNB784PJO_JgEU58tv-33vcTbRCBMUUgHPu7TBAify1c7-uUWdVjeyfe487ncYiHXUMAuiHnCsbEzxooscRE6RiRg40gtILhoQ78GcDulXijN_jCiJ2H4BfY6QMR1KC5muCyk/s400/Edwards.jpg" /></a>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4068493836233275858.post-71799001988084895352012-06-25T05:26:00.000-07:002012-06-25T05:26:31.033-07:00Time for some more ID! First I give you Verbascum blattaria or Moth Mullein. I had always thought this species was called its common name because of its importance to moths but it turns out they call it Moth Mullein because the flower looks like a moth. Lame! Anyway this is not a native plant but it still can be found in the wildflower garden this is the yellow variety, it also can bloom white.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BfOMcopeua705bbSbmuDtGgladuVd8MPJJCSl7ml2S_EfIVGUZf6TYW-BGWUhveWo6DDj-Bwg4ZFqD6tYe02S9PON9Bas529OOhSj9He0MAjxso8Smy7DEZjYVQQEOyiqm7fYqSOoqop/s1600/Moth+Mullein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BfOMcopeua705bbSbmuDtGgladuVd8MPJJCSl7ml2S_EfIVGUZf6TYW-BGWUhveWo6DDj-Bwg4ZFqD6tYe02S9PON9Bas529OOhSj9He0MAjxso8Smy7DEZjYVQQEOyiqm7fYqSOoqop/s400/Moth+Mullein.jpg" /></a>
Next we'll look at Penstemon digitalis or the Foxglove Beardtongue. Although I've recently become more partial to its more delicate relative Penstemon hirsuta, this has always been one of my favorite natives. Aside from its beauty it is a tough, adaptable plant preferring full sun but tolerating a fair amount of shade, and I have seen this plant grow in wetlands as well as from dry rocky soil. An excellent choice for restoration or a perennial garden it has some excellent cultivars and supports native bumblebees.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEB8_6-1WLPJg0LPaqbyFHwtD3NTHkcGSZHAwGwxAlkHe_lx4KWjpEjuQ7Juwi8zhNK4abO-Yi6qJIju9TknGNgDdhf4ywuL6jT-9NFjh9qGVrL2U2NKuyeUTzsFyUVBsPbgqsd4fUGbQm/s1600/P.+digitalis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEB8_6-1WLPJg0LPaqbyFHwtD3NTHkcGSZHAwGwxAlkHe_lx4KWjpEjuQ7Juwi8zhNK4abO-Yi6qJIju9TknGNgDdhf4ywuL6jT-9NFjh9qGVrL2U2NKuyeUTzsFyUVBsPbgqsd4fUGbQm/s400/P.+digitalis.jpg" /></a>
Finally I present one of my all time favorite plants Opuntia humifusa the Eastern Prickly Pear. This is the only cactus native to the northeast and can be found from Florida to Cape Cod. Basically the fact that a plant clearly meant for the desert has adapted itself to our wet weather is awesome! Aside from being a unique evergreen addition to any garden, it produces edible (if prickly) fruit, and gorgeous, exotic-looking flowers.
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ13fyMqhWKfiR6kfNqC3rdeWIQXFwbPt7xg7MJI2ZtdW6JzNL0eisIOuuVeJldlbpJY-sc2VobSbA5Y9CihqQUAEM4eOOd0zfJfy-YgoqIOt8-kIO6Fpqxfoi6DCt1XRtJNvOcDYZ8B2T/s1600/Opuntia+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="340" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ13fyMqhWKfiR6kfNqC3rdeWIQXFwbPt7xg7MJI2ZtdW6JzNL0eisIOuuVeJldlbpJY-sc2VobSbA5Y9CihqQUAEM4eOOd0zfJfy-YgoqIOt8-kIO6Fpqxfoi6DCt1XRtJNvOcDYZ8B2T/s400/Opuntia+2.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqU8VoSj0si_s1XsGSm0sy89NIULbpH5jf0aKus8MYZnYFnsfzz5ioPeXwOW1Wv2JYY4l1awmj9Yj9FZCV9o0dzB4H3iK7RSvZAnmyangTgXjkIeedGnQ-jooML4YOltKz7VRZBZ0LMgi/s1600/Opuntia+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjqU8VoSj0si_s1XsGSm0sy89NIULbpH5jf0aKus8MYZnYFnsfzz5ioPeXwOW1Wv2JYY4l1awmj9Yj9FZCV9o0dzB4H3iK7RSvZAnmyangTgXjkIeedGnQ-jooML4YOltKz7VRZBZ0LMgi/s400/Opuntia+3.jpg" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSJ7gW8yzneYX0aRKfHUHQrDUvsRJ6Grq9da4gXZYQNA3J2wQOAgc7O-150BIZrgU6j6S-tsw594sUnjRCP2uR1gaPybkjtw8vnFfSuagUBZglnzsWWP_wN_oaXL1qcnnx9zY2FVcLRNt/s1600/Opuntia+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSJ7gW8yzneYX0aRKfHUHQrDUvsRJ6Grq9da4gXZYQNA3J2wQOAgc7O-150BIZrgU6j6S-tsw594sUnjRCP2uR1gaPybkjtw8vnFfSuagUBZglnzsWWP_wN_oaXL1qcnnx9zY2FVcLRNt/s400/Opuntia+1.jpg" /></a>Ethan M. Dropkinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03595059325030887504noreply@blogger.com0