Joys of Mud Season: Barn Swallow Nests
Week of April 24, 2022 – April 30, 2022 by Bridget Jones, Environmental Educator At this time of year, mud seems to be everywhere you turn. In the woods, ground that has been reliably stable and frozen for months squelches and shifts underfoot, sometimes claiming boots in the process. Although it can be inconvenient, mud season comes with many joys as well, like the flowers that emerge from the softer [...]
Salamanders on the Mind…
Week of April 10, 2022 – April 16, 2022 by Melissa Kirby, Environmental Educator Rainy days and above freezing nights have been in the weather forecast. This is a time of year where I can’t help but feel the excitement and anticipation of salamander migrations. The yellow spotted salamander is one I look most forward to seeing. In the spring, yellow spotted salamanders will emerge from their underground wintering sites [...]
Picking up on Patterns
Week of April 10, 2022 – April 16, 2022 by Meghan Morral, Environmental Educator As we get further into Spring, April has certainly begun to live up to its reputation of rainstorms and rapidly changing weather patterns. Some days even seem like all four seasons make an appearance within a 24-hour time span. If one thing is certain, it’s that Spring is an unpredictable time of year! But that doesn’t [...]
The Sights and Smells of Spring
Week of April 3, 2022 – April 9, 2022 by Whitney Lash-Marshall, Executive Director Just when we seem to think that spring is finally here to stay, we see those snowflakes appear on the weather forecast and falling from the sky. We’re used to the back and forth of conditions this time of year, but also know that some of the best signs of spring are yet to come. Here [...]
Early Spring Invertebrate Activity
Week of March 27, 2022 – April 2, 2022 by Anna Stunkel, Environmental Educator Signs of spring are slowly and subtly making an appearance here at Baltimore Woods, and this reawakening is one of my very favorite times of year. Along with opening buds, flowing sap, and migrating birds, the return of insects and other invertebrates is a special part of early spring. During recent warm days, I’ve enjoyed slowing [...]
Skunk Cabbage: the lotus of Baltimore Woods
Week of March 20, 2022 – March 26, 2022 by Morgan Ingraham, Environmental Educator As the warm early-Spring sun warms the earth here at Baltimore Woods, the white snow begins to melt away to reveal the wonders of nature waking up after winter’s rest. Among the treasures to discover are peculiar greenish-purple appendages peeking up from the ground. What could they be? Mushrooms? An old piece of plastic? Zombies? Shockingly, [...]
Inside a Bud
Week of March 13, 2022 – March 19, 2022 by Bridget Jones, Environmental Educator As the snow begins to melt and days get longer, I’ve been looking forward to seeing leaves start to emerge on the trees at Baltimore Woods. Right now, weeks away from the leaves’ emergence, the trees look as still and silent as they have all winter. But at the tips of their branches, tiny buds have [...]
Maple Sugaring Time!
Week of March 6, 2022 – March 12, 2022 by Melissa Kirby, Environmental Educator As the calendar shifts from February to March, the movement from winter toward spring might not feel like it’s coming fast enough, but each day subtle changes can be observed in nature. Spring is on the move – from birds migrating, plants emerging, snow melting, and sap flowing! This past week I hiked the Arboretum Trail [...]
Getting to Know Trees in Winter
On a recent walk around Baltimore Woods, I noticed that there has been quite a bit of snow melt around trees. This is because the trunks give off heat, resulting in a snow well around the base of each tree.