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The Supermarket in Your Backyard
By James Reddoch Imagine your yard and garden as a supermarket where birds come to search the shelves for the foods they need to thrive...
jsrhollis
Jul 12, 20243 min read


Eusocial Insects: We Aren’t the Only Ones with Complex Societies
Humans aren’t the only social creatures. Many insects like ants and bees are, too
jsrhollis
Jul 12, 20243 min read


Summer’s Light Show
By Linda Ray We have all seen and been amazed by glowing nocturnal insects that create their own light. This seems to be a wonder of the...
jsrhollis
Jun 5, 20243 min read


Pyrolas, Jewels of the Forest
By Sara Wright This morning it was cool and gray, a perfect time to check to see if one of my favorite late-blooming woodland...
jsrhollis
Jun 5, 20242 min read


Our Backyard Gardens—Never Too Far Behind
By Amy Halsted A May 29 Facebook post on Backyard Gardening Maine (BGM) is the inspiration for this column. "What can I plant from seed...
jsrhollis
Jun 5, 20242 min read


Trout Lily
By Sara Wright I eagerly look forward to these ephemeral wildflowers each year because they appear just after the bloodroot and trillium...
jsrhollis
May 8, 20243 min read


Our Backyard Gardens: Mow, or #NoMowMay
by Amy Halsted Mow. No Mow. Low Mow. Less is Mow! The #NoMowMay movement has its roots in the U.K. and was started in 2019 by the...
jsrhollis
May 8, 20244 min read


Nature’s Recyclers
By Linda Ray Decomposers and detritivores play a crucial role in food webs and ecosystems on our planet. Think about a world that did not...
jsrhollis
May 8, 20242 min read


A New Study Measures Bird Diversity
Mahoosuc Land Trust is participating in a new study designed to measure the impact of forestry management practices on bird diversity
jsrhollis
May 8, 20242 min read


Dragonflies—born in water, masters of flight
Although they visit the garden, these aerial wizards are born in the water.
jsrhollis
Apr 24, 20243 min read


Tracking Turkey Tails and Conservation
By Sara Wright The Chinese call them cloud fungus, conjuring up the shapes of these stunning polypores. I see scalloped bands of...
jsrhollis
Mar 31, 20244 min read


Our Backyard Gardens: Spring Pruning for Pollinators
By Amy Halsted To meet the needs of butterflies, moths, hummingbirds, wasps, flies, long-tongued and short-tongued bees, pollinator...
jsrhollis
Mar 31, 20242 min read


Transitions
By James Reddoch We are at that point of every year when we transition. It is not the only transition of the year, but it is a big one....
jsrhollis
Mar 31, 20243 min read


Salamanders, tadpoles, whirligigs and more:Visiting a Vernal Pool
By Julie Reiff This time of year, as snow melt and spring rains fill small depressions in the land, you are likely to come across pools...
jsrhollis
Mar 31, 20243 min read


Spring is Calling and I Think of Caterpillars
By Linda Ray Springtime is coming and the overwintering pupa of the order Lepidoptera, hidden in soil, plant, and leaf mulch break out as...
jsrhollis
Mar 2, 20242 min read


Saving Seed – The New Frontier for Conservation
By Barbara Murphy About this time every year I spend countless hours poring over seed catalogs figuring out what fruits and vegetables I...
jsrhollis
Mar 2, 20242 min read


Picking the Right Binoculars
By James Reddoch I frequently get questions about binoculars, like what do I need for bird watching and what do those numbers mean? It...
jsrhollis
Mar 2, 20243 min read


Our Backyard Gardens: Seed Catalogs Arrive
Two area gardeners and a MOFGA-certified farmer discuss getting started on this year’s garden
jsrhollis
Mar 2, 20245 min read


White Snakeroot by Any Other Name
What makes a plant a weed? By Sonja Johanson When my family first moved into our home, there was a shade bed full of plants that I did...
jsrhollis
Jan 29, 20244 min read
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