MidSummer Sights

Top Photo: Eastern tiger swallowtail nectars on joe-pye-weed (native) in the Butterfly House Garden. As summer creeps along, insects like the swallowtail above are busy feeding, constructing hives and webs, or reproducing. Mentioned in a previous post, orange-striped oak worms are now in their final instar (stage of caterpillar development) before they crawl off to find suitable pupation sites. I found some of their eggs a few weeks ago and share them with you here. In their quest for pupationRead more

Fungi

Top Photo: Bird’s nest mushrooms. A few days of rain and the dead wood and mulch comes alive. Fungi of all types have been popping out of tree stumps, branches and path-side wood mulch. Here’s just a few samples of what’s about at the moment. There’s more than one kind of bird’s nest mushroom. But you don’t have to know each species’ name to appreciate their uniqueness and remarkability. These typically 1/4” and smaller mushrooms pop up out of theRead more

New and Old Things Emerging

Top Photo: Tiny yellow flower of Mexican Sour Gherkin Cucumber. The fruit of the Mexican Sour Gherkin Cucumber is about an inch long. They look more like tiny watermelons but have the taste of a cucumber with a lemony tang. These vines grow in many locations throughout our campus, wherever they’re not supposed to grow. I intended to plant this vegetable in my own personal garden at home this year but was sidetracked by other matters. I’ll make sure toRead more

A Trip Outdoors

Top Photo: Rudbeckia as part of the new “Prairie” in Catch the Wind. Life goes on along the outdoor loop through Catch the Wind, Explore the Wild, and the Dinosaur Trail. Here’s some of what’s happening out there. The tiny fruit of autumn olive is ripening. Though a non-native plant, the fruit is edible and has a sweet-tart taste. You should hold off on picking and eating until it ripens. When the fruit turns red with whitish speckles, that’s theRead more

The Lion’s Mane

I was first alerted to its presence by Facilities Tech, Daniel last Saturday, “Did you see that giant fungus growing on a tree next to the parking lot?” I hadn’t, but made it a point to check it out, probably a large shelf mushroom. During the course of the day, a very busy day here at the Museum, I’d forgotten all about the fungus. Until yesterday that is, when Richard Stickney of the Butterfly Conservatory showed me a picture he’d take of theRead more

A Bracket Fungus

Most of us are familiar with bracket fungus, whether we know it or not. Bracket fungus, or shelf fungus, is the typically small fungus that grows on the sides of tree trunks or logs. They look like little shelves. There are a couple of large bracket fungi growing from an oak tree on the Dinosaur Trail. The tree is between the Styracosaurus and the Fossil Dig. While you’re digging for shark’s teeth, take a break and have a peek at theRead more