Blog

Meet Our Ginkgo Family

"The next time you venture into the great outdoors, keep an eye out for Ginkgo biloba trees, which can be easily identified by their distinctive fan-shaped leaves. If you find one—and you likely will, as the native Chinese plant is now ubiquitous in the United States—take a moment to pluck a few leaves, snap some photographs of the scene, and record your observations via the iNaturalist mobile app. Then, package your sample in an envelope, drop it into the mailbox, and give yourself a pat...

Read More

The Butterfly [A]ffect(ed)

I was supposed to write about pollinator gardens, but Hurricane Isaias changed that.
. . . but did it really?  Bear with me as I meander and perhaps stretch a metaphor to its breaking point.

"You could not remove a single grain of sand from its place without thereby ... changing something throughout all parts of the immeasurable whole."
— Fic...

Read More

Will Climate Change Affect Maple Sugaring?

As I reflect on this past weekend's 60+ degree days, it's hard to imagine climate change not affecting maple sugaring since it is so dependent on weather. I am often asked why we tap our maple trees in the winter; wouldn't it be more enjoyable hiking out to check the buckets and tap the trees when it is 60 degrees? It most definitely would be; however, it is the alternating freezing and thawing cycle that occurs in late winter that controls the sap flow.

Studi...

Read More