by Liz Brownlee “Wait until you see the accuracy of our plot,” calls the lab team. The four undergraduates burst with pride, oblivious to the prickling raspberries and thick brush that edge the Intervale forest. They stop me midstride. As their lab teacher, I’m fully equipped with aerial maps, GPS, first aid kit, phone, and… Continue reading Young Scientists Plot for Smart Urban Forestry
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The Sensual Slug
by Danielle Owczarski During the first cold days of fall in Burlington, I had a chance encounter with a handsome slug on my way to catch the bus. As I hurried past, it glided effortlessly across the moistened slate walkway, its black leopard-print pattern catching my eye. The image of the mysterious figure drifted through… Continue reading The Sensual Slug
Blue jays and bird colors
by Nancy Olmstead The woman who lives downstairs from me feeds the pigeons almost every morning. I know she’s out there when I hear a great swooshing of wings: dozens of pigeons flutter down to our driveway to greet her. She’ll also put out peanuts for the squirrels. Sometimes a crafty blue jay slips in… Continue reading Blue jays and bird colors
Fern Surgery
by Carly Brown The hand saw sits on the disinfected countertop. Fresh fern-appropriate soil waits in a bucket next to my workstation. I wheel the ferns in on their ‘gurney’, a garden cart that I pull through the greenhouse to the office. I pass by the succulents, the lipstick tree, and finally the cacti. I… Continue reading Fern Surgery
Witch-Hazel: The Honeybee’s Last Forage
by Leah Mital-Skiff We extracted honey this weekend from our backyard hive. The late date of this final extraction is evident in the density of the deep-amber goldenrod-dominant honey. Its slow movement through the series of filters on a cold day reminds our family that we should be out apple picking rather than forcing our… Continue reading Witch-Hazel: The Honeybee’s Last Forage
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