bloodroot & spider, 21 March 2012
Fermilab woods, 21 March 2012
great blue heron, 20 March 2012
hepatica, 21 March 2012
tree flowers, 21 March 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Early Spring
Fermilab employee & FNA member Gordon Koizumi captured these photos of our early spring!
Monday, March 19, 2012
Warm Weather and Butterfly Populations
from Fermilab Today, 19 March 2012:
Spring doesn't officially begin until Tuesday, but we've been enjoying spring-like weather for weeks. Could there be any possible downside to this? Maybe.
Human beings are not particularly sensitive to subtle changes in our environments because we are highly buffered from their effects. If the temperature changes, we can just turn the heat or air conditioning up or down and go about our business. But some species of animals are very susceptible to small changes in their surroundings.
A recent Science360 article reports that this early spring is hurting the Mormon Fritillary butterfly in the Rocky Mountains. Warmer weather has led to earlier than normal snowmelt in the mountains, which decreases the number of nectar sources for the butterflies, resulting in females laying fewer eggs. If the snow cover disappears early again, the overwintering larvae will be exposed to potentially deadly frosts.
These cascades of cause and effect are central to understanding the science of ecology. The complex interactions between climate, weather, butterfly and flower populations have evolved over time to rely on precise timing of events, and when that timing is disturbed, unexpected consequences can multiply.
In the insect world, butterflies are very sensitive to environmental factors, and although we don't have Mormon Fritillaries locally, we do have many species of butterflies. At Fermilab, about 54 species have been observed. Becoming familiar with them and learning to pay attention to them can make us more aware of the subtle design in the environment around us. You can also use your butterfly identifying skills to help naturalists track the health and migration species populations.
If you are interested in learning about local butterflies and helping track their health, consider attending the butterfly monitoring workshops led by Fermilab's Tom Peterson. The free workshops are sponsored by Fermilab Natural Areas and the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network. The beginner's class is from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 5, and the intermediate class is from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 2.
—Rod Walton, Fermilab ecologist (and FNA President)
Spring doesn't officially begin until Tuesday, but we've been enjoying spring-like weather for weeks. Could there be any possible downside to this? Maybe.
Human beings are not particularly sensitive to subtle changes in our environments because we are highly buffered from their effects. If the temperature changes, we can just turn the heat or air conditioning up or down and go about our business. But some species of animals are very susceptible to small changes in their surroundings.
A recent Science360 article reports that this early spring is hurting the Mormon Fritillary butterfly in the Rocky Mountains. Warmer weather has led to earlier than normal snowmelt in the mountains, which decreases the number of nectar sources for the butterflies, resulting in females laying fewer eggs. If the snow cover disappears early again, the overwintering larvae will be exposed to potentially deadly frosts.
These cascades of cause and effect are central to understanding the science of ecology. The complex interactions between climate, weather, butterfly and flower populations have evolved over time to rely on precise timing of events, and when that timing is disturbed, unexpected consequences can multiply.
In the insect world, butterflies are very sensitive to environmental factors, and although we don't have Mormon Fritillaries locally, we do have many species of butterflies. At Fermilab, about 54 species have been observed. Becoming familiar with them and learning to pay attention to them can make us more aware of the subtle design in the environment around us. You can also use your butterfly identifying skills to help naturalists track the health and migration species populations.
If you are interested in learning about local butterflies and helping track their health, consider attending the butterfly monitoring workshops led by Fermilab's Tom Peterson. The free workshops are sponsored by Fermilab Natural Areas and the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network. The beginner's class is from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 5, and the intermediate class is from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, June 2.
—Rod Walton, Fermilab ecologist (and FNA President)
Monday, March 12, 2012
CANCELLED: Monday workday 3/12; Rescheduled for Tues, 3/13
Due to inclement weather this afternoon, Monday's workday will be cancelled and rescheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, March 13, 2012.
From 1-3 PM, we'll spend time cutting invasive brush, working as part of a larger brush removal effort in one of Fermilab's premier savanna restoration sites. This is a very neat area and could use our help. Please join us.
Training, tools, ecology tips, and safety gear will be provided. Meet us on the west side of Fermilab in the parking lot of the Lederman Science Center. Dress for the weather. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
From 1-3 PM, we'll spend time cutting invasive brush, working as part of a larger brush removal effort in one of Fermilab's premier savanna restoration sites. This is a very neat area and could use our help. Please join us.
Training, tools, ecology tips, and safety gear will be provided. Meet us on the west side of Fermilab in the parking lot of the Lederman Science Center. Dress for the weather. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Upcoming Work Days
Fermilab Natural Areas will NOT be hosting a seed spreading event Friday, March 9th. The Roads & Grounds crew is ready for spring burn season and they are hoping to get started. As different prairie plots and woodlands receive prescribed fire treatments, we may spread seed the following Friday. We will send a message in advance. Until then, join us next Monday for brush cutting and enjoy the emerging spring! Yesterday we heard our first chorus frogs and saw an active snake!
Join us Monday, March 12th, from 1-3 PM for an afternoon cutting invasive brush. We will be working as part of a larger brush removal effort in one of Fermilab's premier savanna restoration sites. This is a very neat area and could use our help. Please join us.
Training, tools, ecology tips, and safety gear will be provided. Meet us on the west side of Fermilab in the parking lot of the Lederman Science Center. Dress for the weather. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Thanks last week to Lori, Bob, Sue, MaryJo, Jacques, Bob, Evalyn, Marlene, Denis, and Larry! Ten volunteers helped clear honeysuckle and buckthorn from the new stewards woodland. What work we accomplished and fun we had in two hours! Thank you!
Join us Monday, March 12th, from 1-3 PM for an afternoon cutting invasive brush. We will be working as part of a larger brush removal effort in one of Fermilab's premier savanna restoration sites. This is a very neat area and could use our help. Please join us.
Training, tools, ecology tips, and safety gear will be provided. Meet us on the west side of Fermilab in the parking lot of the Lederman Science Center. Dress for the weather. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Thanks last week to Lori, Bob, Sue, MaryJo, Jacques, Bob, Evalyn, Marlene, Denis, and Larry! Ten volunteers helped clear honeysuckle and buckthorn from the new stewards woodland. What work we accomplished and fun we had in two hours! Thank you!
Photo: seed spreading event, Februrary 3, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
March/April Newsletter published!
Read the latest FNA newsletter for information about last month's annual meeting, plans for next month's Arbor Day tree planting and lots of bird news. Also, we've included ideas about how you can get more involved with Fermilab Natural Areas, including butterfly monitoring training, rain barrel assembly or becoming a volunteer steward.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Butterfly Monitoring Classes at Fermilab
Tom Peterson, Fermilab engineer and resident butterfly expert, will be leading two butterfly monitoring classes at Fermilab this spring.
- Saturday, May 5, 10:00 a.m. to noon at Fermilab. A beginners' butterfly monitoring and identification class.
- Saturday, June 2, 10:00 a.m. to noon at Fermilab. An intermediate-level butterfly monitoring and identification class.
Although these classes are intended for people who may be interested in becoming, or already are, members of the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network, visitors are also welcome! The beginner class spends about 45 minutes covering when, where, how, and why we monitor butterflies in the Chicago region. The rest of the class is devoted to viewing photographs of the 20 or so most common local butterflies, discussing their habits, and how to identify them.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
March Desktop Calendar
Enjoy scenes of Fermilab's natural areas on your computer desktop! Here are instructions for downloading & installing the March 2012 calendar pictured below onto your computer:
1. Click the image above to open in a new browser window (or tab).
2. Right-click (or ctrl-click for some Mac users) on the image, and chose the option that says, "Set Picture as", (or similar words; the exact wording will depend on your internet browser) and save to your desktop. On your desktop, right click “Properties” and select the “Desktop” tab. Click “Browse” and navigate to the saved image on your desktop. Select it & click “Open.” On the “Display Properties” dialogue box, click “OK.”
3. If the image does not fit your desktop background neatly, you may have to go to your preference screen (on a Mac: System Preferences > Desktop & Screen Saver > Desktop; or on Windows: Control Panel > Display > Desktop) and choose "Fit to screen" as the display mode of your background image.
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