In his latest Nature Moments video, Bowdoin biology professor and Maine Audubon board member Nat Wheelwright gets up close with mosses: Have you ever taken a close look at mosses? They’re simply elegant, and you can find them almost anywhere. They’re not that hard to tell apart, so why not get to know them? All […]
Maine's Naturalist
Nature Moments: Red-backed Salamanders, Forest Heavyweights
Bowdoin professor and Maine Audubon trustee Nat Wheelwright takes a look at how the Red-backed Salamander compares to moose in the northeastern forest: If you took all the moose or deer in a northeastern forest and put them on a scale, they wouldn’t weigh as much as the superabundant but often overlooked red-backed salamander. (Hard […]
The Sea Ice is Back
The sea ice is back. Yesterday Director Andy Beahm took a walk down to the Presumpscot River edge off the North Meadow at Gilsland Farm and noticed the ice forming along the shore, in amongst the tall grasses. The return of the ice is another sign of the progression into winter. Ocean and brackish waters, […]
Nature Moments: Sex Ed for Botanists
Another fascinating installment from Bowdoin professor and Maine Audubon trustee Nat Wheelwright: Gender in humans turns out to be more complicated than we once thought, but gender in plants is pretty complicated, too. Plants can have separate sexes, like most animals, or they can be hermaphroditic � but in two different ways. The next time […]
Nature Moments: Fungi on the Move
Nat Wheelwright’s latest “Nature Moments” video takes a closer look at the rich world of fungi: Fungi use mushrooms to disperse their offspring, much like plants use fruits. The spores of fungi can be spread by wind, by animals, or by a combination. But stinkhorns do it by smelling like rotting meat, which attracts flies […]
Nature Moments: Why Do Leaves Change Color?
Nat Wheelwright’s latest “Nature Moments” video is especially timely: The last thing deciduous trees do before dropping their leaves in the fall is salvage nutrients that they can reuse next year. In the process, they reveal orange and yellow colors. Red is a different story: it serves as an autumn sun screen. View all Nat’s […]
Nature Moments: Sharing Your Lawn with Bugs
Bowdoin professor and biologist Nat Wheelwright describes his latest “Nature Moments” video this way: You’d have to really hate butterflies, beetles and bugs to spread insecticides all over your lawn. Once you take a closer look at the ingredients and cautions, you may decide to share your lawn with other living creatures. Be sure to […]
Is the sky bluer in the fall?
I love October — the clear air, the bright leaves, and the deep blue sky. While appreciating the rich colors on a recent walk, I wondered, �Is the sky actually a deeper shade of blue in fall?� Thanks to physics, I was able to dig around and find the answer — which is �yes!� Two […]
Nature Moments: Swimming with Leeches
Bowdoin professor and biologist Nat Wheelwright explains his latest video: I used to be afraid of leeches until I tried a simple experiment which showed that they much prefer frogs. Now I’d much rather swim in a natural pond than a sterile chlorinated pool. If you want to make your own natural history observations, The […]