December 2011

BOOK REVIEW:  In working out the list for natural flowers in our wetland we used the study from Yale  on Connecticut’s Freshwater Wetlands by Stephen P. Broeker, Yale Study. One of the first plants we chose to look for this spring is the Northern Pitcher Plant, Sarracenia
Purpurea. It flowers from May to July with dark red flowers. It is carnivorous as insects are trapped and digested inside the leaves.

NATURE THINGS TO OBSERVE THIS MONTH: Things to observe at camp this month (From Mass Audubon)  In the dried grasses of open fields, watch for the small winding tunnels of meadow mice. Last eastern phoebes and hermit thrushes can sometimes still be seen at this time of year. Watch for yellow rumped warblers and snow buntings. Some species of winter finches arrive at about this time. Watch for redpolls and white winged crossbills. First sheets of black ice appear on ponds. Gather weed stalks for winter arrangements. In old fields and meadows look for fuzzy rosettes of mullein. Hibernating animals go underground. Chipmunks, skunks and raccoons are still abroad. Wood asters and dandelions can still be found in bloom. Watch for the last flowering of evening primrose. Partridge berries are ripe. Watch for feeding grouse. Watch for the evergreen Christmas fern with leaflets like tiny stockings. See Orion and Pleiades. Find mouse nests, snake skins, chipmunk middens in your woodpile.

JOIN OUR ONGOING PROJECTS: We’re designing nature interpretation displays at Bird Spot One and Two;  We’re building owl and bat houses at camp Thursdays this winter; We’re discovering plants for the Solair Plant Atlas; We’re improving the camp GPS map and marking trails.