There are many great benefits of birding (the act of bird watching)! By collecting bird count data and adding those observations to databases, you can contribute to scientific research; helping ornithologists and wildlife biologists monitor populations and design conservation strategies! Birding also allows you to observe the natural world around you and make connections with the flora and fauna of your community. Finally, birding does wonders for your own physical and mental well-being!
This Rose-Breasted Grosbeak is one of the birds threatened by Climate Change.
Benefits of Birding for Science
By not just observing birds, but documenting your observations and adding that count to data collection sites such as eBird.org, you can help ornithologists create more accurate predictions about future population trends, migration patterns, as well as how climate change is impacting these species! In 2019, the National Audubon Society put together a study and interactive scientific model that predicts trends in bird ranges.
Audubon scientists took advantage of 140 million observations, recorded by birders and scientists, to describe where 604 North American bird species live today
National Audubon Society – Survival By Degrees
Just imagine what your contributions, even from your backyard, can help scientists predict in the future!
Not only does birding help the scientific community, but it also helps promote a sense of overall well-being. Outdoor birding can boost your respiratory, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and immune systems, as well as boost mood and energy levels.
As you walk around your community in search of birds, you’re getting exercise, which is extremely beneficial! The fresh air can improve mental clarity as well as pulmonary functions. Our immune systems benefit from the outdoor time as well, since phytoncides produced by trees help boost white blood cell functions. Exercise reduces risk of chronic health issues, cancer, and the time outside can reduce healing time from injuries and diseases!
But that’s just general exercise and being outside. What about birding? Birding forces us to slow down, which may seem daunting at first! Taking a break from our busy lives to simply observe can teach our minds to be more patient, take greater reward in delayed gratification, and take joy in simple things. When we can train our minds in this way through birding, we will have an easier time applying these newfound skills to other areas of life!
Christmas Bird Count & Checklist
Are you interested in getting out there and observing the birds in your area? Participate in the National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count! Simply follow the steps HEREto participate, or go out and fill in a checklist of your own and submit the data to eBird.org. Birding with friends and family can be such a wonderful shared experience. It can be such a great tool for developing self-control and observational skills in children, as well as teaching them (and you) about the wonders of our natural world!
Looking for some zero-waste holiday decorations or gifts to give? Explore all-natural and sustainable crafts below for some ideas on ways to fill your time, stimulate the mind (and hands), give to others, and create something unique this winter season!
This is part 3 of my “Eco-friendly” & sustainable art projects. You can find more eco-friendly art projects, and even info about how to incorporate Zero-waste techniques and materials into your projects below!
Explore the foliage leaf litter around you! As you search for leaves, observe any critters that rely on a healthy layer of leaf litter as they overwinter, and be sure to let them rest. How many individual tree species can you create note cards out of?
Methods:
Search outside for fallen leaves! Be sure to look at the bottom of the leaf to make sure it doesn’t have any overwintering animals underneath, taking shelter.
Press the leaves between the pages of a thick, old book (protect the pages by adding paper towels or newspaper to either side of your leaves), or in a flower press.
Let the leaves dry for 3-5 days.
In the meantime, cut a piece of card stock in half, then fold those halves into your blank note card. You should be able to make 2 cards per piece of card stock paper.
When the leaves are flattened (they don’t need to be fully dried since you will be using them for just this project), remove them from the book and get your ink pads ready!
Place the leaf on a piece of scrap paper. Gently tap the ink pad all over the top of the leaf until it is fully covered with ink.
Place your blank note card cover side up, and place the leaf ink-side down on the card. Then, gently press the leaf onto the card with even pressure to transfer the ink to the paper. Be sure not to move the leaf, or the ink will smudge!
Carefully lift the leaf off of the paper, and voila! You will be able to see an imprint of the leaf, it’s cells, and veins, on the card.
Now, decorate as you wish. You could write messages on the front (“Merry Christmas!”, “Thinking of You”, “Happy Hanukkah!”, etc…) or add glitter or gold leaf. Your imagination is the limit!
All Natural Winter Garland
Sometimes holiday decorations are made with non-eco-friendly materials, such as polyester or plastics. Waste production increases by over 30% between the months of November through early January! Gift wrapping, broken lights or ornaments, fake trees and garlands are thrown out into the landfill each year. Mitigate some of that waste by making all-natural holiday decorations that can be composted or recycled after use, or used year after year. These sustainable crafts are not only made with all eco-friendly and natural materials, but also doubles as a bird feeder!
Methods:
Decide which fruits you would like to use, then slice them thinly and place on a cookie sheet. I used oranges, grapefruits, and apples, however you could also use plums and pears! I also used cranberries, however these were fresh and not roasted.
Roast low and slow. I roasted the fruit for around 8 hours, at 170 degrees Fahrenheit, or until the fruits were fully dehydrated, but not burnt.
Remove the fruits from the oven and allow them to cool.
Use a skewer or bead reamer to poke holes in the sides of the fruits.
Carefully thread all-natural twine (hemp, raffia, or jute works well) through the holes in the fruit. Prevent fraying by wrapping the tail tightly in duct tape.
Be sure to leave at least 3 inches of twine on each edge of the garland to tie off.
Go outside and wrap your garland around your favorite tree! Pines, spruces, and hollies work well since the birds will find shelter as they munch away on the treats you provided.
Kitchen Herb & Flower Pots
As the days get shorter, we spend less time outside, enjoying the sunlight and living, growing things. This can have a noticeable effect on our mental well-being. Create an indoor garden with houseplants and kitchen herbs to reconnect with the natural world, even from inside!
Methods:
Gather potting soil, seeds or established small herbs, toilet paper tubes, a small tray, and scissors together.
Cut 4 slits in the bottom inch of your toilet paper tube (evenly separated around the tube).
Fold those slits into one another as if you are folding the tops of a cardboard box. You now have a biodegradable plant pot! Decorate the pot with sharpie colors, twine, or ribbon.
Add your potting soil and plant your seeds or little plants as directed. If you are planting an established plant, be sure not to bury the plant too much (only to the root flare)!
Set all finished pots on your tray and place in a sunny spot, away from cold drafts, and water when the soil becomes dry.
When the plants become too big for the tiny paper pots, repot and enjoy the indoor garden! The old tubes can be composted (or directly planted into the ground if the season allows).
Catnip Cat Toys
Pets can also enjoy your zero-waste, sustainable crafts. These herbal cat toys are made with catnip, from the summer garden to enjoy all year long.
Methods:
Gather dried catnip 100% cotton fabric scraps, scissors, all-natural twine, a sewing machine, and needle and thread. A small funnel and wooden skewer will be helpful, but not needed.
Fold your fabric scrap in half and cut a half circle along the fold (creating a full circle when cut out).
Fold inside-out, then sew along the un-folded edge, leaving one segment undone. This will be where you stuff the catnip through and will be finished by hand.
Turn the fabric right-side out to hide the seam.
Stuff the fabric with catnip. Leave enough room to add a twine tail!
Tie a large knot at the end of a piece of twine and insert the knot into the mouse body.
Hand-sew the rest of the mouse closed. The knot in the twine will prevent it from slipping or being torn/chewed out.
Give to your favorite kitty cat friend! They will rub all over it and play with it, loving the scent. They don’t care what the mouse looks like, as long as it has catnip in it, so this is a great way to practice your sewing skills!
Not confident in your sewing skills or don’t have the materials on hand, but still want to treat your furry friends right? You can find zero-waste catnip cat toys in my shop, all handmade and utilizing scrap fabric and twine from previous events & programs. The catnip is pesticide free and from my garden.
Life has changed a lot for me recently and my focus with The Art of Ecology has become more focused and purposeful. By combining creative, hands-on endeavors with environmental science, I can facilitate a sense of stewardship and responsibility for the environment in others. I do this through informal environmental education online, through social media, and in person during programs and presentations. Each of these avenues allows me to utilize my creative side! On social media, I showcase my photography and digital illustrations to tell the story of the natural world. In person, I can teach about artistic and wildcrafting activities in hands-on ways to help each participant develop their own connection to the ecosystems they’re a part of.
For this post, I wanted to share some behind the scenes views of where the ideas start, the projects are created, and where I teach from during my virtual presentations to help everyone get to know who is behind The Art of Ecology!
One of the life changes for me was a move! This move allowed me to have my own office space – rather than working out of a shared living room. It has been such a blessing!
My windowsill is filled with natural artifacts, plants, and my own paintings. I am never far from the natural world, even when indoors!
Explore my Office/Studio
My office has been such a wonderful space for my ideas to flow. All around me are sources of inspiration. Out of the window I can see a little forest, filled with deer and birds. The walls are decorated with my natural art. The shelves are lined with art, books, and more natural artifacts to inspire me. Having this dedicated space, without feeling as if I am intruding on my family’s day-to-day life (that table used to be the dinner table and it was usually covered with nature or art projects).
Within the past few years, I have delved deeper into the realm of digital illustration as well as wildcrafting as some of my favorite mediums. Now, that table is my space to start herbalism projects, work on my block printing on botanically dyed shirts, and create foraged tea blends. The desk is where I sit to do my illustrations and work on processing photos (especially now that I can take bird and deer pictures right from that window!). Join me for any one of my virtual presentations to see this space from a different point of view!
What does The ART of Ecology create?
In my free time, or when making gifts for others (rather than my professionally produced pieces and commissions), I love mediums such as pyrography (making nature-themed charcuterie boards is so much fun! My husband, and arborist brings home tree cookies that he salvaged from work and that tell as story, I burn them, and he helps me finish them) , resin pouring for natural artifact preservation (I love making D&D polyhedral dice with pinecones, moss, or other sustainably sources finds), and creating specially designed herbal salves/balms/rubs that my friends and family can use.
Working with zero-waste materials, or facing the challenge of how to use scraps produced in my art activities is also one of my hobbies. All scraps are re-used and incorporated into other projects when possible, and I love turning old plant matter into something else. If I have extra flowers or greens from a project, I preserve them to create wreaths, bouquets, or press for educational tools. If I can’t permanently preserve them, then I try to botanically dye with them (that drying bunch of eucalyptus are remnants from a wedding bouquet I did and will be used to create a beautiful, deep grey dye for a t-shirt later this winter). Many of these pieces are available to purchase during in-person workshops, or in my online shop.
What does The Art of ECOLOGY teach?
The bookshelf is filled with resources so that I never stop learning! There are two whole sections of it dedicated to field guides, one local, and the other exotic. I love getting more familiar with my surroundings and appreciating the beauty and biodiversity that can be found all around the world! Resource and reference books tend to be my favorites – as long as they have lots of pictures too! These visual and educational aides assist me in lesson plan creation, as well as provide references for my illustrations (if I don’t use one of my own photos as reference).
Not only do I incorporate information from what I learn in these books into my lessons, but I also love bringing them along for participants to use! Sharing is caring, and it’s also a wonderful way to get people to start making some in-depth observations about the natural world around them during my in-person classes.
Your Support Allows all of this!
Without your support, none of this would be possible! Everyday, the readers of this blog, the followers on social media, those who attend my classes, and those who buy gifts and art from me all motivate me to continue and grow on this path and continue facilitating a connection between people and the natural world. I am ever grateful for it! You can support The Art of Ecology in a variety of ways. Become a Patreon subscriber, shop small on my website, listen and support my podcast, share posts with others, and spread the world! The more people that can connect to and learn about our ecosystems, the greener this planet will become!
This forest, observed in 2022, lacks healthy, biodiverse understory plants. Only a few saplings and handful of ferns and flowers dot an otherwise empty forest landscape.
Where I used to live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, you could go into a soothing forest, yet only see trees. You should see trees, yes, however you shouldn’t ONLY see trees! In this area, the land was disturbed and cleared for agricultural purposes. Now, many field properties are transitioning and going through succession into forests. However an integral part of the forest is missing – the understory! To uncover why this is, let’s start with defining forest succession and identifying some of the wildlife that call these forests home.
This is an example of a forest with a lush understory. You can clearly see the various levels and heights of plant growth.
Forest Succession
Forest succession happens as a meadow ages and naturally transitions into a mature forest. When meadows aren’t managed by people, changes happen. Animals drop seeds from other plants and slowly, thickets and shrubs start to grow up through the flowers and grasses. These shrubby plants provide shelter for tender saplings to grow. Eventually, the saplings grow taller, becoming young trees. They start shading out grasses, but the thickets and shrubs remain. What once was a full sun meadow has the protection a forest canopy. Now, plants that are specially adapted to a shadier environment can move in. The growing canopy creates a cooler, moister microclimate. Ferns and mosses thrive, and delicate woodland flowers can bloom without fear of the scorching hot sun. Eventually new saplings grow, patiently waiting for an older tree to die and let light in through the canopy’s hole.
While the understory changes as a forest ages, there should be an understory filled with tree seedlings, shade-loving plants, and shrubs. So where did those plants go?!
Wildlife that Live in Pennsylvanian Forests
Let’s think – what utilizes plant life? Humans definitely do, however these forests of Southeastern PA aren’t under threat of logging for the most part. Even though some forest is lost during development, humans don’t cut just the understory, the whole forest goes away! That leaves us to consider the impact of wildlife on understory life.
In Pennsylvania, the herbivorous White-tailed Deer population is extremely high. In 2001, after successful attempts to protect the deer, especially after being hunted almost to extinction upon arrival of the settlers, the population soared and there was a reported population of 1.5 million deer in the state (2-3x more than were thought to be here prior to European settlement)! While it’s great that deer made a comeback, 1.5 million is too much. Deer have a tremendous impact on the forest.
Impact of White-tail Deer on Forests
White-tailed deer like to browse on young buds and plant tissue. In moderation, this helps prune the plants and stimulate growth, however when there are too many deer, they eat too much for the tree to recover. This limits tree and understory (the young plants) biodiversity. When the understory is over-eaten, there is not enough other plant life to provide for the numerous other wildlife species that rely on a healthy forest environment. Raccoons, opossums, skunks, fox, squirrels, and rodents would love to utilize a healthy forest, but are often forced to turn elsewhere and find their way to our trashcans.
Over-browsing can also impact the ability of animals to find shelter. Without thickets, shrubs, and other understory growth, prey animals won’t have great hiding places. Birds loose nesting habitat and reptiles, such as the Eastern Box turtle, have to search elsewhere for places to lay their eggs.
Ways to Support Healthy Forests
If you have a woodlot, consider putting up a tall fence called a Deer Exclosure. These fences are too tall for deer to jump over, allowing the forest within the fence to thrive without being over-browsed. Also consider planting not just trees in your community or yard, but also native shrubs! Shrubs allow the animals to move back into the area to nest, raise young, find shelter, and get food.
By getting outside, learning more about the natural world and the interconnectivity of ecosystem life, you can help make the land around you thrive! Explore upcoming events designed to enhance your understanding and connection to the natural world. You can also support The Art of Ecology through art purchases, podcast support, and on Patreon. A portion of the proceeds benefits wildlife conservation and habitat preservation efforts!
Birdtober (#Birdtober2022) is an art challenge made by @AHolmesArtStudio on instagram to follow along, learn more about the great diversity of both birds and the art styles of people all around the world!
While I went with the overall themes of the prompts, I didn’t draw the exact species, deciding to draw the same genus, but of species that I find locally. For example, instead of drawing a Saffron Finch (native to much of South America), I chose to draw a House Finch, which can be found at many feeders in Pennsylvania and the surrounding regions. These illustrations are overlaid on top of my photos of habitat that these birds can be found in.
Dive deeper into the world of birds with my a selection of my favorite Birdtober illustrations!
Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
This is one of the largest woodpeckers in North America and if you can’t see this bird, you’ll probably hear it if there are large, dying trees around.
Their favorite food is carpenter ants, which happens to live in the tissue of dying and dead trees. Even if you don’t see these birds, or hear their loud drilling, you may see large, rectangular shaped holes in the wood. The amount that the birds chip away actually creates habitat for numerous other animals who rely on the cavities for their homes.
Due to their size, they require large trees for their own nesting sites. This can be an issue when forests are clear cut or are deforested. As the large trees disappear and so does their nesting site. In young pioneer forests, they will try to find whatever large trees they can or they move to a new location. By keeping dead trees as snags and protecting forest stands you can be helping these incredible birds!
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
While this bird is remarkably well known in the United States as our national bird, these birds are little known during their juvenile state. Their bald head is iconic, yet they only get their adult white feathers at five years old. Before then, they have dark brown feathers just like on the rest of their body.
These birds are also a wonderful example of conservation success stories. In the 1960’s-late 70’s, the species was in severe decline and their population was under threat of extinction due to the use of harsh chemicals that made their eggs too thin to survive. The waters that they relied on food sources for were polluted yet due to scientists, environmentalists, and intervention, their populations started to thrive and their numbers along the Delaware River (locally here in Pennsylvania) have flourished.
Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea)
These vibrant birds may look blue, yet that’s a little bit deceiving. Similarly to many birds, animals, and plants that appear blue, the Indigo Bunting contains no blue pigment and instead has little reflective cells coating their feathers which reflects blue light. If you were to find a feather on the ground and hold it up to the light (so that the light doesn’t get a chance to reflect and instead passes through the feather) it would appear brown.
These little birds are some adorable feeder species in the summer. They love shrubby thicket areas that border trees which provide shelter. Adding Nyjer feeders and incorporating native thistles into the garden can also attract these birds to your yard.
Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)
A welcome bit of color in early May, the Baltimore Oriole is easy to spot. The duller (yet still bright) female is always intriguing to watch since she delicately weaves a nest using thin fibers and grasses.
These birds are fruit eaters and always select the ripest, juiciest, and darkest fruits. When attracting these birds it’s always a great idea to put out oranges, watermelon, cherries. Planting native fruit trees such as crabapples or cane berries such as raspberries will attract these birds year after year.
More About Birds
All of these birds are incredible members of our ecosystems. They help spread seeds of plants that prevent erosion, provide food, and shelter. They aid in pollination, decomposition, and population management. There are many ways to protect these birds in your area. By planting natives, reducing harsh chemical fertilizers, turning off lights at night, and more can all help these birds thrive.
Scientific illustration may seem daunting at first, however there are some great reasons to try your hand at it!
First, as you draw, you are forming new pathways and connections in the brain. Secondly, each time you draw a piece, you are making some in-depth observations about it and may learn something new about the natural world! For example, I just did a Pileated Woodpecker piece and learned more about the sexual dimorphism between male and female Pileated Woodpeckers. I originally thought that only males had red feathers, but now I know that both males and females do, however males just have more! As you draw, what will you observe?
Step 1: Creating a Sketch
Before you even put your pencil to the paper, ask yourself some questions about your subject. Why might it look the way it does? What function does your subject have? How does it connect to the rest of its ecosystem? And, of course, does my subject look normal or abnormal?
For example, some of the questions that I had as I observed this cat skull were, 1) Can I identify which type of domestic cat it came from? There are many different sized domestic cats. 2) What does a typical cat skull look like when it’s intact? This one is missing some of the dentition. 3) Can I infer, or discover, how the head of the cat correlates to the skull? The eye orbital seems large in comparison to the size of a cat’s eye. How does the zygomatic arch sit inside the head?
Once you’ve asked those questions and spent some time observing your subject, then make a very quick sketch. This is a rough, and sloppy step, just to provide you with a basic outline.
Step 2: Refining the Lines & Details
Between every single step and throughout the process, you should be continuing to ask questions and make observations. How do the fissures in the skull connect each bone segment? What are distinguishing features and have I included them on my paper?
After the sketch comes the time to refine the lines. There is no need to erase or clean up lines as you create a sketch. Once you’re happy with the sketch, clean up the lines and add some extra details. Here, I detailed out the teeth, rather than making them simple triangles. I added the shape of the bone fissures, and made sure that the ratios were right. Looking at the subject from as many sides as possible can really help!
Step 3: Pigment Lines (optional)
Once you are happy with your lines, consider what needs a little more “oomf”, or contrast. Are there portions that are less visible than others? These may be areas that you want to go over with pigment liners. Tracing over your lines isn’t necessary, but can really help boost contrast.
Follow along as I add the pigment liner and discuss next steps.
Step 4: Grey Wash
Grey washes are simple, light areas of grey to denote where shadows are. The grey gives an added dimension to your piece, and even if you are going to add color overtop, they will darken the areas naturally.
Step 5: Adding color
Now go crazy with the coloring! Remember, one subject isn’t just one color. There are many colors, shadows, and highlights. Try to use at least 3 colors to represent mid-tones, darker shadows, and brighter highlights. Also keep in mind that there is no true black pigment. Dark blacks are actually browns or deep reds, so while you can definitely use black colors, the highlights may actually incorporate a different color entirely!
Don’t forget to utilize the color of your paper! With my cat skull, I knew that the color of the paper was a similar color to the skull itself, so I utilized the negative space for my highlights.
Learning More
Are you interested in learning more about scientific illustration? Go to my calendar of events, watch my YouTube tutorials, purchase illustration workshop in a box! There are so many ways to discover the natural world, make some in depth observations about the ecosystems we share with flora & fauna, as well as ways to express your creativity!
Caffeine, while very helpful to wake people up in the morning, however when used in excess, it can have some pretty harmful side effects. Personally, caffeine doesn’t impact me the way it does for most people (a blessing and a curse since I can enjoy a cup of coffee at night, but can’t use it to wake up), so I drink it because I enjoy the taste of coffee. Coffee is one of those comfort, cozy drinks, but I do know the dangers that it poses if I don’t drink it in moderation.
When consumed in excess, caffeine can cause heart palpitations, increased feelings of anxiety, and jitters – I mean, think about it – caffeine is a stimulant! It makes sense that our body would go on high alert and have it’s systems to into double-time when we consume too much. These effects can cause many people to want to give up drinking, or relying on coffee, but what if you’re similar to me and love the taste? How do you get your coffee fix?!
Fortunately, there are a few plants that we can use as coffee alternatives. The first is Chicory (Chicorum intybus), which is a common coffee alternative, especially in New Orleans where it holds cultural significance. The second plant is Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)! The root of these two plants can be roasted and used similarly to coffee beans and even taste very similarly to coffee!
Dandelion root not only doesn’t have the caffeine in it like coffee beans do, but it also provides some nutritional and medicinal benefits! The root is a wonderful hepatonic and digestive bitters, meaning that your liver, stomach, and intestinal tract will thank you!
Below are two of my favorite ways to get Dandelion Coffee into my diet
Dandelion Iced Latte
Oat Milk
1/4 tsp. roasted dandelion root per 6 oz. serving
Brown Sugar to taste
Hot Water
This is one of my favorite summer drinks to make and can be made in a big pitcher and refrigerated for later. Simply boil your hot water and pour over your roasted dandelion roots. Typically, I add enough roots to decoct in 24 oz. water in my French Press. Allow to steep until the roots sink to the bottom and the color of the liquid looks like dark coffee.
Strain and pour into a pitcher. Add Brown sugar and Oat milk to taste. Refrigerate until serving. You can also make “coffee” cubes, by pouring the dandelion decoction into an ice cube tray, then freezing. Fill your glass with coffee cubes, then pour your latte overtop! This prevents your iced drink from becoming diluted as standard ice cubes melt.
2 c. heavy whipping cream (can also just use dairy-free milk instead, however this will create an icier ice cream texture.)
2 tbsp roasted dandelion root
1/2 c. White Sugar or Maple Syrup
1/4 c. Brown Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 egg (optional – just creates a creamier texture)
Pour all liquid into a saucepan and simmer. Add dandelion root and continue to heat on low for an hour, or until it becomes a rich coffee color and is the desired taste. Turn off heat and allow to cool. Strain out dandelion root and pour liquid and stir in rest of ingredients. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer into your ice cream maker (I use a CuisineArt Ice Cream Maker). Turn machine on and run for roughly 20 minutes, or until the mixture becomes an ice-cream consistency. Immediately scoop into a container and freeze your coffee ice cream until serving. Typically makes 8-10 servings.
Add chocolate chips, caramel sauce, fudge ribbons, seasonal herbs (cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc…), or even foraged spicebush for added flavor and pizazz!
Marissa Jacobs (The Art of Ecology) does not diagnose, treat, or prescribe, and nothing said or done should be misconstrued as such. These tips are designed to educate and support general well-being.
Did you know that the last week of September is National Fall Foliage week? As the season changes from late-summer to early autumn, we start to see the impacts of less light and cooler temperatures on the trees around us. Many are turning from green to red or yellow, and they are stunning!
As we start to observe and swoon over the fall foliage, let’s take a look at how to identify trees by their foliage so that we can start observing patterns in the coloration.
Ways to Identify Trees
There are so many ways to identify trees. You can examine the bark color and texture, overall shape and growth habit, or how the buds form along the branches. As the leaves fall, you can even examine the scar, or the place where the leaf originally attached to the branch! These scars will vary tree by tree.
Bark texture, coloration, ability to see lenticels (those little horizontal pores), or exfoliation can be helpful identifying features, especially in the winter when there are no leaves!
However, one of the easiest ways to identify trees during the growing season and into autumn is to examine the leaves! Here, we’ll focus on Simple vs. Compound leaves, as well as leaf arrangement along the stem. Simple means that there is only one leaf that attaches to a petiole connecting the leaf to the branch. Think maples and oaks. Compound means that there are multiple leaflets that attach to the petiole that connects the entire leaf to the branch. Think Black Walnuts and Sumacs.
Simple Leaves
Within the category of simple leaves comes many subsets. As you examine a tree and answer the question of “Does it have simple or compound leaves,” you can start to see that each tree may have individual leaf shapes. Are the leaves long and skinny or are they egg-shaped?
Another observation to make as you examine the leaf is in regards to the edges, or margins. Do the leaves have teeth, like the birch, or entire (smooth) margins, like the Redbud? Are they finely serrated like the willow, or extremely lobed and dissected, like a White Oak or Japanese Maple?
By answering these questions, you will be able to start narrowing down the tree’s identity in your field guide.
Each of these trees has single leaves, but each leaf shape is different.
Compound Leaves
Just as with the simple leaves, compound leaves also can have some subsets. In the diagram above, you can see that compound leaves can be Palmate or Pinnate.
Palmate leaves are ones whose individual leaflets radiate from one central point, like the fingers on our hands radiating out from our palm. The diagram above shows a blackberry leaf, however we are focusing on trees, not on berry canes (although blackberry leaves do turn a stunning deep red in the fall). A Horse Chestnut would be an example of a Palmately Compound tree.
Pinnate means that there are many leaflets that run along a single stem. The diagram above shows a Black Walnut leaf. In compound leaves, each of the individual blades is a leaflet. All of those leaflets that attach to the single stem is what comprises a Leaf. In the Black Walnut, sumac, ash, or even in a fern, that one long structure is a single leaf!
Another way to determine tree identity via the leaf is to examine the leaf arrangement along the stem or branch.
Each of these has compound leaves, although the Virginia Creeper (second image from left with the red leaflets) is palmate instead of pinnately compound.
Leaf Arrangement
Answer some of these questions. Does your leaf (remember, one leaf can be made of many individual leaflets!) attach to the main stem or branch in an alternating or opposing fashion? There are only a few trees that have oppositely arranged leaves, which can be helpful in narrowing down your identification.
Remember this acronym to narrow down your id: MAD Horse. M (Maples), A (Ash), D (Dogwoods), Horse (Horse Chestnuts). If you spot a tree with opposite leaf arrangement, where the leaves are arranged directly across from one another, and not even a smidgen out of place, then you either have a Maple, and Ash, a Dogwood, or a Horse Chestnut. Some people find ash trees and other pinnately compound leaves difficult to differentiate between, but with this acronym, you can easily narrow it down! If the leaves are alternate, then it can’t be an ash, and therefore must be a sumac, walnut, or other tree.
From there, did you know that the fall foliage color can also help you identify leaves?
Fall Foliage Color & Tree ID
Trees don’t just willy-nilly decide to present as red, orange, yellow, or brown in the fall. While they all have various levels of the anthocyanin, xanthophyll, and carotenoid pigment levels, each trees will utilize those pigments in different ways and will express their colors uniquely.
For example, Sassafras trees turn a peachy-red or orange color, while Red Oaks turn a deep burgundy. Red maples may be red, yet they are usually a more vibrant, brighter red than a Red Oak. Beech trees and Aspen turn yellow, while Pin and Black oaks might just turn a dingy yellowish-brown.
Field guides may include images of the fall foliage coloration for this exact purpose! If you have an orangey-peach tree, yet your field guide is saying that the tree should be a bright sunshine yellow, you may want to reexamine the tree’s leaf structures, or use another identifying feature, such as bark or overall tree shape to get an accurate identity.
To complicate things a little, do keep in mind that environmental factors can impact fall foliage color. If there was a drought, or the late-summer storms were severe, the leaves may be more dingy and less vibrant. Plenty of rain (but not too much), a dip into cooler temperatures (without a freeze), and a happy summer make for vibrant fall colors.
What trees do you observe?
Upload your observations to iNaturalist or share them with me on social media using #theartofecology. There is such a wealth of biodiversity in the tree world and they all have their own stories to tell. Celebrate Fall Foliage Week in a whole new way this year!
We land-dwellers don’t usually consider the importance of marine ecosystems in our day-to-day lives, understandably. The times we usually think about the ocean are when we are on our summer vacations to the shore. In reality, the ways we are connected to marine life are closer than we may think.
Oceans make up most of the water on the planet – but unfortunately, as salt water, we can’t efficiently use it.
What Does the Ocean do for Us?
The ocean affects our global temperature, supplies us with food, gives us ways of transportation, produces over half of the world’s oxygen, and regulates climate change. Humans also have major impacts on the ocean, though unfortunately, they aren’t comparable to what the ocean does for us. Human activities over the last hundred years have significantly damaged marine life, and the actions we take in our daily lives can have detrimental effects on our ocean’s ecosystems. Aside from what the ocean can do for humans, the ocean is worth protecting for its intrinsic value, the beauty it brings to this world, and its ability to reduce the effects of climate change.
Oceanic Biodiversity
The amount of biodiversity the ocean holds is astounding. Because life arose in the ocean 3.5 billion years ago, marine life had a lot of time to evolve and adapt, and scientists estimate that there are 2 million animals species living in the ocean with only 230,000 identified. It contains the largest mammals in the world and is filled with photosynthetic phytoplankton that are the basis of the food web and produce half of the earth’s oxygen. It was once believed that the bottom of the ocean was unfit for any kind of life, but it turns out that there is life inhabiting the most extreme conditions like deep-sea hydrothermal vents. The biodiversity numbers of the ocean can give us clues about climate change as well. When biodiversity is flourishing and marine life is growing in numbers, it indicates a healthy ocean with the ideal conditions to support many forms of life. Devastatingly enough, the ocean’s biodiversity is dropping at an alarming rate, and it is estimated that 50% of marine species were lost between 1970 and 2012.
These disturbing numbers are indicative of the growing pollution and other human-caused changes in the ocean. As the biodiversity numbers continue to drop, it is important to appreciate our marine wildlife and to practice habits that can reduce our impact on the ocean.
Fishing Demands
Humans all around the world are dependent on the resources the ocean offers us. 3.5 billion people rely on seafood as their primary source of food and the demand is continuing to rise. Fishing and fishing companies are sources of financial support for the world’s poorest communities, and many of them depend on it for their survival and to support their family. Because of the resources that come from the ocean, human settlements have lived near the coast for hundreds of years to take advantage of what the ocean has to offer.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), about 60 million people work in the fishing industry and the majority of them are in developing countries working in small-scale businesses. Unfortunately, as the demand for seafood continues to rise, the overexploitation and depletion of ocean resources continue to be a problem. The demand for seafood and ocean resources is becoming more prominent, and we must find ways to continue to provide for poor communities while protecting marine life populations.
How to Make a Difference on Marine Ecosystems
We humans can make small changes that can help the ocean’s marine life. Many ocean organizations are helping marine life, including Oceana, The Ocean Conservancy, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and many more. Both Oceana and The Ocean Conservancy have resources on their website that make it easy to contact our representatives and lawmakers about defending the ocean.
When buying seafood products, check to see if they have a Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) label, as they ensure that the seafood products came from sustainable sources that do not exploit marine populations. Continue to appreciate the serenity of the ocean and the animals that live in the salty water. Continue to watch the gulls search for fish and continue to admire the glorious sunsets over the ocean, and think about all of the life that is thriving under that sunset.
Lucy is an environmental studies college student, and The Art of Ecology’s new intern! Her career goal is to become an environmental microbiologist—a person who studies the microorganisms in the environment and their relationship to pollution. She is so excited to [learn more about ecology] and ways we can do better.
I absolutely love cats – their cute ears, long whiskers, unique eyes, and soft tails – they’re adorable! However, as an ecologist and cat-owner, I can definitely speak to the fact that cats are environmentally destructive in North America, and pet owners should be conscientious of how much outdoor time their cat gets. Let’s examine why we should keep cats indoors.
Impacts of Domestic Cats on the Environment
Lions are a part of the Felidae (cat family), but are further removed from domestic cats. They are “Panthera” (roaring cats), rather than “Felis” (small cats).
There are six native North American cats. This list includes Bobcats, Pumas, Canadian Lynx, Jaguarundi, and Jaguars, but not the domestic cat. Our pet cats are descended from an ancient wildcats (Felis sylvestris lybica) in the Middle East. In their native range, they tolerated the dry, desert-like conditions by hunting prey at night when the temperature dropped. They were effective predators of animals including rodents, lizards, weasels, and larger animals such as birds, goats, and even antelopes! On top of being a top-notch predator, they were also opportunistic. This meant that they would scavenge and eat whatever they could, when they could.
Now, domestic cats still maintain that fierce hunting instinct and desire to scavenge when they can. In North America, where migratory songbirds haven’t adapted over hundreds and thousands of years to small cat predators, this invasive cat species, introduced roughly 400 years ago, wreaks havoc. Despite being domesticated and knowing that they get food from caring owners, they still want to hunt on their own.
Studies show that cats are a leading cause of Migratory Songbird deaths, killing over 2 billion birds each year. They contributed to the extinction of over 60 bird species.
While there is nothing wrong with a cat hunting, it’s their natural behavior after all, there is a problem with letting this invasive species run rampant throughout communities. These migratory birds face threats to their populations from all sides – climate change, window strikes, and out competition from invasive species. They need all the help they can get to thrive! And we need birds to continue spreading seeds, managing insect populations, and pollinating plants.
Fortunately, there are many great reasons to continue loving our kitty cats and we can do this easily by keeping them indoors! Not only will this help bird populations, but it will also significantly, and positively, impact your furry friend’s overall health.
First, outdoor, or partially outdoor cats run the risk of picking up numerous diseases. Fleas and ticks, and worms can transmit diseases. They can also pick up Feline Distemper or Feline Leukemia. On top of those diseases, cats run the risk of getting hit by cars, or being targeted by predatory species.
It is nice to let your cat outside though, I get it! Catios (cat patios) are great additions to a cat-owners house. They can be large and complex, almost like a sun room devoted to your cat. They can be small window boxes that allow cats to get some sun and be near plants, but still inside. Your imagination is the limit.
Another way to let your cat enjoy the fresh air is to use a leash and harness. It can be funny to watch a cat adjust, but will allow for quality outdoor time without them running the risk of killing any birds or small mammals.
This cat, Mango, enjoyed sitting atop a sofa that sat in front of a large window. Arranging furniture to take advantage of sunlight and windows can help keep your cat occupied.
You can enrich your indoor cat’s life by getting them interactive toys that stimulate their hunting senses. Providing them with scratching posts, hiding spots, or perches so they can watch the world go by without having to go out is also helpful.
Make the world a safer, greener place for your pets and for the wildlife we share our ecosystem with! Keep cats indoors.
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