Tag: reptiles

4 Comments

Posted on March 18, 2018 by The Art of Ecology

Snakes – Maybe not your cup of tea, but SUPER important!

Snakes need love too! Show them that you care by building a snake hibernaculum in your back yard! They will thank you for it by chasing away all of your rodent pests!

Snakes are wonderful for so many reasons! I can see it, some of you are thrilled by this and others…. not so much, but yes – snakes are good, even if they’re not your cup of tea. Snakes don’t have to be your favorite animal for you to realize that they play a vital role …

Continue reading “Snakes – Maybe not your cup of tea, but SUPER important!”

Category: Animals, Backyard Habitats, conservation, The Art of Ecology, Wildlife Behavior Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

3 Comments

Posted on November 22, 2017 by The Art of Ecology

How can life occur in the American Southwest desert?

These beautiful flowers attracted many pollinators out in the New Mexico desert!

Traveling, especially to places that look and feel different than Pennsylvania where I have lived for all of my life, is so exciting! Fortunately for me, I had the chance to go out to New Mexico to do some photography this past summer! It was amazing to see the many plant & animal adaptations to …

Continue reading “How can life occur in the American Southwest desert?”

Category: Adaptations, Plants, The Art of Ecology, Travel, Wildlife Behavior Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Instagram
These huge clusters of "floating" plants do a good job showing how these plants might grow in their native habitats. Air plants (Tillandsia so.) and many orchids species are called Epiphytes, meaning that they grow on top of other plants and structures. These epiphytes don't require soil as their substrate and can often be found growing on top of a tree branch, their roots used for adhesion rather than nutrient absorption in the same way as a soil-growing plant. This can make for unique houseplant settings - ditch the pot!
During the winter months, dried flower seed heads are incredibly important food resources for winter wildlife, especially birds. By keeping these old, dried stalks around until spring, you can help wildlife populations find food! Once spring comes, and new growth emerges, you can cut the stalks back and use them as compost to revitalize your garden.
Finding color in the winter landscape can be difficult, however this scene made me so happy! The yellow of the White-throated sparrow looked so vibrant while it perched in the colorful bark of the Yellow twig Dogwood. There are many native plants that add color, and when they provide shelter for birds, the birds can bring color and life to your yard too!
When conditions are just right, you can see these cool ice feathers! This is caused by cold conditions to allow water to freeze, and lots of wind, which blows water and moisture in a single direction. These little icy feathers were all pointing in the exact same direction and covered only one side of the grasses, stones, and trees in the area.
The Art of Ecology’s YouTube Channel