Property owners and land managers will often mow large fields in the fall. Sometimes this is done for aesthetic reasons. Sometimes it is done because “that’s the way it’s always been done.” And sometimes it is done out of a desire to keep trees and other woody vegetation from taking […]
Managing habitat
40 posts
Glades are ecosystems where the soils are really shallow and rocky, often with patches of rock showing on the surface. They can be found all over the world, including multiple states within the eastern U.S. These ecosystems are unique areas that support some really interesting and sometimes highly specialized or […]
Once upon a time, the moon was the brightest object in the night sky followed by the stars. However, that’s no longer the case. Today the night sky is so brightly lit by artificial lights sources that the majority of people living in North America can no longer see the […]
Grassland birds such as bobwhite quail, meadowlarks, sparrows, northern harriers, burrowing owls, and many others represent one of our fastest declining groups of birds. In many ways, this makes sense since grasslands are some of our fastest declining ecosystems, especially in the eastern U.S. Yet, many people don’t realize how […]
By: Anthony Trimboli Background Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is an invasive weed that is found throughout the United States. It is commonly seen growing along roadsides, in ditches, and other disturbed areas with moist soils. Poison hemlock grows as a biennial in the colder portions of the U.S. That simply […]
Introduction Red maple (Acer rubrum) is a medium height tree that can grow up to 100 feet tall. It is native to most states in the eastern half of the U.S. and much of eastern Canada. Red maple is one of our earliest blooming native trees and can be an […]
In 2021, Kyle Lybarger began creating TikTok videos about native plants and grassland ecosystems in Alabama. He quickly became a social media star and even gained the attention of more traditional media streams including The Weather Channel. Kyle is doing terrific work teaching about and raising awareness of native plants […]
Sometimes you read or hear something that makes you say, “Wait a minute! What?” It was one of those moments that led to this episode. In this episode of the Backyard Ecology podcast, I talk with David Mason. David is a PhD candidate at the University of Florida who has […]
Trees can be valuable components of our ecosystems, not to mention the cooling and other benefits they can provide around our homes. But sometimes you may need to cut down one or more trees. From a wildlife perspective, the best time to cut down a tree will be in the winter. All else being equal, I prefer removing trees in the early to mid-winter, rather than later in the winter.
Winter is often depicted as being dark and cold. A time to slow down and spend more time inside, than outside. But winter can be a really great time for observing nature and doing many habitat management activities. Habitat management activities that we can do in the winter is a […]
Wild turkeys are fascinating birds that are only found in North America. They are also a conservation success story – one which most people aren’t aware of because the turn-around was so successful. In this episode of the Backyard Ecology podcast, we talk with Dr. Bret Collier. Bret is a […]
Think of fall in the eastern U.S. and fall foliage is likely to be high on the list of things that comes to mind. People will drive for hundreds of miles to admire a forest ablaze in bright red, orange, and yellow leaves. More than one vacation, wedding, or other […]
What happens when you do a shelterwood cut, conduct a prescribed burn, or have some other natural or human-made disturbance event in oak hickory forests? What happens to the acorn crop? How do different types of wildlife respond? What about the other vegetation in the woods? In this Backyard Ecology […]
If you listen to the Backyard Ecology podcast, then you are likely interested in creating pollinator and/or wildlife habitat on at least part of your property. The Natural Resources Conservation Service or NRCS is a federal agency that has a number of programs which can help us do just that. […]
This is always such an exciting time of year. The wildflowers are blooming. The insects are appearing again. The birds are starting to sing their dawn chorus in the mornings again. And the spring warbler migration is in full swing. Things are changing almost daily. There is always some new […]
This week’s episode of the Backyard Ecology podcast is the conclusion of our conversation with Lynn Faust. Lynn is the author of Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs: Identification and Natural History of the Fireflies of the Eastern and Central United States and Canada. In this episode, we continue to just […]
For many of us in the eastern U.S., warm spring and summer nights are characterized by the methodical flashing of fireflies and lightning bugs. Fireflies and lightning bugs are exactly the same thing. I grew up calling them “lightning bugs,” but somewhere along the line picked up the term “firefly.” […]
By: Anthony Trimboli Nandina (Nandina domestica), also commonly called heavenly bamboo, is an exotic ornamental shrub that is native to India, China, and Japan. Although not an actual bamboo, Nandina does have a cane-like growth pattern and will spread from root suckers. The dark, evergreen foliage and persistent bright red […]
Vernal pools are a special type of shallow wetlands that fill with snow melt and rain in late fall through early spring, then dry up sometime during the summer. Because they dry up, they are sometimes overlooked or dismissed as “not very good wetlands.” However, they serve an important role […]
Growing native plants has grown in popularity over the last couple of decades. This has led to an increased demand for native plant seeds. However, many of us have never really stopped to think about how those native seeds are produced on a commercial level. In this episode, we talk […]
Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) is native to the lower parts of Canada and almost the entire lower 48 states in the U.S. It can be found growing naturally in barrens, prairies, savannas, and open woodlands. Little bluestem prefers drier upland sites, but is occasionally found in lower moister areas, especially […]
Land snails???? Come on, how do they fit with Backyard Ecology? True, land snails aren’t the most charismatic organism in our yards and communities, so it would be easy to just write them off and ignore them. Most of us probably do that on a regular basis. But, land snails […]
Many of us grew up hearing about the decline of the old growth forests and their impacts on neotropical songbirds and other wildlife. I think this was especially true for those of us who grew up here in the eastern U.S. However, the story that hasn’t been told as well […]
Hi Everyone! Today we are talking with Mac Callaham who is a Research Ecologist with the Southern Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service. Mac’s focus is on invasive species, with a specialty in soil animals, especially earthworms. Like many people, I grew up thinking that earthworms were a good […]
Hi Everyone! Today we are talking with Dr. Adam Baker who recently completed his PhD studying monarch butterflies and their use of monarch waystations in urban and suburban areas. His research has led to some important and easily applied strategies that any of us can use in our gardens. First, […]
Over the last few months, I’ve been researching and working on a new project. Today I’m super excited to announce that I am launching a Backyard Ecology podcast! For those who might be wondering, a podcast is kind of like an audio version of a blog. I started listening to […]
Many people believe that nature is only “out there” – in national parks, other large chunks of pristine land, or some far-off exotic place. For a long time, I did too. But the truth is that nature is everywhere and there are still plenty of discoveries to be made about […]
On Oct. 14 at 7:00 p.m. CT / 8:00 p.m. ET, I will be teaching a class on providing winter habitat for butterflies and native bees. Pollinator gardening information often focuses on providing lots of flowers for butterflies and bees to use during the growing season. Very little, if any, […]
If you are a regular reader of this blog, then it is probably because you appreciate pollinators and wildlife and enjoy seeing them on your property. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t sometimes become frustrated with some of those same critters. At times like that, it’s important to learn how […]
During the late summer and early fall, wildflowers such as goldenrods, thoroughworts, ironweeds, asters, and many others turn roadsides and fields into a pollinator oasis. Several of our butterfly species in the eastern U.S. migrate for the winter and rely on those flowers to provide them with the energy needed […]
Standing dead trees, also known as snags, are extremely valuable to wildlife and even some pollinators. Just a few examples of how snags are used by wildlife and pollinators include: Beetle larvae and other wood boring insects create tunnels in the dead tree. Many of these insects then become food […]
When mowing or bush hogging a field, only do approximately 1/2 to 1/3 of the field each year. This creates a more complex and multiple-aged habitat which benefits both wildlife and pollinators. For example, many of our butterflies will overwinter as a chrysalis attached to grass or flower stalks. Several […]
Each year as the weather warms up and we get closer to spring, the number of TV commercials for herbicides increases as well as the number of posts I see on social media about homemade herbicides. The homemade herbicides are often touted as being safe because they are made from […]
Late summer and fall wildflowers such as ironweed, joe-pye-weed, goldenrod, native sunflowers, and asters are important late sources of pollen and nectar for many species of butterflies and bees. If possible, allow these plants to flower in fields and open areas. One simple way of doing this is to delay […]
I have always loved watching fireflies and lightning bugs dance in the backyard. They are one of my favorite insects and bring back lots of childhood memories. Even today, I will run outside to watch the first fireflies of the year or to see a particularly good display. Fireflies and […]
In March 2018, researchers published a new study about the effects of lawn mowing frequency on bee populations in urban yards. Yards in the study were mowed at 1-, 2-, or 3-week intervals throughout the growing season. Before the yards were mowed, the number of dandelions, clovers, and other flowers growing […]
Most of us probably don’t realize just how busy the nightlife can be from an animal’s perspective. Just because the sun goes down and people tend to migrate inside our well-lit homes, doesn’t mean that wildlife and pollinators do the same thing. Some species will curl up inside their homes […]
Serviceberries (Amelanchier spp.) are small trees or large shrubs that typically grow to around 10-15 feet tall, but occasionally can be taller. There are multiple different species of serviceberry throughout the U.S. and Canada. In fact, every state except for Hawaii has a native species of serviceberry. In Kentucky, our […]
It is estimated that approximately 70% of bees native to the U.S. nest in the ground. Depending on the species, ground nesting bees may spend as much as 11 months underground developing from an egg into an adult bee. The adult bee may only be active above ground for a […]
Invasive species are species that are not native to an area, but once introduced to an area can spread rapidly and crowd out other species. Not all non-native species are invasive, but some are and those species can cause significant ecological damage. Invasive species also have an economic impact as […]