Last week brought the autumnal equinox, that special moment when day and night share the sky in equal measure. Though I wouldn’t have minded a little more summer sun, the crisp air and clearer skies feel amazing after the smoky haze of recent months. As the season turns and winter slowly approaches, let’s take a virtual stroll outdoors and see what’s happening!
New England aster in bloom
September brings splashes of yellow and purple across the landscape as goldenrods and asters come into bloom. In the weeks ahead, these fall flowers will put on a spectacular show, drawing in the many pollinators that rely on them for food and survival.
Speaking of pollinators, I’d like to invite you to join us to help create more prairie for pollinators at Westport Prairie. We’ll be holding Seed Collection events on October 1, 8, and 15. Come for one, two, or all three! Training and tools provided. Learn more and register here.
Bumblebee covered in pollen
The other day in my backyard, I spotted a bumblebee on a sunflower, absolutely dusted in pollen. Did you know bumblebees keep collecting pollen until early October? As the weather cools, most of the colony dies off, but the queens stay busy gathering pollen to build up fat reserves that will sustain them through winter hibernation.
When spring arrives, the queen lays her eggs and starts a brand-new colony. The young queens from this new generation will continue the same cycle as their queen before them. It’s just one more reason why planting flowers that bloom into the fall is so important.
Downy gentian in bloom
On a recent hike at Westport Prairie, I came across a small patch of flowers with the most striking shade of blue. The photo above doesn’t quite capture it, but it gives you a sense of just how special the color of downy gentian really is. Part of its charm may be that blue is the rarest flower color in the world, with fewer than 10% of flowering plants producing that color.
I looked into why blue is so rare and the answer was quite complex. It came down to energy cost and pigment instability, which basically means that it takes a lot of energy to produce blue and once it is produced, it’s difficult to maintain. An easier and more common method that plants use is to produce red pigment, which is much easier to produce, and modify it so that it looks blue.
Tiger salamander
Lastly, I’ll leave you with this adorable little tiger salamander that I spotted crossing the road while driving to one of my favorite trout streams. I helped it across so that it wouldn’t get hit by a passing car. This time of year you have an increased chance of spotting salamanders, because similar to birds, they are in peak migration. After spending the summer maturing in breeding ponds and going through metamorphosis, they are now dispersing and on the hunt for deep burrows where they can spend the winter hibernating.
Finding cool things in nature is easy; you just need to get outside.
Remember, you can join us in October at Westport Prairie for one or all of our Seed Collecting events. Learn more and register here. I look forward to sharing another nature update with you next month!