Winter is a great time to learn to read wildlife signs and explore the wonderful stories of those who live at and around the Lusitania meadow. For instance, have you ever noticed that small mound of sticks at Black’s Nook? This is likely to be the winter hut of a little mammal. That shelter had […]
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Category: Notes from the Field
Birds in Winter, Deadwood & Collembolans
Field Highlights » Birds in Winter, Deadwood & Springtails Season: Winter | Location: New-England’s meadows, forests, parks, and gardens. EwA runs biodiversity walks monthly when we invite our guests to observe with us the passage of the seasons on the local flora and fauna. Each exploration is a chance to nature chronicles that we may […]
Fresh Pond Almanac—December at the Meado
By December, the feeling of winter has truly set in at Fresh Pond. All the deciduous trees around the pond have dropped their leaves, save the most stubborn oaks and beeches, some of which will hold onto those leaves through the winter. The greenest things you’ll see on a walk around the pond are most […]
Fresh Pond Almanac—November at the Meado
November brings heightened seasonal changes to Lusitania Meadow and Fresh Pond. The peak of fall foliage season has passed. Insect activity has slowed dramatically, save for the month’s warmest days. As such, November’s almanac necessitates a bit of a change in form. Throughout the warmer months, we have been detailing one or two plants that […]
Fresh Pond Almanac—October at the Meadow
The stunning wave of color that washes through the deciduous trees of New England every fall will arrive and peak in Lusitania Meadow in October. At the Meadow, most of the trees around the clearing will participate in this yearly event, with the exception of the pines on the south side close to the reservoir, […]
Fresh Pond Almanac—August at the Meadow
At this time of the year, the reservation feels a bit quieter and more peaceful than the past two months. With the often sweltering heat, the park attracts fewer joggers and walkers. Yet, there is much to enjoy and many ecological activities to observe. The many different bee species of the meadow are still busy […]
Fresh Pond Almanac—September at the Mead
September marks the end of the summer in New England. At EwA, the beginning of that month also brings a little bit of sadness. Fieldwork in the Lusitania meadow feels different after our interns and summer volunteers left us at the end of August to return to their busy lives. But we are happy for […]
Lichens, Pollution, and Us
Visit a forested area that’s not near a city, and you’ll see all sorts of lichens decorating trees and rocks. But if you visit an urban area or walk alongside a highway roaring with traffic, you won’t find very many lichens. As a matter of fact, Downtown Boston is a lichen desert. Lichens get nutrients from […]
May the Lichens Be With You
If flowers are commonly placed on a loved one’s final resting place, why shouldn’t lichens be allowed to reside on that loved one’s gravestone? After all, a lichen on a gravestone occupies a branch on the tree of life considerably closer to the branch occupied by that loved one than a chrysanthemum. Plus, that lichen […]
Fresh Pond Almanac—July at the Meadow
July is quite an exciting time at Fresh Pond. Many people enjoy the warm, sunny days by strolling or jogging around the reservation. The beginning of the summer also comes with sudden and short, heavy rainfalls. On one Monday afternoon, we got caught in a torrential downpour. We patiently waited for the rain to subside, […]