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Nature

Hummingbird Numbers Reach Peak In August

If you feed hummingbirds, you should be seeing lots of activity right now. Ruby-throated hummingbird numbers peak in August. Young of the year have left the nest (fledged) so late summer populations easily double. Whether you see two or three hummers visiting a single feeder or can brag about “clouds” of little jewels swarming the back porch, enjoy. These numbers will only last a few weeks. To estimate how many hummingbirds actually visit your backyard, use a simple formula developed by hummingbird banders. Count the most hummingbirds you can see at any one moment and multiplied ...

Ornamental Flowers?

If mosquitoes, gnats, black flies and no-see-ums are driving you buggy, then consider cozying up to some lavender, marigolds or basil. Scientists question their overall effectiveness, but many fragrant ornamental flowers and herbs grown around the home have properties that can repel insects. Insect repellents are divided into two primary chemical classes: natural and synthetic. How effective they are depends on the targeted insects and the host plants’ essential oils. “Plant-derived insect repellents are very volatile compounds that work but exhaust themselves very ...

Wild Plants Thrive In WNY

I have always been fascinated by the topic of wild edible and medicinal plants. There is something truly freeing about the ability to collect food and medicine from the wild, without money and without a prescription. Not to in any way impinge on the many benefits of modern medicine, but ...

Survival Camp

When I found out I was instructing Survival Camp 2019, I didn’t realize how much we’d be trying to “survive.” I imagined it being like any other day camp. Now, imagine heat waves beyond measure during the hottest part of the day. The heat melted the sunscreen and bug spray off ...

Snake Season Is Upon Us

Snakes love warm summer days. As reptiles, their body temperature mirrors air temperature. That’s why snakes are most active this time of year. It’s also why snake complaints peak in July and August. When people ask how to deal with unwanted snakes in the backyard, I offer my standard “defense of snakes” explanation. Nonpoisonous snakes are harmless. They eat mice, rats, and chipmunks. Having them near the house is a good thing. In fact, back in West Virginia I placed pieces of sheet metal and plywood inconspicuously on the edges of the yard as snake habitat. And whenever I ...

Lush Growth

Summer is in full swing and our local meadows, woodlands and wetlands are alive with the lush growth and green goodness of solar-powered warmth, light and renewed life. Songbirds fill the air with calls and melodies signaling territoriality, courtship and connection with mates and ...