Nature's Notebook

Every one of us is familiar with invasive species. They are the bright yellow dandelions dotting our lawns, the startlingly green honeysuckles spilling over our roadsides, and the swarming spongy moth caterpillars prematurely emptying our forest’s canopy last summer. But what is it that makes these organisms so invasive in the first place?

Whack! The sudden and dramatic sound against your living room window brings you hurrying in to see what occurred.

Updated October 19, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.

In August, the Sharon Audubon Center launched a new way to track birds, thanks to Audubon’s Migratory Bird Initiative, a grant from the William T. Wharton Trust, and the willing hands of volunteers from Drake Real Estate Partners.

When I tell people that I study ecological modeling for a living, the typical response is a wide-eyed stare and some variation of the question, “What on earth is that?”

Assuming most people don’t want to hear about differential equations and population dynamics, I’ve developed an abbreviated response: “Math about plants.”

Hearing a cacophonous sound from inside your chimney this summer? While I can’t promise it’s not a poltergeist, I can offer an alternative explanation: Chimney swifts.

Connecticut is 60% forested, the 12th most forested state in the country, but it’s becoming a forest of largely mature trees. And that’s a problem because it contributes to a biodiversity crisis.

We think that someone’s cat killed the bluebird family early this spring. A pair of bluebirds overwintered in one of our nesting boxes, enduring cold and surviving on berries and suet until spring. Staking their claim in the off season appeared to give them a head start and competitive advantage.