… species of moths in the state of Illinois—more than ten times the diversity of butterflies—it is a real adventure sampling the moth species inhabiting the McDonald Woods at the Chicago … moth ( Ponometia erastrioides ) Straight-lined Plagodis moth ( Plagodis phlogosaria ) It is a never-ending surprise to see what new species will show up each time traps are placed. Some … they are resting on; the hindwing only becomes visible when they spread their wings to fly. It is thought to be a distraction or scare tactic to foil predators. Although there is a subtle …
Type: Blog
… projector—using leaves. Rule number one with eclipses—and with the sun every day, actually—is don’t look directly at it with the naked eye . A fun way to indirectly “see” the eclipse is with a pinhole projector, and one of the best natural projectors is a leaf. Leaves often have holes that can act as natural projectors. During the eclipse, turn …
Type: Blog
… Rigoberto Montoya is an assistant grower for the Plant Production department's indoor floriculture division. He is responsible for the day-to-day care of plants, and he comes up with innovative ways to grow …
Type: Staff bio
… Attention orchid fans: our vanilla orchid is blooming in the Tropical Greenhouse at the Chicago Botanic Garden. It’s a rare occurrence in … Why hand pollinate? In hopes of producing a vanilla bean. Yes, the fruit of a vanilla orchid is used to make pure vanilla extract, which flavors many foods we enjoy. Vanilla vines typically …
Type: Blog
… Flower Mandala Sun Catchers Loosely translated from Sanskrit to mean “circle,” a mandala is a symbol that represents wholeness and reminds us of the connectivity of all things in the … Mandalas can be found across cultures and religions, from Asia to the Americas. The design is usually patterned levels around a central image, growing from the inside out. Using this … of support systems in their lives: their family, friends, and neighborhood. For children, this is an excellent opportunity to conceptualize the many levels of community around them and how …
Type: Blog
… know the extent that urban areas impact native bees. My research at the Chicago Botanic Garden is investigating how urban areas may affect native bees in Chicago. Chicago is an ideal city to study the impact of urbanization on native bees because the intensity of … that attract and capture the bees. Secondly, we use a butterfly net to capture bees at the site throughout the day. When we are finished sampling, the bees are taken back to the lab at the …
Type: Blog
… When it comes to controlling invasive plants, a little faith can’t hurt. This is particularly true for garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata). We have been struggling to get … observations circulating in the Chicago region regarding a possible disease that apparently is having a significant negative effect on garlic mustard (see woodsandprairie.blogspot.com ). Observers have reported an almost complete absence of garlic mustard in areas that are …
Type: Blog
… may recognize many from your own childhood. “For children, the most powerful form of learning is with their hands.” “Nature is children’s real home.” What’s under that log? Life. Build an ant playground out of sticks! … used to do this all the time, and now she’s a wildlife biologist.” 1. Pick up a Stick How cool is this? In 2008, the stick was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame! It’s in great …
Type: Blog
… Grounds supervisor. Melecio supervises four regular employees and 43 seasonal employees, and is responsible for general grounds maintenance, major event support (set up and tear down), and the landscape waste program. He is an expert equipment operator and trains staff and volunteers in safety and equipment …
Type: Staff bio
… graduate program run by Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden. Flower timing is critical for many reasons. For the earliest of the spring bloomers, earlier flowering provides … spring blooms known as ephemerals, these early foragers would go hungry because nothing else is in bloom. In return for pollen and nectar, bees and other pollinators move pollen from flower … us a better understanding for how certain plant species will respond to climate change, which is signaling many plant species to flower earlier than in the past. Samantha Danguilan is a …
Type: Blog
