… are. There is a turtle species for just about every kind of wetland environment that exists, from sea turtles to bog turtles to river cooters and pond sliders. There are approximately 17 … one of the first signs of spring. Soon after the ice melts on our lakes, turtles begin moving from the bottom of the lakes where they spent the winter hibernating. During the dark days of … laying). They also use some fascinating chemistry, part of which involves dissolving calcium from their shells to help neutralize toxic acids that would be fatal under normal circumstances. …
Type: Blog
… can do that. It is possible that in nature, the coating protects the seeds on their journey from the mother plant through the hostile environment of a hungry animal’s gut and on to wherever … pulp. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top. Here are the seeds from three medium-sized tomatoes, sitting by the window on the back porch, waiting to ferment. … need this kind of abuse to germinate? The only way to find out is to experiment. Collect seeds from some ripe tomatoes—two or three tomatoes will do. Ferment half of the batch using the …
Type: Blog
… a small stand of dead American elm trees, I began to lift the loose remaining bark away from one of the trees to see if any spiders were present. As I gently pulled the bark away from the trunk, a tiny black hand reached up over the top edge of the bark. It quickly became … erratically, or drop out of the air as though they had been struck with a stupefying charm from Harry Potter’s wand. These moths have evolved defensive tactics to help them avoid being …
Type: Blog
… plants are deep-rooted—it's the way they survive drought—they are able to store more carbon from the atmosphere than short-lived plants. As part of photosynthesis, all plants absorb and …
Type: Plant Info
… is a native wildflower that grows in many deciduous woodlands. Its common name comes from the white and black berries that appear in early fall and look like the eyes of …
Type: Plant Info
… shattering. Recycle It How about those old salt-and-pepper shakers or knick-knacks? Free them from the china or kitchen cabinets and repurpose them as container ornaments. Remove the stopper …
Type: Plant Info
… If you carve a pumpkin for Halloween or make a pumpkin pie from scratch, you’re going to have a lot of pumpkin seeds. You can put them to good use by … this fall. First, you’ll need to remove, clean, and dry the seeds. After scooping the pulp from your pumpkin, place it in a bowl of water and gently rub the stringy pulp off the seeds. … make two each of 1, 2, and 3. For children practicing higher number adding, make a range from 1 to 9. To practice adding higher numbers, make a set with all 6s, 7s, 8s, and 9s. Those are …
Type: Blog
… artists use a container and style that replicates the land or terrain where the bonsai came from. Finding a pot that has similar textures and tones of the environment it was pulled from is one example. “We’re pulling all kinds of cues and an aesthetic value from nature and trying to incorporate it into the container we’re keeping these trees in,” Baker …
Type: Blog
… the tallgrass prairie. My post-doctoral research is focused on seed mix design for restoration from both a social and ecological perspective. Using social science methods, I am studying the …
Type: Staff bio
… considering buckthorn removal, specific steps should be taken in order to prevent the seeds from germinating. Buckthorn remains one of the most invasive shrubs in our area mainly because of … the plant is to remove the plants before they flower and set seed. Buckthorn plants bloom from May to June and seeds are produced and ripen in August and September. If you suspect that … and place them out with your trash rather than composting them. Landscape waste is banned from landfills in Illinois, so waste companies take these products to a composting facility. High …
Type: Research
