By Kelly Finan __________ Rattle my bones Dripping with cultural history and utterly unique, the objects cradled in Connor Stedman’s excited hands burned with sentimental value. Their glow reflected in Connor’s eyes and didn’t flicker for an instant upon the delivery of my first question. “So, what are they?” To the untrained eye, they were [...]
Archive for the ‘Discoveries’ Category
What’s in your backpack?
Posted in Discoveries, Interview, tagged art, bones, bryan, clare, connor, dragonfly genitalia, Emily, kelly, Liz on March 8, 2013 | Comments Off
The Burlington Naturalist Scavenger Hunt Series: Williston’s Muddy Brook Wetland
Posted in Botany, Discoveries, Natural Destinations, Wildlife on February 28, 2012 | Comments Off
A special series of blog posts brought to you by Liz Brownlee – The Burlington Naturalist Scavenger Hunt Series: Discover the area’s hidden gems. Hone your naturalist skills. Learn to see the treasures along every walking path, trail, and creek. This series of scavenger hunts is a chance to get outside, look closely at the world around you, [...]
Five Bodies
Posted in Discoveries, Wildlife on February 21, 2012 | Comments Off
by Danielle Owczarski I squint as I gaze offshore at the landslide scars jacketing the slopes of the Adirondack Mountains, and become cognizant of the illusion in quiet looking mountaintops, in reality, stark and frigid underneath the winter’s languid sun. I lift the camera to my eye and focus on the lone silhouette of a [...]
Random Nature Questions from a Non-naturalist
Posted in Botany, Discoveries, Wildlife, tagged ants, bees, behavior, birds, honey, physiology, Plants, trees, woodpecker on February 12, 2012 | 2 Comments »
by Audrey Clark My stepbrother lounged in front of the television watching a reality TV show about mining in Alaska. I sat on the couch, facing away from the television, drinking tea and reading a book on visionary scientists. After a while, I started to wonder what my stepbrother wondered about. “Caleb?” “Yeah.” “What questions [...]
The Charisma of the Drab
Posted in Discoveries, Natural Destinations, tagged Amateurs, Audrey, Biophilia, Charismatic megafauna, Experts, Insects, Paris, Specimens, Weevils on February 7, 2012 | Comments Off
by Audrey Clark Wandering down Boulevard Saint Germain near Notre Dame in Paris, I passed a store window filled with insect specimens on display. The stylish sign read Claude et Nature (Claude and Nature). I veered into the store, astonished that such a place exists. A small stuffed bison (small for a bison, that is) [...]
Will You Need a Warmer Hat This Winter?
Posted in Discoveries, Seasons, tagged Burlington, Carly, Charles Corran, Isabella tiger moth, myths, old wives' tales, Pyrrhartia isabella, woolly bears on November 9, 2011 | Comments Off
by Carly Brown A few weeks ago I tied my laces, donned my hat, and set off for a long run down Spear Street, from Burlington to Charlotte and back again. Partway through my run I saw it crossing the road without any signs of hurry, proudly displaying its black and rusty fur: the woolly [...]
Chicken of the Woods
Posted in Discoveries, tagged Becky, Centennial Woods, fungi, kidney failure, mushrooms, tastes like chicken, wild edibles on September 24, 2011 | Comments Off
by Becky Cushing Frog legs, rabbit, octopus, sea lamprey: Tastes just like chicken. But a mushroom? That might take some convincing. Purple toadstools dot moist ground. Tiny aliens emerge from rotting wood. A stalk shoots from leaf litter on the forest floor. Like Alice’s Wonderland, the damp woods in and around Burlington are splattered with [...]
A Bypassed Giant
Posted in Discoveries, tagged Centennial Woods, Forests, Plants, Rachel, Really big trees, White oak on September 16, 2011 | Comments Off
by Rachel Garwin What’s the last amazing thing you overlooked? I discovered mine last Wednesday in Centennial Woods, a 65-acre natural area near the University of Vermont campus. A friend and expert naturalist was sharing his local knowledge with a group of undergrads, and I had tagged along. The familiar path turned to the left [...]