The Swampscott Conservancy September is when I notice more monarch butterflies passing through my garden. You can’t miss them. Not with their brilliant orange and black wing pattern. Danaus plexippus is perhaps the best known of all the butterflies, one that everyone can readily identify as they flutter by. I imagine that they are beginning their long journey from our … [Read more...] about Nature in the Neighborhood: Butterflies and snakes
nature in the neighborhood
Nature in the Neighborhood: Having a whale of a time this year
The Swampscott Conservancy Whales have been a big thing in the culture, tradition, and imagination of humans for a long time. Some civilizations believe whales to be divine spirits bringing peace, luck, and harmony, while others consider them demons that can destroy ships (think Melville’s “Moby Dick”) or swallow humans whole (recall Jonah’s Leviathan). In an odd … [Read more...] about Nature in the Neighborhood: Having a whale of a time this year
Nature in the Neighborhood: Through the woods and over the boardwalk
The Swampscott Conservancy It’s the start of a new season, one that’s a bit colder and darker, one that tempts us to stay indoors where it’s warm and light. But resist that urge because winter is a perfect time to visit nature in our neighborhood, whether it be by taking a walk in the woods or a stroll along the beach. Though the landscape may appear dreary and lifeless, … [Read more...] about Nature in the Neighborhood: Through the woods and over the boardwalk
Nature in the Neighborhood: Leave the leaves this fall
The Swampscott Conservancy To me, autumn always comes as a bit of a trick, something I wasn’t expecting so soon — though I know for others, it’s a treat. But arriving it is, and the sounds of fall will be replacing those of spring and summer: the buzz of katydids and crickets at night, the honking geese heading south, the rustling of leaves under foot, and — … [Read more...] about Nature in the Neighborhood: Leave the leaves this fall
Nature in the Neighborhood: Autumn anxiety
Swampscott Conservancy Fall is officially here! Never mind that the autumnal equinox is weeks away — Starbucks has started serving pumpkin spice lattes and Marshalls is stocking Halloween decorations. Are those not true signs of the change of seasons? If you are like me and suffer from autumn anxiety (yes, it’s a real thing — it must be, I read about it on the … [Read more...] about Nature in the Neighborhood: Autumn anxiety