Have you ever been walking through the meadow and come across white, frothy foam on the grass? While it may resemble something rather gross, this is the larvae of an …
Spittlebugs
Open Space
I spent a good part of this week arranging for the Town of Monson to finalize the purchase of 70 acres of land to be used for passive recreation. I …
A Byproduct of Land Conservation
Mr. Norcross had great foresight to conserve land in and around his hometown of Monson, Massachusetts. In his lifetime (1896-1969) land in this area was not being converted from farms …
Norcross Wildlife Foundation NewsIt’s raining frass!
Most of my posts directly relate to something you can experience while visiting our trails. This one, thankfully, is about something that isn’t too prevalent here at Tupper Hill this …
Summer Solistice
Summer officially arrives this weekend! The official solstice takes place on June 21st at 12:38pm. The longest day of the year will last for 15 hours and 16 minutes. Ahhh, …
Beauty or the Beast?
The yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus) is blooming down by the pond. I love yellow in the garden and it nicely complements the blue flag (Iris versicolor) that blooms around …
Witch Hazel, you have a lot of gall!
While walking along our trails this time of year, take a moment to admire the Witch Hazel (Hammamelis virginiana). This woodland shrub is plentiful here and, because it is so …
Rose Garden
Mr. Robert Begg Sr. was the first horticulturist at Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary. He worked for many years for Mr. Norcross, planting gardens, receiving shipments of plants, making sure the Sanctuary …
Ferns for the Garden
Both Mr. Norcross and I share a fondness for ferns. They are beautiful in the garden and some of our species represent little-seen and little-known species. Mr. Norcross collected ferns …
The Phantom of the Pool
Here at the Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary we received over five inches of rain earlier this week which was a miracle for the denizens of our vernal pools. Last week the …