A cold front has moved through and the oppressive humidity has cleared from the air, which made today an absolutely perfect day to take a walk along the trails here …

Trails

The Dragon-Fly, By Alfred Lord Tennyson
A favorite poem of mine by Alfred Lord Tennyson, The Dragon-Fly (1833): Today I saw the dragon-fly Come from the wells where he did lie. An inner impulse rent the …

Tips for a Healthy Habitat
I’m sure you’ve heard the bad news about bees, bats and butterflies. Why not lend a hand by turning your yard into a native niche? The key elements to making …

Spittlebugs
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 …

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 …

It’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 …

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 …

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 …

Trail Mix
The native wildflowers along our trails certainly steal the show this time of year. Coupled with the blooms, there are many sights and sounds to seek out in the Pocket …

Vernal Pool Update #2
In a few weeks our local elementary school is going to have a field day at Tupper Hill. There will be a number of stations for the children to visit …