Nature Moments

Nathaniel T. Wheelwright

  • Season
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Fall
  • Month
    • January
    • February
    • March
    • April
    • May
    • June
    • July
    • August
    • September
    • October
    • November
    • December
  • Plants
  • Animals
    • Amphibians & Reptiles
    • Birds
    • Insects
    • Invertebrates
    • Mammals
  • Fungi

The Buzz About Bees

September 11, 2018


Bumblebees have tiny brains but extraordinarily sophisticated behavior. If you follow a bee as it forages for pollen and nectar, you’re likely to find that it specializes on only one type of flower. In this latest Nature Moments video, ecologist Patty Jones explains that bees’ choices are influenced by plant chemicals and the behavior of other bees.

Filed Under: Summer Tagged With: August, Insects, July, June, Plants

Stripes Between Tides

August 23, 2018

In animals, stripes serve to provide camouflage or warn predators. At the scale of landscapes, stripes reveal differences among plants in animals in their ability to deal with difficult environments, predation, or competition for space, as marine biologist Amy Johnson explains. Look for stripes the next time you climb a mountain or visit the beach.

 

Filed Under: Summer Tagged With: August, Invertebrates, July, June, Plants, Summer

The Songs of Trees

August 7, 2018

If you close your eyes on a breezy day, you can identify trees just by the rustle of their leaves. Are they singing to each other? For David G. Haskell, ecologist and author of The Songs of Trees, listening closely to the distinctive voices in a forest “can ignite our curiosity and get our minds into the lives of trees.”

Filed Under: Summer Tagged With: August, July, June, October, Plants, September

Getting to Know Bug Spit

July 30, 2018

You never know what you’re going to find inside a gob of spit in a meadow. If you’re lucky, it might be a young spittlebug. The “spit,” which is left over from feeding on plant sap, protects these harmless insects from predators and parasitic wasps.

 

Filed Under: Summer Tagged With: August, Insects, July, June, Meadow, Nature, Nature Moments, Spittlebug

Climate Change: Trust But Verify

July 6, 2018

Is climate change just a hoax? It’s not … but why not follow Ronald Reagan’s advice and “trust but verify” by looking for evidence — pro or con — in your own backyard? If you pay attention to animals, plants and weather, you may discover that your neighborhood really is getting warmer.

Filed Under: Summer Tagged With: Animals, April, August, Climate Change, December, February, January, July, June, March, May, Nature Moments, November, October, Plants, September

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • Next Page »

Seasons

  • Fall (13)
  • Spring (12)
  • Summer (20)
  • Winter (17)

Tags

Amphibians & Reptiles Animals April August Birds Bumblebee Climate Change December Environment February Flora Flowers Fungi Illustrations Insects Invertebrates Iris Irises January July June Ladyslippers Mammals March May Meadow Naturalist Nature Nature Moments November October Outdoors Plants September Spittlebug Summer Turtles

Acknowledgements

Subscribe to Website Updates via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this website and receive notifications of new posts by email.

  • Season
  • Month
  • Plants
  • Animals
  • Fungi

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2023 · research.bowdoin.edu