BURLINGTON – With our recent rainy weather and storms, I am not surprised that we diagnosed late blight (Phytophthora infestans) in the University of Vermont Plant Diagnostic Clinic in late August. So far, it has been found in a garden and a high tunnel only on tomatoes although this aggressive[Read More…]
Columns
New England American-Asters are Stars of Late Summer
FINGER LAKES REGION, N.Y. – Before the trees put on their colorful autumnal cloaks, the newly rewilded fields at my home turn to gold and purple. New England American-aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) begins blooming in August or September and continues to splash the meadows with deep purple color well into October,[Read More…]
How Water Striders Manage Raindrops
DUXBURY – Water striders are a common sight on ponds, vernal pools, and puddles. During clear summer days, these insects seem to walk on water, a feat they accomplish through a combination of long legs that distribute their weight across the water’s surface and micro hairs that make these invertebrates[Read More…]
Another Weekend of Unsettled Weather Coming
HARDWICK – Happy meteorological autumn! Yesterday was an excellent reminder of the change of seasons in progress, with several valley hollows reporting Tuesday morning low temperatures in the upper 30s. No widespread frost was observed, also mitigated somewhat by patchy dense fog. However, locations like Plainfield reported a low temperature[Read More…]
A Nation of Scaredy-cats
EAST MONTPELIER – Reading and listening to the news as I do, and remembering my classes in American History (the best of which was taught by a delightful Englishman who still wore his Oxford varsity crew sweater), I can’t help but wonder if the United States is a nation of[Read More…]
Seeing Red: Wolf’s Milk-slime and Red-backed Salamanders
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION – While some outdoorsy Vermonters spend their summer leisure time fishing, boating, or gardening, others find enjoyment spotting decomposing logs along wooded trails. On a sunny June day, the Vermont Center for Ecostudies summer interns took a hike on Mount Cardigan and excitedly herped all the way to the[Read More…]
The Eye-Opening Realm of Avian Sleep
READING – Birds exist in a fluid and unpredictable world. Survival depends on remaining constantly alert, adapting and responding to encounters with predators and environmental conditions that change with the seasons, weather, and geography. But sleep is also essential, providing rest, rejuvenation, and healing. Normally, day-active (diurnal) animals sleep at[Read More…]
Tarping, Solarization and Occultation
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – For those looking for a low-labor, chemical-free method to help eradicate weeds and soil-residing pests in the garden, the answer may be solarization and occultation, often referred to as tarping. Tarping covers the soil with plastic, clear or opaque, depending on the method used. Solarization utilizes[Read More…]
How Atkins Field Came to Be
HARDWICK – In June of 1888, the editor of the St. Johnsbury Caledonian wrote and published an article about the emerging granite industry in Hardwick which claimed that “granite has been mined in Hardwick as long ago as when the old stage coach used to run from Warner’s tavern on[Read More…]
Showers with Seasonal Temperatures
HARDWICK – Cooler and seasonal temperatures are becoming more frequent as we approach September, which is the beginning of meteorological fall. Our showers have become more scattered and we are frequently seeing temperatures drop into the upper 40s at night, with some scattered locations in the low-to-mid 40s. Rainfall amounts[Read More…]
I Begged to Differ
EAST MONTPELIER – I once had a friend (now long gone to his reward) who seemed to take offense at the tag line I used in my radio commentaries. When I started out in radio, I was searching for a consistent way to end my weekly few minutes. “Why don’t[Read More…]
