Archive for December, 2013
Perry’s Stony Sleep
Perry the Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanum) has decided to bypass making seeds this time, and has gone dormant. The dead but still-standing inflorescence had toppled as of Monday this week, and today Nate and I pulled out and mounted the new Perry mummy to dry. We suspended it on a ring stand for the still-wet […]
Where did all the Sparrows come from?
The House Sparrow (passer domesticus) originated in the Middle East. These little birds managed to make their throughout Eurasia and into Northern Africa. It was introduced to North American in 1851 in Brooklyn, New York and quickly spread like wildfire. Because of the sparrow’s adaptions to living in urban areas and around people, it has […]
Lingering Leaves
One of the best parts of fall is the changing colors of the leaves. Once the days become shorter and colder, the chlorophyll that gives the leaves their green color breaks down and leaves the bright and vibrant colors behind that make autumn so beautiful. In order to survive the winter and save energy, the […]