By Nellie Brown At this time of year, as the trees are leafing out, insects that feed on them are showing up as well. One of these is the eastern tent caterpillar (Malacosoma americanum). The adult moth is rarely seen, but the larval caterpillars create webs in the limb crotches of…
PROGRAM Sue and Andy Leahy’s suburban native yard, which includes two water features, has attracted abundant wildlife. On May 7, it also attracted 53 Wild Ones members and guests. The Leahy’s landscaping adventure started five years ago with a butterfly garden that immediately attracted butterflies. Sue quickly learned that the…
By Nellie Brown One of the comments on my earlier post about possible effects of our recent winter on Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) stated: “A recent study in Minnesota exposed emerald ash borer larvae to extremely cold temperatures, and they died. However, the larvae in this experiment were exposed to…
By Kathy Bildner This female Monarch was very busy jumping from unopened flower to flower. I thought she was looking for nectar but was not succeeding so moved on quickly. Looking closer, I saw the eggs. I have never seen them put the eggs on a flower. Usually it is…
By Betty Struckhoff If you enjoy the informal learning opportunities of Wild Ones meetings, you will probably like the Naturescaping Open House sponsored by St. Louis Audubon’s Bring Conservation Home program. There will be knowledgeable volunteers throughout the half-acre native yard of Susan and Kei Pang in Richmond Heights. One…
By Betty Struckhoff The St. Louis area has incredible resources for native landscapers. A new addition promises to help all of us enhance our landscapes, attract wildlife, support the ecosystem and improve the water quality in our streams. ShowMeRainGardens contains tips and interactive tools to help you plan, design and…
By Peggy Whetzel and Fran Glass Kids were excited to spot the stuffed barred owl that served as an ambassador to the booth shared by Wild Ones and the St. Louis Audubon Society at the 2014 St. Louis Earth Day Festival in Forest Park on April 27. With visions of…
According to a recent press release from Mayor Francis Slay’s office, the City of St. Louis, as part of a national campaign to save the threatened monarch butterfly, is spearheading an initiative to help grow the monarch population. How? Plant milkweed. Monarch butterflies only lay their eggs on milkweed, and the caterpillars…
PROGRAM Twenty-six Wild Ones members and seven guests attended the April yard tour and meeting at Marsha Gebhardt’s Ferguson residence. Marsha has new plantings in the front yard, designed and installed last fall by Simon and Monica Barker. Simon attended our meeting to talk about the project and answer questions….
By Margy Terpstra Wednesday, April 30, 2014, was a raw day, overcast and barely 55 degrees. The dawn chorus, however, was loud and clear. So, I was at my camera. Suddenly, a stunning bird with a bright yellow head and blue wings landed in a small American elm in our…
