What’s going on out on the land?
Common Galls of Southern Ontario
I wanted to compile a list of some of the common galls one might encounter here in Guelph, Ontario. I have been spotting a few lately and wanted to build a little database for myself and for others who may encounter them and want to know a little more. The galls are named by the inducer, and what I mean by that is the insect as all galls below induced by insects. I hope to make a series of posts over time.
Poplar Vagabond Gall Aphid
I have been keeping a Question Book for years. It’s the greatest textbook I have ever owned. Each loving volume has been authored in partnership between the land and my own geysering, never-settling, curiosity. There have been many questions answered through research in my own library, the local university library, and online. For as many questions which have been answered, there are pages of unanswered mysteries. This is not for lack of searching, but perhaps the research has not come out yet, or I just don’t know where to look. Luckily today will be an indepth answer as to what the hell I have seen growing on the Poplar trees.
White-tailed Deer consuming Water Hemlock
White-tailed Deer consume a lot of different things. It seems everytime I see some Deer browse, it appears to be a new forb, shrub, or tree which I hadn’t seen a Deer browse before. I wanted to look into the foods which Deer browse more generally, but also focus on a new discovery of Deer browse on the aerial parts of Water Hemlock.
Exploring Water Hemlock
I have had a long curiosity regarding Water Hemlock ever since I had heard of it. Perhaps the most toxic plant on Turtle Island/North America. Of course I would be enamoured! I misidentified it for a couple of years thinking I knew who they were, but it wasn’t until the past four or five years that I began taking a closer look, seeking them out, learning the lore, and reading the sometimes sparse literature on the plant. This post is an effort to collect my thoughts and learning, along with a couple of good photographs.
Considering Chokecherries
In an older blog post I mentioned that I had been watching a specific Chokecherry or the Anishnaabemowin name asasawemin, where I was looking at Eastern Tent Caterpillar egg masses and how the caterpillars had emerged. I ended up taking a closer look at the Chokecherry in the days following as my interest had been piqued.
Chokecherry is a role model. How can we be in good relationship with so many different life forms, transform degraded and barren anthropogenic landscapes in preparation for new life? Yes, there is a note of caution to be had, an awareness of potential hazards, but the overall theme of this shrub appears to be regeneration, repair and creating spaces for life to flourish again.
Death and Taxus?
A very brief exploration into Canada Yew and their deadly effects, especially on domesticated mammals.
Materia Magica for Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)
What is a Materia Magica you ask? I guess it is bit of a cultural history of diverse not-so-physical uses of a plant. You’ve likely heard of a Materia Medica, you know, the notes describing the medicinal uses over time of a specific plant? This is like that, but less mundane. This one is all about Mullein.
Exploring Some Staghorn Sumac Galls
A few years ago my partner and I were leading a walk at a nearby nature reserve when one of the participants looked up at a Staghorn Sumac and asked “what is this?”. I answered, Staghorn Sumac, but they clarified that they didn’t mean the shrub, but instead globular fleshy piece which sort of half dangled from the bottom of the long leaf stalk. As we looked at the soft roundish growth I realized that I had never noticed this before.
Sure, it has taken a few years of passive wonder, but this Summer I finally looked it up.
Common Burdock
A brief consideration of a common plant which often gets no consideration at all. Common Burdock (Arctium lappa or Arctium minus - often considered interchangeably) seems to grow everywhere, and while I have seen it a ton, I have not taken the time to really look and pay attention… until recently, that is.
A Couple Late Winter Wonders
While out trailing some domestic Dogs, Short-tailed Weasel, and Red Fox, I encountered a couple of things that I did not know about and decided to examine. This post is just detailing those things a little more and sharing whatever information I can find so far.
Who’s This Plant?
A few questions about a plant unknown to me from a recent walk. Some of the answers were much harder to source than others. Hopefully more resources can emerge that might help other folks like me who’ve got a ton of questions about all the fun stuff we’re finding.
Violets and the Telling of the Bees
What happens to the world when we stop to watch and listen? What new things do we notice? What old things do we see in new angles and shades or light? What happens to us when we stop to watch and listen? What happens to us when the world stops to watch and listen to us? Can we feel a sense of being heard and understood when we speak with pets, plants, or planet?
Who are you?
I wanted to make a post of some of the assorted lifeforms I have been finding while out on the land. Part of the process of learning the land is to know that we don’t know much. I know those with longer standing relationships, more profound training and mentors may have considerable more knowledge and experience, but we all start somewhere and I’m trying to learn all I can.
Question Book 3 : The Return of Question Book
These are question that come from observations in the field, from discussion with students and colleagues, or just from late night wonderings. I write them out in a physical book so I will not lose them and try to make time later to answer them. On to the questions!
A couple from the Question Book pt. 1
A couple of questions, a couple of answers from the Question Book.
Phenology as tracking through time
You have probably heard of a Phenology journal before, where folks keep track of when specific things happen over a year, or over the course of many years... it’s like tracking… through time.