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Chemical Warfare
After the First World War, when chemical weapons were used for the first time on a large scale, humans by and large decided such things were an abomination. But, as is our way, we finessed moral revulsion and never actually stopped manufacturing them, or using them (Zyclon-B, Agent Orange, sarin, etc.). Yet, considering the opportunities…
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Whose Botanic Garden?
The NY State Legislature reserved 39 acres for a botanical garden in Brooklyn in 1897, on land that had originally been part of the proposed site of Prospect Park. The triangle northwest of Flatbush Avenue became instead Institute Park, home to the Brooklyn Museum, Mount Prospect Park, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The Botanic Garden…
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Ant, Wing
An ant wrestles with a lepidoptera wing. An aerodynamic challenge.
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Duckweed
Duckweeds, considered the smallest flowering plants, are in the Lemnoideae family and are currently coating our ponds. I think this is Common Duckweed, aka Lesser Duckweed (Lemna minor). The tiny floating leaves make good landing pads for all sorts of tiny creatures, just one aspect of this aquatic plant’s part in the freshwater web. A…
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Mollusks
Some of the highlights of our gastropod crawl in Central Park on Monday and Tuesday: Helisoma trivolvis, called the Ramshorn or Three-whorled Rams Horn, a fresh-water species fished out of the Meer. This specimen, the only one found, was 1/2″ or 14mm long.The ground was quite dry, so we knew that land snails would be…
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Backyard and Beyond 