Notes from the Field
Interesting Nature Facts #105 – Chicken of the Woods
The sulphur shelf mushroom is an edible fungus that grows on trees in the forests of the Pacific Northwest, and tastes nearly identical to fried chicken. That explains its common name, the "chicken of the woods"! MORE PHOTOS OF MUSHROOMS MORE INTERESTING NATURE FACTS...
Interesting Nature Facts #104 – Mushrooms
Over 80 percent of all terrestrial plants have a mycorrhizal relationship with mushrooms. The roots of the plants have a symbiotic relationship with the underground mycelium. Mycelium nourishes the plant’s roots, and in turn, the plant transfers nutrients to the...
Interesting Nature Facts #103 – Native Orchids
Roughly 10 percent of all plant species are orchids, making them the largest plant family on Earth. MORE PHOTOS OF ORCHIDS MORE INTERESTING NATURE FACTS Interesting Nature Facts is a series about the flora, fauna and places that make North America so amazing. Posts...
Interesting Nature Facts #102 – Warblers
You can find 50 species of warblers in North America. Most warblers are specialized to eat insects. They migrate to the tropics for winter. A few, like the yellow-rumped warbler, can shift their diets to berries during winter in the United States. MORE PHOTOS OF BIRDS...
Interesting Nature Facts #101 – Sunflowers
Sunflowers! Welcome to the next installment of a new series of nature photos that will be short & sweet, and all about the native and naturalized wildlife that is all around us with just one or two interesting nature facts that you might not know about. If you...
Interesting Nature Facts #100 – American Crocodile
American Crocodile! Welcome to the next installment of a new series of nature photos that will be short & sweet, and all about the native and naturalized wildlife that is all around us with just one or two interesting nature facts that you might not know about. If...
Interesting Nature Facts #99 – Butterworts
Butterworts! Welcome to the next installment of a new series of nature photos that will be short & sweet, and all about the native and naturalized wildlife that is all around us with just one or two interesting nature facts that you might not know about. If you...
Interesting Nature Facts #98 – Carnivorous Plants
The 600 or so carnivorous species on the planet today thrive in places where other plants struggle, including bogs and heaths. The adaptation of trapping and digesting prey has arisen at least nine times in different plant families in response to soil lacking the...
Interesting Nature Facts #97 – Pitcher Plants
Pitcher plants are shaped like a pitcher or narrow champagne glass. The top and inside of the pitcher is covered with a slippery, but sweet-smelling nectar. When insects come to take a sip, they slip and fall into the pitcher which is typically filled with water and...
Interesting Nature Facts #96 – Sundews
Often described as "living flypaper", the sundew has tentacle-like leaves which are covered in sticky, glandular hairs. The plant’s tacky secretion gives off a sweet scent, which attracts insects. Once an insect is stuck to its leaf, the sundew will curl inwards to...
Interesting Nature Facts #95 – Bladderworts
Mostly found living in lakes and rivers, the carnivorous bladderwort has a floating stem with tiny sack-like traps growing along it. These traps, or ‘bladders’, have clever door-like valves that open and shut within thousandths of a second when triggered. The...
Interesting Nature Facts #94 – Butterworts
Butterworts have flat, sticky leaves that function like a cross between flypaper and a stomach. When insects land on a butterwort’s leaves, they get stuck in goo that’s excreted by sticky glands. The plant releases digestive enzymes and absorbs those tasty bug...