Our second annual nature writing contest, 100 Wild Words, challenged kids to connect with nature in their community and capture the experience in 100 words or less. Winners were announced at a literary reading last month hosted at Margaret R. Grundy Library in Bristol, at a gathering that celebrated local connections to nature and the […]
When hiking in the woods in winter, it is easier to see details one might overlook during the warmer months. In the absence of leaves and flowers, things like the textures of bark, the beauty of different shades of brown, and the shapes of rocks stand out more boldly. One such star of the bleak […]
The Honorable William Hart Rufe III, known affectionately to friends and family as Hart, passed away at the age of 92 in Ft. Pierce, FL, on January 14, 2025, due to natural causes. Born on September 6,1932, in Sellersville, PA to parents William Harold and Frances Appenzeller Rufe, Hart was the oldest of four children, […]
Despite climate change, things still get pretty frigid here in the northeast. You can see it in aquatic environments, where surface waters fall still, momentarily becoming sheets of ice. Small ponds transform into arenas for ice hockey, and lakes and reservoirs offer ice fishing opportunities for men much braver than I. Even stretches of rivers […]
Winter is the perfect time to cozy up and learn more about nature. Whether you are looking for gift ideas for the nature lover in your life, a downtime-friendly book for this winter, or have a specific nature-related research question, you’ll want to read this list of book recommendations from our Heritage Conservancy staff! These […]
Warblers are a celebrated group of birds, and for good reason. They’re beautiful, they’re very diverse, and they’re temporary – warblers are among the many types of birds that only hang around temperate regions for short periods of time. Here in the northeast, warblers show up in spring, around the same time that insects become […]
These swamp rose mallows were photographed in bloom at Heritage Conservancy’s Aldie Mansion. Whether you are starting a new garden, expanding an existing one, or filling in a bald spot, many gardeners find themselves in need of beautiful plants that will fill a large area quickly. When selecting aggressive, fast-growing plants, going native is crucial. […]
Aldie Mansion, Heritage Conservancy’s headquarters, bathed in autumn leaves. Some of us welcome the fall season with open arms, while others dread the onset of shorter days and frigid weather. However, I believe that both camps can appreciate just how beautiful our landscapes become each autumn. A seemingly uniform blanket of green transforms into a […]
Appreciating the Familiar In the spring of 2019, I studied abroad in Madagascar, an island where people live with some of the world’s most unique species. One of those incredible animals is the Panther Chameleon. This chameleon is endemic to northern/northeastern Madagascar and they absolutely thrive there. Seeing one of these large reptiles in the […]
Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus). Moths are one of the many forgotten but ever-important insect groups that we have. Their more apparent and charismatic kin, the butterflies, seem to garner somewhat lopsided attention and appreciation, as do bees, ladybugs, lightning bugs, and praying mantises. Many of our moths aren’t particularly eye-catching, and most are active at […]