Dutton Pines State Park Dutton Pines is a beautiful day use recreational area adjacent to the Connecticut River This photo was taken in Dutton Pines State Park in Southern Vermont. This park contains a forest of white pine, red oak, and black oak, among other species. Dutton Pines is a beautiful day use recreational area adjacent to […]
Viscid Violet Cort – iNaturalist This golf ball sized mushroom starts out round and as it grows the cap flattens out This interesting mushroom is hard to miss. There are not a lot of purple colored things in the forest. This golf ball sized mushroom starts out round and as it grows the cap flattens out. Knowing this, […]
Scorpionfly – iNaturalist They have a yellow body with two pairs of black and yellow striped wings This wild insect is called a scorpionfly. These small to medium sized insects are visually distinct. They have a yellow body with two pairs of black and yellow striped wings. They have very long antennae and an elongated head. Scorpionflies get their […]
Pine Sawyer – iNaturalist This beetle is native to the area and is not considered a deforestation threat This is a sawyer beetle, a type of long-horned beetle. There are two species of sawyer beetle in Maine, where this photo was taken. There is the whitespotted sawyer beetle and the Northeastern pine sawyer. Both species are similar looking, […]
Autumn Meadowhawk – iNaturalist Like other dragonflies, autumn meadowhawks prey on flying insects This wild looking dragonfly is called an autumn meadowhawk. These ornate dragonflies are on the small side, measuring up to 1.5 inches long. This species is also referred to as the yellow-legged meadowhawk, because the legs of the adults are yellow. If you look closely, […]
Green Sea Turtle – IUCN Conservation Status: Endangered Green sea turtles are a common sighting in the Florida Keys Green turtles are a common sighting in the Florida Keys. They appear similar to a hawksbill turtle, however there are some identifying features we can look for. The green sea turtle bill is not beak-like. Hawksbills have a […]
Hawksbill – IUCN Conservation Status: Critically Endangered Hawksbills are smaller turtles than similarly looking green turtles This small hawksbill turtle is drifting with the current. Adult hawksbills will grow to about three feet long and weigh around 180 pounds. This little turtle was less than a foot long. We were able to snorkel with it for a short […]
Florida Softshell Turtle – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern They get this name from their cartilaginous carapace This is Virgil the Turtle. Virgil is a Florida softshell turtle that lives near Williston, Florida. Williston is a small town about half an hour south of Gainesville. North Central Florida is known for its fresh water springs, caverns, and caves. Virgil […]
Rio Grande – Big Bend National Park The Rio Grande is almost 1,900 miles long This photo was taken on a canoe trip down the Rio Grande River in Texas. Ben and I were visiting Big Bend National Park. The left side of the river is Mexico and the right side of the river is the United […]
Jordan Pond – Acadia National Park This is the deepest body of water in Acadia reaching depths of 150 feet My favorite place east of the Mississippi River is Acadia National Park. This beautiful national park is located on an island along the northeast coast of Maine. It is not far from the most easterly part of […]