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Hubbard Fellowship Post – S’Mammals with Jasmine
This is a post written by Jasmine Cutter, one of our 2014-15 Hubbard Fellows. All photos are by Jasmine. Howdy, Prairie Ecologist friends! I remember how much I looked forward to the Fellows’ posts...
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Karen’s Wetland Videos
One of my favorite places within our Platte River Prairies is a restored wetland we usually call “the sandpit wetland” because it is a former sand and gravel mining pit. We restored the site over...
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Hubbard Fellowship Post – Grasshopper Mice
This post was written by Jasmine Cutter, one of our Hubbard Fellows. Jasmine has written earlier about her independent research project looking at small mammals (or s’mammals, as she calls them) in...
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Making Smart Assumptions about Prairie Management
Some people say it’s dangerous to make assumptions. I disagree. In fact, assumptions are both necessary and empowering. Land managers make assumptions all the time. If we didn’t, we’d never get...
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Photo of the Week – December 4, 2014
When I photograph small creatures, I often try to position myself so I can look right into their eyes. I like face-to-face images because they feel very personal. One of the most important catalysts...
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What I Look For When I Walk Through My Prairies
Back in August, I posted some questions to readers about what they look for when evaluating their own prairies. I got some excellent responses, which I really appreciated. If you missed them, you can...
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Contrasting Approaches to Prairie Management: Leopold, Land Health and Cabbages.
“A Land Ethic” is the concluding essay in Aldo Leopold’s 1949 book, A Sand County Almanac, and is the most powerful and relevant piece of conservation writing I’ve ever read. Leopold’s essay spells...
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A Travel Week Plant Quiz
I’m writing this from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where I am preparing to speak at and attend the 2015 Native Prairie Restoration and Reclamation Workshop hosted by Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action...
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Photo of the Week – February 12, 2015
Last week, Jasmine (one of our two Hubbard Fellows) and I spent a morning at the Derr Wetland Restoration here in the Platte River Prairies. We wanted to get some photos and video of the site before...
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Hubbard Fellowship Blog – Plains Pocket Mouse
This post is written by Jasmine Cutter, one of our Hubbard Fellows. She has been studying the way small mammals use our restored and remnant prairies. Remember when I said I was going to highlight...
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Photo of the Week – March 6, 2015
Ok, it’s not a world class photo from an artistic standpoint, but it tells a story. I just wish I knew what the story was… Hot cross buns? Little mounds of snow apparently pushed up by a small mammal...
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Photo of the Week – March 19, 2015
Proof that I’m a biologist: While driving along a gravel road near our shop this week, I stopped and backed up to see if I’d seen a small snake or just a piece of debris in the road… A redbelly snake...
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Photo of the Week – March 26, 2015
Despite snide comments from certain friends, I do – now and then – take photos of subjects other than insects and plants… As I write this, the annual sandhill crane migration phenomenon is taking place...
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Photo of the Week – April 3, 2015
A month ago, we apparently had a large number of white winged visitors hanging around our Derr Wetland Restoration. I only know this because our timelapse cameras picked them up. Snow geese. March 3,...
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Pretty but Powerful
Because they can’t run away, plants may seem helpless against the many large and small herbivores that like to eat them. Nothing could be further from the truth. The plant this caterpillar is chewing...
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Photo of the Week – May 1, 2015
Last year, I moved into a nice old house (100 years old this year) with a big lot and plenty of potential. The kids have been enjoying the yard, the loft above the garage, and some of the new...
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Beaver Crossings
Karen Hamburger, a longtime volunteer with us, recently passed along another batch of trail camera video clips from our Derr Wetland Restoration. You might remember seeing some of her video in an...
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Photo of the Week – May 15, 2015
Killdeer are really cute when they’re young. Killdeer chick at the Helzer family prairie. Have a great weekend.
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Next Platte River Prairies Field Day – June 26, 2015
Hikers enjoying the prairie during one of last year’s Field Days. We’ve finalized the agenda for our next Platte River Prairies Field Day, which will be June 26, 2015. I hope to see many of you there....
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The Prairie Ecologist Goes to the Beach
As I mentioned in my last post, I spent last week on a family vacation near Corpus Christi, Texas. The kids really liked swimming in the ocean, looking for shells, and playing in the sand. I enjoyed...
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