Lightning Bugs on the Decline

I hear a news report about the decline of the monarch butterfly almost every day, but there are other insects in decline as well. One that is a favorite of all ages is the lightning bug, which some folks also call a firefly.

As a kid I remember catching lightning bugs on warm, summer nights. We put them in empty canning jars or pickle jars, poked holes in the lids, and watched the bugs glow in our new natural lantern. Although I hate to admit it, I also sometimes ripped off the abdomen of the bug to make a glowing ring on my finger.

Source:   Whitney Cranshaw,
Colorado State University
Bugwood.org

Lightning bugs flash light to attract the opposite sex using a chemical called luciferase. There are over 136 species of lightning bugs, each with a distinctive rate of flashes per second. Male lightning bugs flash patterns of light to females who then signal in response from perches in or near the ground. When the male sees the female's flash he continues to signal and moves closer until they finally find each other and mate.

Lightning bugs are actually a type of beetle that is very beneficial in our ecosystem. The larvae stage of this beetle is a specialized predator that feeds on other insect larvae, earthworms, snails, and slugs. The tiny larval stage is dark gray with three pairs of legs and tiny spots on their underside that sometimes softly glow.  Some adult lightning bug species are also predators, and other species don’t eat at all in the adult stage. 

Large swarms of lightning bugs are a less frequent occurrence in many areas. I can remember a midnight float down the Illinois River a few years ago when the river bank was alive with millions of flashing fireflies. This summer I saw lightning bugs, but not in large numbers. They are most prevalent away from city lights and in more open areas of vegetation.

According to www.firefly.org firefly populations are dwindling all over the country, and the world. Researchers are not sure exactly what is causing the firefly decline, although most researchers think that habitat loss and light pollution from urban development are to blame.

Most fireflies need undisturbed natural areas to survive. They overwinter as larvae buried in the soil and hide during the day under bark or stones or in decaying vegetation.  Mud is needed for the pupal stage. Human light pollution is believed to interrupt firefly flash patterns and thus their mating rituals.

If you want to help researchers learn more about this insect, consider participating in a fun citizen scientist project called Firefly Watch. You simply watch fireflies in your own backyard or favorite outdoor location and record those observations online at https://legacy.mos.org/fireflywatch.

The next time you see one of these magical insects, think about how they are more than just funny flashers. They benefit our ecosystem and are also beneficial to humans. Their luciferase has been genetically engineered as an enzyme that helps screen for human tumors, test for blood problems, and detect infections faster. Wow!

Originally Published in Canton Daily Ledger Column on 9-12-2015

Green Roofs Becoming More Popular

Recently (June 2014) I toured the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s green roof on their administration building at the State Fairgrounds in Springfield. It is an impressive sea of green sedum growing atop a structure of concrete and steel. 

Green roofs are becoming an important part of sustainable urban development. These living roofs provide many benefits, including reducing surface temperature, absorbing rainfall to reduce runoff, and even reducing indoor sound.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture’s green roof was installed in 2010. Here are some statistics they provided about the roof during our tour. 

• It is 28,800 square feet (2/3 of a football field) and covers about 20 percent of building’s roof.
• It weighs 28 pound per square foot when fully wet. 
• It absorbs 480,000 gallons of rainwater annually (equal to 1 ½ football fields one foot deep with water). 
• The roof contains 15 different species of sedum, a drought tolerant groundcover that grows 1/4 to six inches tall.
• Plants grow in four inches of soil in trays installed over a watertight membrane layer.

This is the second green roof I’ve toured in recent years. The National Great Rivers Research & Education Center in Alton, IL is an impressive example of construction using green technologies in accordance with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standards. In addition to its many other impressive features, the buildings green living roof collects and stores 100% of all storm water. This roof is comprised of 12 inches of growing media and native prairie grass.

Roof gardens are not for everyone or for every roof. According to the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center at the University of Illinois (www.sedac.org), the first question to ask when considering a green roof is if the roof can accommodate the additional weight. The roof may be designed to hold a heavy snow load, but not a water logged garden.

A factsheet by SEDAC indicates that although green roofs have many benefits, they have long investment payback periods. In other words, it takes a long time to recoup the additional costs of installing this type of roof.

My house will likely need a new roof in the next few years, but I doubt a green roof will work for us. Although I love the idea and energy efficiency it brings, it will not work on my sloped roof.

Originally Published in Canton Daily Ledger Column on 7-26-2014

Hummingbirds

Last Saturday’s (3-30-2002) Gardeners’ Big Day was a great success. The day included great speakers, vendors, lunch, and good conversation among participants. Although all speakers and topics were great, everyone was talking about the hummingbird presentation.

Lois White from Smithfield presented an informative and energetic presentation on attracting hummingbirds to your yard. Lois is a dynamic person with an obvious love of hummingbirds. On Lois’s biography she writes that she has a lifelong interest in these stunning tiny birds. She has had a miniature refuge in her yard for 15 years with up to 25 feeders. Lois has a great love, admiration, and respect for our world’s tiniest birds. Some birds nest in her yard and large numbers stop over a few days on their migration both spring and fall.

Lois provided many helpful hints on how to properly feed and care for hummingbirds. An important area of emphasis was proper feeder care. This is critical. If you want to feed hummingbirds, you must be committed. This includes daily commitment to the feeder’s care or else birds will leave or be killed.

Lois uses a homemade 1:4 mixture: 1 cup sugar to 4 cups water. Bring the water to a rolling boil, add sugar and stir with wooden spoon. Cool and serve. It can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator.

Never use honey, sugar substitute, or premixes when making your nectar mix. Research says that honey will attract bees as well as a black fungus that will cause a fatal liver and tongue disease in hummingbirds. Also, the use of red food coloring in your solution is both unnecessary and unhealthy for the birds, especially when your feeder already has the appropriate red plastic blossom.

Hummingbird feeders require routine cleaning every 2 to 3 days, especially in warm weather. Check feeders daily to be sure there are no ants, mold, or off-odor solution present. Feeders made of plastic, glass, or ceramic should be washed with a vinegar solution. Use a bottlebrush to clean hardened debris on feeders, and rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Lois attracts her hummingbirds mainly with feeders. You can also attract them with flowers. There is a long list of flowers that are attractive to hummingbirds. Some annuals that you might have success with include geraniums, verbena, dianthus, vinca, morning glories, salvia, and smaller-flowered petunias. They like red colors and fragrant blooms. However, popular flowers for hummingbirds in my yard are sage, fuschia, and impatiens.

Thanks Lois for your great presentation. Hopefully those in attendance will not only attract hummingbirds to their yards, but also do it safely and properly.

Originally Published in Canton Daily Ledger on 3-30-2002

Landscape Waste…Trash or Treasure?

We have all heard that one person’s trash is another’s treasure. That is especially true when it comes to composting garden and yard waste. In fact, many people call finished compost “black gold”.

Composting is the ancient art of mixing by-products from your yard with water, air, and time. What better way to dispose of leaves in the fall, grass clippings throughout the summer, and kitchen vegetable scraps than to turn them into compost?

Composting is a biological process in which microscopic organisms break organic waste into a dark, rich, and crumbly substance called humus. Like other critters, these microscopic organisms need a proper diet made up of a balance of green and brown materials.

Green material might include grass clippings, pulled weeds, vegetable garden waste, rotten fruits, and more. Brown material is often leaves in the fall but can also include dead flowers, shredded newspaper and other dried up plant material.

Basically, composting is like making lasagna. By-products from your yard are layered, alternating green and brown materials. A ratio of 1-part green material to 2-parts brown is a good start. In the beginning, you might also include bare soil or animal manure, which contains microorganisms that get the pile working.

When you are done, water the pile and wait. A properly functioning pile will heat up in the center. Once the pile starts “cooking,” it will break down faster if you turn it regularly with a pitchfork or rototiller. I sometimes leave a small tiller by my compost pile, so it is easy to turn.

Locate your compost pile in an accessible, but inconspicuous area. The average homeowner compost pile size is 3 feet by 3 feet. A compost pile can be as simple as piling materials in a corner of your yard. My compost area includes three bins constructed with discarded pallets from a local store. This allows me to have three stages of compost at once.

For a different twist on composting, try vermiculture. Also called worm composting, vermiculture uses small red worms to compost kitchen waste. I have a small tub of worms in my basement making “black gold.”

For more information on composting for the homeowner go to web.extension.illinois.edu/homecompost.

Originally Published in Canton Daily Ledger on 10-12-2002, 7-23-2005, and 3-3-2012

Birding Equipment…How to Use Binoculars

University of Illinois
Master Naturalist Training

We are enjoying watching the birds at our backyard feeders in the winter. They add action and color to an otherwise static winter scene. 

Bird watching is a popular hobby in America. According to a 2016 US Fish and Wildlife Service survey, more than 45 million people watch birds around their homes and away from home. If you aren’t already, you too can be a birder. All you need is the will and some basic equipment. 

Most people use binoculars to bird. The most common ones that I see are 7 x 35. The first number signifies magnification, and the second number gives the size of the lens in millimeters. A bigger ratio of magnification to lens size gives a sharper image. Therefore an 8 x 42 is sharper than an 8 x 32; however, the 8 x 42 is larger and bulkier to carry.

Regardless of the type of binoculars you have, you need to know how to use them. Binoculars need to be calibrated for each user, using the single adjustable eyepiece knob. Everyone’s eyes are different, so they must be calibrated for your eyes. Once you know your number, it will never change. For my binoculars, I use the 2+ setting, while my husband’s setting is different.

Adjust the binoculars to fit your eye width using the center hinge. If you wear glasses, roll the rubber edge down or twist each eyepiece all the way inward. Those without glasses need that extra space left alone. Finally, rotate the center wheel to focus both eyes on the subject in view.

If you are serious about birding, you might also consider getting a spotting scope. Spotting scopes work from a farther distance away and often require a tripod for stability. Scopes magnify a subject 20x to 80x, compared to the 7x or 8x on most binoculars.

Illinois Audubon outing with scopes

Birders typically carry a notebook to record their findings. Some also use their smartphone or tablet to play bird calls and look up identification characteristics.

One of my favorite birding websites is the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at www.birds.cornell.edu. There you’ll find directions on calibrating your binoculars and downloadable birding checklists for your location. Start building your bird life list today.

Birding from the comfort of your home is a fun winter activity. In 2018 I produced a YouTube video on Bird Feed Types and Tips. I talk about how adding variety to your bird feeders attracts a wider variety of birds. Learn about types of seed and feeders that you can use in your yard.

Originally Published in Canton Daily Ledger on 2-2-2013 and 1-20-2018

Light Pollution Mars a Starry Night

During our recent trip to Miami to visit our son and daughter-in-law, my husband and I visited the traveling Van Gogh exhibit. It was amazing! Particularly moving was the 360 degree immersion that put us within his paintings where we watched a progression through various paintings and quotes. I also liked the changing flowerpot and his many painted versions of sunflowers. But, it is his starry night paintings that are most popular and meaningful. They reminded me about the following article I wrote in 2012 about light pollution. 

Light Pollution

Ferree Pool at night

Some of my most memorable life moments happen at night when looking at a starry sky. For me those moments happen on camping trips, while boating down the Illinois River, and when I canoed the Canadian boundary waters. They also occur regularly in my own backyard while swimming at night or sitting in one of my favorite gardens. Especially breathtaking and memorable, are the winter skies that I’ve seen from our outdoor hot tub. Fortunately for me, my home is in the country away from any city lights and the light pollution they emit.

What is light pollution? According to the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), light pollution is defined as “excessive and inappropriate artificial light.” They categorize light pollution into four types. Urban sky glow brightens the night sky over inhabited areas. Light trespass puts light where it is not intended, wanted, or needed. Glare causes excessive brightness which causes visual discomfort. And, clutter refers to bright, confusing, and excessive groupings of light sources. 

Why is light pollution a problem? Most people recognize that they can see more stars in a dark country location than they do in town. Bright night lights are also said to impact wildlife behavior and plant growth. Research done at Purdue University and University of New Orleans found that light pollution directly affects plants’ growth cycles and indirectly affects trees by interfering with the lifecycles of their pollinators.  

What can YOU do to reduce light pollution? The IDA recommends using a strategy that saves money while also reducing the impact of artificial light at night. Shield your outdoor lighting and only use it when needed. Use timers and dimmers and shut off lights when you can. Use only enough light to get the job done. 

I have been interested in outdoor lighting for several years. Last year (2011) my husband Mark and I installed a new wired outdoor lighting system to safely light the main paths in our outdoor rooms with soft, indirect, beautiful light. All of our lights are on timers, including brighter lights at the main entrance to our home. We prefer the more dependable and softer light of a wired system over solar lights.

When entertaining in the summer, we add light with tiki torches and lanterns. In the winter, we add subtle, stringed lights near the high use outdoor areas such as the hot tub and covered gazebo. And, when we want to view the stars while soaking, we turn off the tub lights or use the less harsh red ones. 

I invite you to go outdoors and marvel at a twinkling starry sky. You might find that you agree with Vincent Van Gogh who said this about his famous Starry Night painting, “I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day.”

Originally Published in the Canton Daily Ledger Column, 11-24-2012

Michigan Moto 2021...Hiking Michigan Forests

I accompanied my husband Mark and two friends (Larry and Justin) on their dirt bike riding trip to Michigan. While they rode motorcycles and quads, I hiked the beautiful Michigan forests. 

The first day (June 11, 2021) we arrived at Sleepers Heaven cabin near Petoskey, MI in the afternoon. We stayed in the green cabin, which is set up for hunters, motorcyclists, and snowmobilers. The cabin is near the Tomahawk moto trails and they could ride to the trails from the cabin. 

Corn Cockle

Herb Robert geranium

The first day I checked out the woods around the cabin. There I saw several plants I've never encountered before, including Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) and Hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana). I also found columbine, foamflower, and more (see below for list and pictures). 

The next morning I ventured to McCune Nature Preserve to hike. Such a peaceful, pristine, natural area. I entered a pine-maple forest dense with many ferns. A bird chirped loudly next to me and a chipmunk froze near a fallen log when it saw me. There are also American beech and yellow birch trees here. The sugar maples are so large, they have shaggy bark. A storm must have came through here as I can see its path of destruction. 

I sit on a bench along the slow moving sandy bottom, clear stream where forget-me-nots and buttercup grow. Only a few people pass by, and in between I hear a chickadee call "see saw," watch a butterfly, and hear the wind softly whisper in the trees. Listen harder, and I can hear more birds filling the air surrounding me. Next to me a large fallen tree has ferns and fungi growing on its fallen buttress  forced from the ground by past tremendous power. Yet, the dainty ferns, fungi, grasses, moss, sedge, and false mayflower gently feed off the dying tree - pulling its energy and life force to start the cycle anew. 

After a couple hours of hiking I take another break on another uniquely carved bench along a stream. There is so much to see here - new plants, as well as old favorites. I found a lady slipper, though the bloom was dried. Wild onion and strawberry look good enough to eat. I walk along scotch and white pine; balsam fir; red, striped, and sugar maple; and hazelnut.

There is a bog area with a zigzag boardwalk through it. I carefully skirted around a water snake along the edge. Water plants bloom in the distance. There are different ferns in here: sensitive, broad beech, and possibly marsh fern. I also saw a bluebeard lily, galium, and wild sarsaparilla. 

One area was dark under the cover of the sugar and red maple trees. Underneath tall, 3-5 foot oak ferns blanketed the ground. I half expected a dinosaur to come around a distant tree n the prehistoric  feeling forest. 

I am absorbed into this place - one with the plants and nature around me. As the bench I sit on says, "It's OK...No Worries." 

I hiked 4.3 miles for 2 1/2 hours. Here are some of the plants and pictures from McCune Nature Preserve. 

columbine

Cabin Area Plants

1. Corn cockle (Agrostemma githago)
2. Hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana)
3. Wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
   
4. Oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum)
5. Alternate leaved dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)
6. Blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis)
7. Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)
8. Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)

 Tiarella

McCune Nature Center Plants

1. Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) 
2. Red maple (Acer rubrum)
3. striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum)
4. red pine (Pinus resinosa)
5. scotch pine (P. sylvestris)
6. white pine (P. strobus)
7. eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
8. American beech (Fagus grandiflora)
9. yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis)
10. False Mayflower (Maianthemum trifolium)
11. wild onion (Alliums sp.)
12. wild strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
13. balsam fir (Abies balsamea)
    

14. 

    Lady's Slipper Orchid

    American Hazelnut (Corylus americana)
15. sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis)
16. broad beech fern (Phegopteris hexagonoptera)
17. marsh Fern (Thelypteris palustris)
18. oak fern (Gymnocarpium dryopteris)
19. lady’s slipper orchid 
20. blue bead lily (Clintonia borealis)
21. twinberry (Lonicera utaliensis)
22. Galium sp.
23. wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis)
24. Rare club moss (Lycopodium abscurum)
25. false Solomon seal 
26. Amelanchier sp. 
27. Pin Cherry (Prunus serotina)
28. forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides)
29. marsh marigold (Carthage palustris)

    

    Bluebead lily

30. Yellow water buttercup (Ranunculus flabellaris)
31. Indian cucumber root (Medeola virginiana)
32. Spring cress (Cardamine bulbosa) 
33. golden ragwort (Senecio robbinsii)
34. COMMON SPEEDWELL (Veronica officinalis)
35. Nodding trillium (Trillium cernuum)

False mayflower

Oak Fern along path

Sensitive Fern