Explore Outdoors ~ before the blueberries...

 About 10 days ago I noticed the buds swelling on the blueberry bushes. You can almost feel the impatience of the white flowers inside waiting to burst forth! 

What small bits of beauty will you discover this week?

Explore Outdoors ~ early buds

                                

A couple weeks ago I went for a hike. Snow was melting, I could hear the tiny stream gurgling with meltwater, and the smell of spring was in the air. Tree buds are already fattening up, preparing for spring. And while most deciduous trees let go of all their leaves in the fall, beech hang on through the winter. I'm wondering if these paper-thin, tattered and faded leaves will still be clinging to the branches when the buds open and new leaves unfurl.
 

Looking up, I noticed buds on the ends of thin twigs on some of the maples. It will be fun to watch how spring emerges, flower by flower, leaf by leaf.

What do your trees look like? Go out and get to know them during this changing season.

Wednesday Explorers Club ~ Project Budburst

Buds are swelling, opening, flowering... providing the first pollen of the year for bees.

One way to get to know the signs of spring in your area is to "adopt" a tree in your back yard. Observe it over the next few weeks and jot notes about what's happening - or draw pictures of what the buds look like.

Some things you'll want to pay attention to include:

• What sort of flowers does it have? 
• When do they open?
• What do the flowers look like close-up?
• How long do they last?
• When do the leaves burst out?

Become  a "citizen scientist" for Project BudBurst and share data with others.

Wednesday Explorer's club ~ Spring comes to the Backyard

This afternoon, at 5:58 pm Eastern Daylight Time, the sun will pass the equator on its journey north. For those of us tired of cold and ice, this is a time of celebration. Soon buds will burst open, the air will fill with the hummmmm of bees and the sweet scent of flowers, and we can put away our thick wool socks and insulated pac-boots.

This is also the night of the Full Worm Moon, as well as the beginning of Holi and Purim. So go on a moon hike, celebrate color, and bake some hamantaschen.

Wednesday Explorers Club ~ spring flowers

gaywings

Early spring is the perfect time to watch the season grow, from bud to bloom. So this week grab a hand-lens or magnifying glass to take a closer look at some buds and "fantastic" flowers growing around you. Some of the things to look at:

• If you're looking at buds, do they grow by themselves or in groups?
• Are the flower buds smooth? hairy? covered with scales?
• On your plants and trees which comes first: flowers or leaves?
• How many petals are in your flower?
• Can you see the parts where pollen is?
• Are there any insects visiting the flowers? 

Remember to draw sketches and jot down notes, including the date and weather.

Wordless Wednesday

what a difference just a couple of days makes!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday