Fall is here. One of the first "snowbirds" to arrive is the belted kingfisher. A sturdy and stocky bird, belted kingfishers most often are spotted perching near estuaries, streams, ponds, rivers, or lakes. They plunge from their perch to catch…
exploreorca
9-29-2019 ORCA Walk
Our first fall walk at ORCA was on the morning of 9-29-2019 with Susan Warmer, Pat Cramer, Dotty Workman, Dotty Noble, Lori Greene, Terry Greene, Pat Bowman, George Cooper, and Dorene McLeod participating. We hiked to the Observation Tower and…
Weeds of Wed.: Check out in your Shrubs
In the picture above carrotwood (Cupaniopsis anacardioides) grows from inside a very thick variegated arbicola (Schefflera arboricola 'Trinette') hedge, demonstrating its invasiveness. This plant continues to "volunteer" at the Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area and other natural areas, even though it…
Beware of Saw Palmetto Berry Poaching
Poachers pilfer saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) berries from natural areas in the fall. Berries begin to ripen in August. Evidence of such theft in 2014 at the south Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area is shown above. One saw palmetto can produce…
