Carolina Nature

01/07/2020

Order yours now to show your pride in the Carolinas' most distinctive plant! They need about 250 more orders in the next month to make this a reality.

https://ncbg.unc.edu/support/venus-flytrap-license-plate/

We’re teaming up with the Friends of Plant Conservation to offer a new North Carolina specialty license plate featuring the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula). Known around the world but only native to a 90-mile inland area around Wilmington, the Venus flytrap is a North Carolina treasure. But habi...

07/11/2019

Great news - looks like our highway wildflower program may actually start using wildflowers!

Native plants WON today at the North Carolina General Assembly! S 606, which requires the Department of Transportation to prioritize native trees, shrubs, and grasses, passed unanimously. Thanks to all our advocates who wrote to their representatives!

10/19/2017

Next week is officially native plants week in NC. Get out and enjoy the beautiful fall wildflowers!

Way to go Governor Cooper! But every week is native plants week around here.

08/23/2017

Total eclipse of the sun 8/21/17 as seen from the Belfast WMA near Cross Hill, SC.

I've seen a partial eclipse before, which was cool, but totalilty is a totally different beast, 100 times more intense on an emotional level. I could see new religions being born from this experience.

08/25/2015

FloraQuest, a new app that looks it should be a fantastic tool for plant ID in the southeastern US region, is out now for iThings. Someday there may be an Android version, but don't hold your breath. http://uncnews.unc.edu/2015/08/21/north-carolina-botanical-garden-at-unc-chapel-hill-launches-new-floraquest-app/

07/14/2014

Today, July 13, I saw my first tiger swallowtail butterfly of the year, much later than normal. Today I saw my first eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly of the year in my pollinator garden in Pittsboro, and it’s mid-July! Last week I saw my first black swallowtail. Earlier in the spring I had a hand…

07/07/2014

Nice article on Alan Weakley's Flora and the new discoveries in NC that are still being made: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/07/06/3985733/10-new-nc-plants-for-the-21st.html

A plant taxonomist’s work is never done. Just ask Alan Weakley, director of the UNC Herbarium, which houses 800,000 dried plant specimens.

05/07/2014

My friend Pick encourages birders to "Come on over to the dark side"... warning - moths can become an obsession!

University of Georgia ecologist John Pickering documents moths drawn to a white wall at the Sandy Creek Nature Center in Athens, Georgia.

02/11/2014

In these cold snowy days, it's good to remember that it won't be too long before butterflies are back! Time to start thinking about planting your butterfly garden. I just posted a photo of Juniper Hairstreak from last July, taken in my garden (8th photo down). http://www.carolinanature.com/butterflies/juniperhairstreak.html

Juniper Hairstreak is fairly common in North Carolina, found wherever their host plant, Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana), grows.

12/03/2013

The nanotechnology in butterfly wings is simply amazing!
http://gizmodo.com/butterfly-wings-look-completely-crazy-under-an-electron-1473951079

Destin over at SmarterEveryDay wanted to take an up-close look at the nanostructure of a butterfly's wing, so he took a few samples to be looked at under a scanning electron microscope. The results are fascinatingly beautiful.

10/18/2013

Help Save the Oconee Bells in North Carolina! The largest known population of North Carolina's endemic Oconee Bells (Shortia galacifolia var. brevistyla) is up for sale. Please help the N.C. Plant Conservation Program by making a donation to help buy the land. They've raised $92,950 of the goal of $250,000 as of 10/8/13. If you love the Oconee Bells, please help by click on this link to donate. http://www.carolinanature.com/trees/shga.html

The largest known population of North Carolina's endemic Oconee Bells (Shortia galacifolia var. brevistyla) is up for sale. Please help the N.C. Plant Conservation Program by making a donation to help buy the land. They've raised $92,950 of the goal of $250,000 as of 10/8/13. If you love the Oconee…

09/20/2013

Bugfest is in downtown Raleigh tomorrow - don't miss it if you like insects and kin! This year's focus is on scorpions... should be pretty cool! http://www.bugfest.org/

Each year over 35,000 visitors come to BugFest to experience over 100 exhibits, crafts, games and activities. We provide the opportunity for you to interact with entomologists and other scientists so you can continue learning about the fascinating world of bugs. We also feature Café Insecta, where t...

09/05/2013

My tomato plants have been disappearing lately... just posted some photos of the culprit: http://www.carolinanature.com/moths/tobaccohornworm.html

The To***co Hornworm would be better called the Tomato Hornworm, since this is most commonly observed munching on garden tomato plants. The caterpillars are incredible eaters and can quickly strip a tomato plant of all its leaves — and it eats young shoots and green tomatoes, too! The adults are cal...

08/13/2013

Yellow Passionflower is more petite than its big purple cousin, but stunning in its own right! Flowering today (8/12/13) in the deep shade along Stadium Drive Trail in Whippoorwill Park, Durham.

08/10/2013

A milestone just now: serving customer number 6 million at carolinanature.com - thanks for visiting and hope y'all are seeing lots of cool butterflies and bugs this summer!

05/28/2013

Here's an interesting project where you can help scientists by transcribing labels of plant or insect specimens: http://www.notesfromnature.org/

04/23/2013

In case 100 of your friends haven't posted this...
Let's make every day Earth Day!

Don't you think it's strange that people feel the need to confine celebrating the earth to one day?

EVERYDAY'S EARTH DAY! :)

04/16/2013

An amusing tale... who else has seen a crawfish burrow in their lawn? They're pretty common, but many don't realize what makes the mud turrets in their lawns. http://www.beautifulwildlifegarden.com/the-case-of-the-burrowing-what.html

So last year, I found this hole in the flowerbed near the house. It could have been anything. Snake, packrat, chipmunk...anything. I did notice a sort of muddy front porch, where the wet yellowish ...