inaturalist
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Volunteer: Broadpod Whitlowgrass
Broadpod Whitlowgrass (Tomostima platycarpa) is a volunteer here and will be invited to stay. It’s a member of the mustard family, native to Texas and a few other states. Most of the time, the scientific name for plants is the most reliable way to tell exactly what you’re dealing with. The same plant often has Continue reading
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Science Is Happening Here
My education was in the biological/medical sciences, and even though I have long been out of the profession, that hasn’t taken away my interest and instincts. “Citizen science” or “community science” is important in a number of fields, and one of my earliest experiences of that was using the app iNaturalist. The first step for Continue reading
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Robber Fly!
This fierce looking critter (with a body over an inch long) was resting on my new Mexican Olive tree. At first glance I thought it was a spider, but there are only six legs. After iNaturalist ID’ed it as a Robber Fly (genus Diogmites), I had to look again to see the wings which I Continue reading
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Dragonfly Or Damselfly?
I took a photo of this colorful creature on Frogfruit and then asked iNaturalist to identify it. The app said Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile), a damselfly. Here’s a cropped version of the photo. It’s not very good resolution, I’m afraid — these tiny mobile insects are hard to capture! It’s perhaps a mystery why an Continue reading
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Genista Broom Moth — A Choice Had To Be Made
Texas Mountain Laurel (Sophora secundiflora) trees are slow-growing and expensive. So I was dismayed to check one morning and see 30 or so caterpillars munching on the fresh new growth of my tiny tree. The second photo is a crop of the first. ID with the help of iNaturalist told me that these are caterpillars Continue reading
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I Don’t Know What I’m Looking At
I try to have my phone within reach when I’m gardening, because I never know when I might see something interesting. If I can get a photograph, then that will often help with identification (usually with the help of the iNaturalist app). One day I needed extra help from my phone. I am near-sighted and Continue reading
About Me
Nature Lover.
Inquisitive Observer.
Student Gardener.
I invite you to join me on my journey to convert my sterile (from a nature point of view) new house lot to a healthy and diverse ecosystem, as I make discoveries, mistakes, and hopefully progress. I am not an expert or professional. The project started in February 2023 and the location is Seguin, Texas, USA.
Rewilding My Lot 