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Category: Nature

Praying Mantis

Praying Mantis

Look closely and you will see… This interesting resident was spotted under our birdbath this past October. I am always fascinated when finding a Praying Mantis blending in with the background, most often around flowers. The native species in Pennsylvania is the Carolina mantis (Stagmomantis carolina), which is a pale green or brownish and 2-3 inches long. As I am not an expert about insects, here is information about Praying Mantis from Animal Diversity Web. Paula Ziegler is a local…

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Sussel Park

Sussel Park

The connecting trail to Sussel Park is done! Walk along Penn’s Woods Trail to where it crosses Snyder Road. You’ll stay on the trail, pass two houses and down a rather steep hill. Now for your walking pleasure, you can enjoy not only the Arboretum but Sussel Park too all in one walk. Lovely ponds at Sussel and good exercise walking the hill! (If you prefer to avoid the hill you can drive down Snyder Road to the parking area…

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Dogs Welcome

Dogs Welcome

We’ve seen lots of dogs at the Arboretum and hope they’re enjoying the new place to walk! Other walkers as well as wildlife appreciate that they’re on leashes. Just a reminder about picking up after your pet. Dog waste doesn’t biodegrade like wild animal waste. It stays around for a long time. Meanwhile, it contains harmful bacteria, transmits a number of diseases to our wildlife, pollutes groundwater, and smells bad on the bottom of a shoe. Please help keep parks…

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Beech trees

Beech trees

Notice the trees at the Arboretum that still have leaves in January? These are Beech trees. Younger trees and the lower branches of mature trees keep their leaves until Spring. There are theories but no sure reasons why! These trees can live to be 300 to 400 years old. They have thin, light gray bark and flowers in early spring, just as the new leaves appear. The Beech tree’s flowers are small and yellowish-green in color. The blossoms are unique…

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Bees!

Bees!

Ok, so you can’t see them, but there are honeybees living behind the external wood of our house! (Right up there in the corner.) Estimates put the hive population at over 50,000 bees! Our brave volunteer (and Board Member) Andy has come prepared. He listens to the walls to locate them. So what are we going to do? We don’t want to hurt them, so, under the guidance of our resident bee experts Andy (and hopefully Kevin!) we are planning…

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