Bushes filled to the brim with wild blueberries are lining the trails, mushrooms prove ample to the hunger of languid slugs, and warm, stiff air will soon bring crisp autumnal hushes to mountain goers. These are the sights and feels of August.

Although for most plants and animals the rush of spring and buzz of mid-summer may make the current landscape seem slow and unchanging, the opposite is true. If you haven’t already figured it out, dynamism is nature’s agenda, and it’s our goal to track that change!

Right now, the subtle onset of fruit ripening challenges our eyes. As the forest floor stays lush with green, small bright blues and reds provide contrast.

From left to right: Bluebead lily lives up to its name (photo credit: @tashahipple), bunchberry fruits are packed together (photo credit: @andrewtchase), and painted trillium don bright red caps (photo credit: @wanderingeden)

Species that have showy (but non-edible) fruits include bluebead lily, Canadian bunchberry, and painted trillium. Be sure to look for these ripe fruits on your next hike and add your observations to our project!

It is that time of year when many northbound AT thru-hikers are finishing up their 2,198.4-mile journey on Katahdin. As their treks end, however, another is beginning. Who might be starting a couple-thousand-mile journey south? Well, beyond those ambitious southbound thru-hikers, monarch butterflies have begun their migration to their overwintering sites in Mexico.

Those monarchs that will travel from the northeastern United States and Canada, must travel up to 3,000 miles before being able to settle down for the winter months. Before and during their journey, monarchs build up fat reserves by nectaring on plants such as the late-season flowers of goldenrods, bonesets, and meadowsweets.

Above from left to right: White meadowsweet (Spirea alba) (Photo credit: @lucysinclair), common boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) (photo credit: @hollyyoung), and showy goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) (photo credit: @chris_syrett)

Averaging anywhere from 50-100 miles in a day, these speedy travelers rely on nectar-rich habitats along the east coast to make their journey. And if that mileage is impressive to you, the longest recorded flight of a monarch in one day is 265 miles (a humble feat equaling roughly 1/9 of the Appalachian Tail).

After overwintering in the oyamel fir forests in Mexico, these intrepid travelers start the migration journey back north again in the spring. However, the brood (cohort) that flew from the Northeast only makes it a bit more north (around Texas) before reproducing and creating a new generation of travelers. By the time monarchs reach the Northeast again in the early summer, they are a few generations removed from their ancestors that made the journey southbound.

Above left to right: Monarch caterpillar (photo credit: Zoe McCormick), and monarch butterfly (photo credit: @vulture)

The monarch host plant as new generations arise is milkweed. Monarch caterpillars rely on milkweed for feeding, so encouraging planting local milkweed stands is an important part of supporting this annual journey for monarchs.

Resources:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/Monarch_Butterfly/migration/index.shtml

https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/pollinators/Monarch_Butterfly/habitat/index.shtml

For more information on nectar plants you could plant:

https://xerces.org/monarchs/monarch-nectar-plant-guides

Happy Phenology Friday! As summer wanes, observe the first taste of fall color in hobblebush leaves! Hobblebush earns its name from its tendency to trip walkers with many low hanging branches that root when they touch the ground. However, in the coming weeks, you might just be tripped up by its tremendous color as well.

From left to right: Hobblebush in flower (photo credit: Hailee Gibadlo), hobblebush berries (photo credit: Val Neuhausser), and fall colors on a hobblebush plant (photo credit: @hollyyoung).

Hobblebush provides delight in all seasons. (As long as you aren’t trying to walk through a patch of it, that is.) In the summertime, large, sterile white ‘flowers’ surround the smaller white true flowers in the center of the bunch, to attract pollinators. Later, clumps of bright red and black berries replace the pollinated flowers. And before you know it, the leaves are changing too! Leaf color ranges from yellow to red, and a wide range of color can often be seen on the same plant. Thank you for helping us study the changing of the seasons!