There are many lenses through which to view nature in general and our Park in particular. Recreation, tranquility, civic pride, aesthetic beauty. There’s a more prosaic lens as well. Nature, and our Park, can be seen as a collection of eaters and their food. Some organisms are always one or the other; some creatures can… Read more »
Over the past year and a half writing this blog, I have become aware of what I’ve taken to calling the jigsaw puzzle problem. Until I began looking at plants and animals in detail, I didn’t realize how interdependent the whole enterprise of life is. Monarch butterflies are a familiar example. Monarchs have to lay… Read more »
I am seeing queen butterflies all over the park. I cannot stress how unusual this is. iNaturalist records 331 reports of queen butterflies in Texas last year between October 1 and November 6. This year, for the same period, we have had 1036 reports, a more than 300% increase. Inside the Loop Houston had zero… Read more »
Our Park is part of a prairie restoration project that aims to show off the native coastal prairie ecosystem that was present in this part of Texas for the last 23,000 years. The silt from Hurricane Harvey dealt this project a setback, but there is a stunning patch of prairie plants going strong just to… Read more »
When you take a really close look at butterflies, there’s a lot more going on than gossamer wings toting a straw from flower to flower. For example, what’s up with those eyes? Each of our eyes has a single lens and both rods and cones. Rods allow us to perceive light and dark. Cones are specialized… Read more »
If you are in Buffalo Bayou Park looking for butterflies, find a stand of Bidens alba and stay there. Every butterfly in the park will stop by for a visit. Because of this, Bidens alba is one of my favorite plants. It’s no show-stopper. You’ve undoubtedly seen it; in summer months, it is ubiquitous. If… Read more »