Jason E. Andersen

Blog

Welcome to a world of limitless possibilities, where the journey is as exhilarating as the destination, and where every moment is an opportunity to make your mark on the canvas of existence. The only limit is the extent of your imagination.

  • Social butterflies

    Bonus fun fact: You may see groups of butterflies gathering around puddles and other wet spots, seemingly lapping up water. They’re actually extracting minerals as the water dries and, for most species, it’s usually males that do this. This behavior is called ‘puddling’ and a group of butterflies that are puddling is called a ‘puddle…

  • Vengeance from beyond

    Bonus fun fact: I want to preface this one by saying that I don’t advocate killing snakes — snakes are cool and they should be appreciated and respected. That said, if you cut the head off a rattlesnake (as if to kill it), the disembodied head can still bite for hours after the snake is…

  • Repopulating swans

    Bonus fun fact: I attended a release of trumpeter swans at Lake Anita this afternoon, so you get another trumpeter swan bonus fun fact. Did you know that young swans (under a year old) are called cygnets? This is a derivation of the greek word for swan, cygnus, which is also the swan genus (and…

  • I strongly dislike lawns

    Bonus fun fact: Last week’s bonus fun fact on letting violets grow in your yard sparked a lot of discussion about lawns in general. Did you know that the idea of lawns comes from the aristocratic elite of Europe? The areas surrounding medieval castles were cleared of trees, to make it easier for soldiers to…

  • Valuable violets

    Bonus fun fact: This time of year, you might notice violets blooming in your lawn. These little purple flowers are often considered weeds, but you should know that they provide an important service. Early bloomers like violets provide much-needed nectar to pollinators (especially early-emerging bees) at a time when nectar is scarce. It won’t be…

  • The early butterfly gets the…

    Bonus fun fact: The Mourning Cloak butterfly is one of the earliest emerging butterflies, appearing as early as March. They are able to do this because they are one of the few butterfly species to overwinter as fully-grown adults. This gives them the ability to become active as soon as possible after the weather begins…

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