For Boston People Primarily:

One of the woodchucks I take care of is going to be on Fox25 news tomorrow, for Groundhog day. (With one of our Teacher/Naturalist's, Pat--as in "Pat's Chickens," for those who know what that means.)

( click for visuals )

365 Urban Species. #032: Paper Birch

Urban species #032: Paper birch Betula papyrifera

A white birch tree is identifyable by even those uninterested in nature. The native North American species, paper birch, is found in the northernmost parts of the United States. The European white birch Betula pendula is widely introduced and the two species readily hybridize (the birch in the photo above may be a hybrid). Paper birch saplings are pioneer plants, often seen springing up on rocky roadcuts; it specializes in colonizing recently burned areas, and does not tolerate shade. Though favored for ornamental use, paper birch is very succeptable to diseases and pests, and urban birches tend to live very short lives.