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Plants have evolved very unique and diverse ways of surviving cold weather. Most flowering plants in North America’s temperate climate lose their leaves or die back to the ground and live off of stored food. Water plants are a slightly different story. On the surface of the water, there is no protection from freezing temperatures. [...]

There are several easy ways to ensure that your landscape can support native bird populations in winter. One thing that birds look for in winter is a large supply of high-energy foods. These are easily provided by plants that produce edible berries, nuts and seeds. Some great native berry-producers are Viburnums, Sumacs, Dogwoods, Waxmyrtle, and [...]

Many people believe that late fall and winter are times of scarcity for wildlife, which may prompt them to leave feed out for deer. The reality is that local wildlife is well-adapted to our climate and capable of surviving without our help. In fact, feeding deer can be harmful to them by enticing them to [...]

When water freezes, it expands. This simple concept makes it difficult for plant life in winter because plant cells contain large quantities of water. During freezes, this water can expand, break billions of plant cell walls in tiny explosions and cause the plant to die. Deciduous plants respond by losing their soft leaf tissues for [...]

Insects are cold-blooded. Without the ability to generate heat like mammals do, they must rely on other ways to keep from freezing to death. When days shorten and temperatures drop, insects begin preparing to survive the cold. They fatten up, stop moving, slow their metabolisms and live on stored energy until spring. Ants and termites [...]

Late summer to mid-fall is the best time to observe the wonderfully miniature Ruby-throated Hummingbird.  To reach their wintering grounds, these remarkable birds make a 500-mile migration to Mexico by crossing the Gulf of Mexico without stopping. Saving energy for this trek is no easy task! In fall, the climate cools, plants fall out of bloom and [...]

Fall is a season of mixed messages. On one hand, many plants lose their foliage and revert to a dormant state. On the other hand, fall is nature’s greatest opportunity to introduce new life into our landscapes. Seeds from all kinds of plants are spread over a wide area through the help of natural forces [...]

Georgia has one of the most unique and challenging habitats for plant life on Earth. Places like Stone Mountain, Panola Mountain and Arabia Mountain are all major examples of granite outcrop habitats. Georgian granite outcrops formed from extreme heat and pressure caused when Africa collided with North America many millions of years ago. Over time, [...]

In fall, many plants delight us with the wonderful colors of their leaves. Plant leaves can turn yellow, orange, red, brown, pink, purple and even white! Sure, it provides a magnificent display of beauty. However, these many color changes can also be signals to wildlife.  Some plants’ leaves change colors to attract wildlife: red leaves [...]

Did you know that we live in a part of the country that has one of the best displays of fall colors?  Tourists from all over the world flock to the eastern United States and Canada to view, photograph and enjoy nature’s artistic side. Because of our mild climate and high annual rainfall, all forests [...]

Did you know that the number of automobile-wildlife collisions substantially increases in fall?  Fewer daylight hours results in poor driving conditions during morning and evening commutes. Wildlife is more active in the evening and early morning and especially active in the fall.  Animals that hibernate, like bears or raccoons, travel widely between patches of nut-producing [...]

Fall is a time when the sounds of nature steadily decline. Most people notice the lack of bird songs, but do not notice that frogs, toads and other amphibians also stop their loud, unusual calling at night. Like many other animals, frogs and toads slow down as the weather gets colder. For winter protection, amphibians [...]

If you walk along a Georgia beach in the fall you may see signs of hatching loggerhead sea turtles. Five species of sea turtles can be found in the waters off the coast of Georgia, but the loggerhead is the only species to nest here regularly and has been nesting here for centuries. When a [...]

The fall reshuffle may sound like a new dance step, but it’s actually a natural occurrence. The Eastern Gray Squirrel is the native American mammal people most frequently see east of the Mississippi River. You can see their nests of leaves in holes in trees or on tree limbs. Nests built on tree limbs as [...]

Some people suffer from hay fever all year-round, but it is most common in the spring and fall.  Did you know that animals can also have hay fever?  Some of our pets spend the majority of their lives indoors and when they do venture outdoors, they begin reacting to the pollen of grasses and trees. [...]

Maybe you’ve heard the musical song of an American Robin that sounded like “cheerily, cheerily, cheer up.”  The sight of a robin is often thought of as one of the first signs of spring, but that isn’t completely true. Because of Georgia’s relatively mild winters, many robins stay around all year long while some winter [...]

It’s spring and butterflies are returning from their winter homes in Central and South America. There are over 160 species of butterflies that live in Georgia and almost any garden can lure 60 or more species in a year with the right plants and features. Host plants will provide a place for butterflies to lay [...]

Most people associate flooding with events like Hurricane Katrina, but natural and cyclical flooding of streams and rivers caused by rain or snow melt, though sometimes damaging to human property, can be beneficial for water quality and aquatic life. When water levels in streams or rivers rise, the fish and wildlife move from the stream [...]

In times of drought, a rain garden is one way to put what rain we do receive to good use. A rain garden is a landscaped area of low-maintenance native plants designed to collect and use rainwater. They require less maintenance and fewer chemicals than lawns. Instead of allowing rainwater to flow from your home [...]

The arrival of spring brings out pollinators in full force: birds, bats, butterflies, bees and other insects. Pollinators are vitally important – without them we would have very few successful orchards, field crops, home gardens and wild flowers. Some plants depend on the wind to move pollen from plant to plant, but 80 percent of [...]