Backyard Ecology™

This week's episode of the Backyard Ecology podcast is the conclusion of our conversation with Lynn Faust. Lynn is the author of Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs: Identification and Natural History of the Fireflies of the Eastern and Central United States and Canada. In this episode, we continue to just geek out about lightning bugs. Once again, this is a very informal conversation that includes stories and more educational content. If you haven't listened to the previous episode, then I encourage you to go back and listen to Episode 15, which is part 1 of this conversation. We ended the previous episode talking about the larvae of the Pyractomena or Spring Tree Top Flasher fireflies and how they are so special because they pupate on the sides of trees where we can see them. And they do this in the late winter / very early spring, basically the late Feb. or early March timeframe in Kentucky and Tennessee. We jump right back into that conversation with Lynn describing some of Pyractomena's mating behaviors and why they might choose to come out so early. Much of the story of lightning bugs and fireflies revolves around the theme of just paying attention, making observations, sharing what you see, and asking questions. People doing those things have led to the discovery of new species like the synchronized fireflies of the Smokies and the Low Country Ghost. Other people have been able to help better document the range of a given species like the Pink Flashers. Those activities have also led to recognizing previously overlooked behaviors like the fireflies nectaring on milkweeds. There's so much out there to learn and discover if we're willing to open our eyes and pay attention. Lightning bugs, like many other insects, also face some threats. The main threats to lightning bugs are light pollution, pesticides in the soil, soil compaction, and habitat loss. Lynn talks about these threats and realistic ways that we can make our yards more firefly friendly. She takes a very balanced approach that basically boils down to being aware of how your actions might affect lightning bugs or other organisms and then making the best choices for you and your situation. I, for one, appreciate that balance. Lynn also shares some tips for observing lightning bugs. Again, if you missed the first part of this conversation, then I encourage you to go back to episode 15 and listen to it. In that episode, Lynn shared the story of how she went from just watching the lightning bugs to becoming "The Lightning Bug Lady." We also talked about some of the different species found in the eastern U.S., how to identify firefly species, and the general life history of fireflies. I hope you enjoy both these episodes. Links: Lynn's book and papers Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs: Identification and Natural History of the Fireflies of the Eastern and Central United States and Canada * Lowcountry Ghosts 2020 , Phausis sp. firefly Milkweed Fireflies: The Occurrence and Behaviors of 5 Adult North American Fireflies, Lucidota atra, Photinus pyralis, Photinus cookii, Pyropyga minuta and Photuris sp. on milkweed Asclepias syriaca Other scientific papers by Lynn Backyard Ecology's website Lightning bugs and Fireflies – A conversation with Lynn Faust, Part 1 Milkweeds in Urban and Suburban Monarch Waystations with Dr. Adam Baker Land Snails and Their Amazing Diversity Sign up for free Backyard Ecology emails My email: [email protected] Episode image: Firefly on butterfly milkweed Photo credit: baloonimals, cc-0

For many of us in the eastern U.S., warm spring and summer nights are characterized by the methodical flashing of fireflies and lightning bugs. Fireflies and lightning bugs are exactly the same thing. I grew up calling them "lightning bugs," but somewhere along the line picked up the term "firefly." Now I use both terms interchangeably. It doesn't matter what you call them, these flashing insects have the ability to bring out the child in all of us. In this episode of the Backyard Ecology podcast, we talk with Lynn Faust. Lynn is the author of Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs: Identification and Natural History of the Fireflies of the Eastern and Central United States and Canada. She is also sometimes called "The Lightning Bug Lady," and with good reason as you'll quickly learn when you listen to this episode. Our conversation is very informal and includes lots of stories mixed in with more educational discussions. This episode is a little different than previous episodes because it is the first in a two-part series. Lynn is so knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and has so many great stories that I couldn't fit everything into one episode. So, we'll start our conversation in this episode, and then conclude our conversation in the next episode. Often, we tend to think of lightning bugs as all being the same, but they aren't. In the eastern U.S., we are very rich in lightning bug species and we're still identifying new species. One of the things that I love about lightning bugs is that we can enjoy them on so many different levels. We can sit on our porches or in our lawn chairs and just appreciate their beauty. We can run around in our bare feet and catch them. We can learn the different flash patterns and begin identifying the species that we are seeing. Or anything in between. In this episode, Lynn shares the story of how she went from just watching the lightning bugs to becoming "The Lightning Bug Lady." We also talk about some of the different species found in the eastern U.S., how to identify firefly species, and the general life history of fireflies. In the next episode, we'll continue our life history discussion. We'll also talk about some exciting recent discoveries, threats to fireflies, ways we can make our yards more lightning bug friendly, and tips for observing fireflies. I hope you enjoy both these episodes. Links: Lynn's book and papers Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs: Identification and Natural History of the Fireflies of the Eastern and Central United States and Canada * Lowcountry Ghosts 2020 , Phausis sp. firefly Milkweed Fireflies: The Occurrence and Behaviors of 5 Adult North American Fireflies, Lucidota atra, Photinus pyralis, Photinus cookii, Pyropyga minuta and Photuris sp. on milkweed Asclepias syriaca Other scientific papers by Lynn Backyard Ecology's website Lightning bugs and Fireflies – A conversation with Lynn Faust, Part 2 Milkweeds in Urban and Suburban Monarch Waystations with Dr. Adam Baker Land Snails and Their Amazing Diversity Sign up for free Backyard Ecology emails My email: [email protected] Episode image: Firefly (Photinus pyralis) Photo credit: Katja Schulz, cc-by 2.0

Clovers are often suggested for lawn alternatives or for incorporating into our yards to make them more pollinator friendly. Clovers can also play important roles in agriculture either in grazing systems or as cover crops in row cropping systems. In addition, they are a favorite of deer and rabbits. However, most (if not all) of the clovers in these systems and that we typically think of are exotic species. Our native clover species are not nearly as well known. In this episode of the Backyard Ecology podcast, we talk with Jonathan Kubesh. Jonathan is a PhD student at Virginia Tech University who is studying clovers. Jonathan brings a unique perspective to this topic, because although much of his work focuses on native clovers and native clover conservation, his field of study is in agriculture and agronomy. This allows him to serve as a valuable bridge between the two fields and areas of interest. While the term "clover" is often loosely used for several different genera of plants, true clovers all belong to the genus Trifolium. In the eastern U.S., we have approximately 10 different species of native clovers in the Trifolium genus. We also have a number of exotic species, such as the familiar white clovers that can be found in our yards and fields. Many of our native clovers are threatened or endangered. Some of our native clovers are tied to very special soil conditions and habitat types such as the limestone glades in the Nashville, TN area or the shale barrens which can be found in parts of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Other native clover species are tied to disturbance regimes that no longer exist, such as fire or short-term, intensive grazing by bison or deer. In our conversation, Jonathan and I discuss many different topics. A large part of our conversation is devoted to native clovers. Our discussion about native clovers covers their biology, the conservation efforts surrounding them, how agriculture and horticulture may play a role in those conservation efforts, the importance of keeping good records, and the valuable role of historical collections and herbarium records in helping to discover new populations and in guiding restoration efforts. Jonathan and I also talk about establishing clover yards and some of the factors that you might want to consider when deciding whether a clover yard is right for you. Like with so many other things in life, there isn't one single answer that will fit all situations. However, Jonathan does an excellent job of discussing possibilities for different situations and for pointing us towards how to find more specific local help for determining the best option for our own unique situations. Links: Jonathan's research: Edaphic and morphological factors affecting running buffalo clover (Trifolium stoloniferum) ecology Native Clover Conservation In The Bluegrass: An Agronomic Perspective Other resources recommended by Jonathan: Planting Guide to Grasses and Legumes for Forage and Wildlife in Georgia Simple Strategies for Profitable Forage Production Trifolium kentuckiense (Fabaceae, Papilionoideae), A New Species from Franklin and Woodford Counties, Kentucky Jonathan's social media pages: Facebook Instagram Jonathan's email: [email protected] Backyard Ecology's website Here's the episode with Dwayne Estes that we referred to several times My email: [email protected] Episode image: Trifolium reflexum growing in Jonathan's seed trials Photo credit: Jonathan Kubesh

Like many people, I grew up with a healthy…. apprehension (ok, fear) of wasps. And, of course, I've seen all the memes on social media vilifying wasps and calling them names that I'm not going to repeat on this podcast. But, those fears and concerns are mostly unfounded and misplaced. Wasps generally aren't going to bother you, especially when they are on flowers, and they definitely aren't the evil villains they are often portrayed as. Instead, they are a vital part of the ecosystem that helps control many different insect and arachnid populations, as well as, helps with the pollination of some plants. In this episode of the Backyard Ecology podcast, we talk with Heather Holm. Heather is a pollinator conservationist and award-winning author. As of this recording, her book, Wasps: Their Biology, Diversity, and Role as Beneficial Insects and Pollinators of Native Plants, has just been published. Because wasps are such diverse organisms, her book focuses on the wasps that we are most likely to find visiting flowers. Of course, I had to start our conversation by asking Heather the obvious question – "Why wasps?" Her answer was that as pollinator gardens become more popular, more people are beginning to notice wasps visiting the flowers. Her goal with this book is to help people better understand and appreciate those wasps, instead of being afraid of them. In many ways, wasps are just like bees. In fact, bees evolved from wasps. Most adult wasps feed on nectar and other sugary substances like honeydew and tree sap. However, unlike bees which gather pollen to feed to their larvae, wasps hunt for prey to feed their larvae. The specific type of prey they hunt for depends on the species of wasp. Wasps can be very specific with the prey they capture. For example, the cicada killer only hunts cicadas. In some cases, the cicada she captures may be 2-3 times her size! Another species of wasp, called the queen ant kidnapper ant, only eats queen ants that still have their wings and are coming back from their nuptial flights. There are also a number of wasp species that hunt spiders. Just about every type of insect, plus spiders, is on the menu for some species of wasp and this has led to a wide diversity of wasp species. There are way more species of wasps than bees. And because their prey is so specific, you may find several different species of wasps nesting in close proximity to each other because their different diets mean that they aren't competing with each other. Like bees, most of our wasps are solitary which means that each female must create and provision her own nest(s). This doesn't leave them much time, or desire, to defend their nests. Also like bees, wasps can be found nesting below ground, in standing dead trees, in logs, and in pithy or hollow stems. Some wasps even build nests made entirely of mud. Some of these mud structures can be very beautiful and delicate pots that look like they should be ceramic vessels in a dollhouse. Despite their many similarities to bees, wasps are a group of animals that many people love to hate. However, they are rarely as bad as they are made out to be, especially when they are feeding on flowers. As Heather puts it, "the flower restaurant isn't defended." And in some ways, wasps can be easier to identify than bees. If you want to identify the wasps that you find on your flowers, Heather suggests taking lots of pictures including a top-down view, a sideview, and a head-on view. Using your flash can also be helpful for picking up details and reducing the blur if the wasp doesn't sit perfectly still for you. I encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about wasps, including how to identify them, to take a look at Heather's book. And if you aren't quite ready to venture into the world of wasps, then I still encourage you to take a look at Heather's website. It is a treasure trove of free educational resources on pollinators, especially native bees. (In addition to her new wasp book, she has several other books on bees, pollinators, and native plants.) Links: Wasps: Their Biology, Diversity, and Role as Beneficial Insects and Pollinators of Native Plants [hardcover] Heather N. Holm February, 2021 * Heather's website Heather's Facebook pages: Bee and Pollinator Books by Heather Holm Restoring the Landscape Heather's email: [email protected] Backyard Ecology website My email: [email protected] Episode image: Bee wolf (Philanthus gibbosus) drinking nectar and serving as a pollinator Photo credit: Heather Holm

Vernal pools are a special type of shallow wetlands that fill with snow melt and rain in late fall through early spring, then dry up sometime during the summer. Because they dry up, they are sometimes overlooked or dismissed as "not very good wetlands." However, they serve an important role in the ecosystem and can be teeming with all kinds of life. In this episode, we talk with Tom Biebighauser about vernal pools. Tom is a wildlife biologist, wetland ecologist, educator, and author. He has written multiple books about vernal pools and has made a career of restoring and creating wetlands. Throughout our conversation, Tom shares many stories about creating vernal pools on his own property, on other people's properties, and at schools. Almost by definition, vernal pools don't contain fish, because fish wouldn't be able to survive when the vernal pool dries up. However, because they don't have fish, vernal pools are extremely important breeding sites for frogs, toads, salamanders, and many aquatic invertebrates. In more permanent bodies of water, those animals and their eggs, tadpoles, and larva would face a significant threat of being eaten by hungry fish, but that's obviously not a risk in a place where there aren't any fish. In many states, 90% of our wetlands have been drained and filled. This is especially true for vernal pools, probably because they do dry out for part of the year. Vernal pools are often relatively small – sometimes only the size of a living room or even smaller. They are also very shallow, usually only inches to maybe a foot or so deep, and have gently sloping sides. One of the reasons that wetlands are often drained is for mosquito control. However, mosquitoes typically aren't a problem around vernal pools because the mosquito eggs and larvae are eaten by everything that is in the vernal pool. If a vernal pool or wetland holds water for more than a couple of months then it will attract frogs, dragonflies, damselflies, and other mosquito predators. Many people are probably familiar with the concept of rain gardens and may even have a rain garden already. However, vernal pools differ from rain gardens in that vernal pools hold water for several months, while rain gardens go dry much faster. Because rain gardens typically only hold water for a few hours to a few days, they don't develop the complex ecosystems of a vernal pool. There are lots of opportunities to create vernal pools around our homes, on our school grounds, or in other places within our communities. The cost of creating a vernal pool can range from practically nothing, to a few hundred dollars, to several thousand dollars, depending on the size of the vernal pool you want to create, the type of soil you have, and how much labor you want to do yourself. However, in many cases there are funds available to help cover the costs of creating vernal pools or other shallow wetlands. Tom has written several books that walk you through how to create vernal pools. His books plus lots of free resources and guides are available through his website. Links: Tom's website Tom's books A Guide to Creating Vernal Ponds (free download) Wetland Drainage, Restoration, and Repair * Wetland Restoration and Construction A Technical Guide * Tom's email: [email protected] Other resources Tom recommends: Association of State Wetland Managers Fabseal Industrial Liners Firestone Pond Guard Backyard Ecology's website My email: [email protected] Episode image: Vernal pool created at McBrayer Elementary school Photo credit: Thomas Biebighauser

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual citizen science / community science project hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Birds Canada. This international project takes place all over the world for four days every February. In 2021, it will happen February 12-15. In today's episode of the Backyard Ecology podcast, we talk with Becca Rodomsky-Bish, Project Leader for the Great Backyard Bird Count, about the project, its importance, and how we can participate. We also talk about some tips and tools for people who may enjoy watching birds, but are just starting to learn how to identify them. In 2020, approximately 270,000 people from across the world participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Approximately 100,000 to 160,000 of those were from North America. One of the cool interactive features on the Great Backyard Bird Count's website is a map that lights up the locations of new submissions as they are entered. As the weekend progresses, you can see the globe light up with people participating in the project. Despite its name, the Great Backyard Bird Count isn't restricted to just your backyard. You can participate anywhere including at home, at a city or county park, at a state park, in the local schoolyard, etc. It's also possible to do the count from a stationary location, such as a comfy chair by the window, or while walking your favorite trail. Participants in the Great Backyard Bird Count are asked to identify and count the birds that they see for a minimum of 15 minutes. You can do multiple counts and you can count for longer than 15 minutes if you would like. After making your observations, you enter your data into eBird which is an online database of bird observations from around the world. You can enter your data either on your computer or on your mobile device, depending on your personal preference. One thing that Becca stressed was that anyone can participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. You don't have to be an "expert birder." If you enjoy watching birds, but aren't real confident about identify them, that's ok. We all started somewhere, and we're all still learning new birds. The good news is that there are lots of tools available to help you. Field guides are one option and is the option that many of us who have been watching and identifying birds for awhile first learned how to use. However, today there are other tools available as well. One of those tools is an app created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The app is called Merlin and it guides you through the identification process by asking you a series of questions. Based on your answers, it will offer you a few possible identifications for the bird that you are looking at. As of this recording, I haven't personally used Merlin, but I've been told by multiple people that it is pretty good at helping you get to the correct identification. Even after the Great Backyard Bird Count is over, you can continue to add your bird observations to eBird. The lists created in eBird can be extremely valuable sources of information. As individuals, we can use them to help us keep track of our personal observations overtime and in different locations. At a larger scale, scientists can also use the observations entered into eBird to help answer broader ecological questions. Even something as simple as knowing what birds are found in a given area can help us understand what the habitat in that area looks like because certain bird species may only be found in certain habitats. Not finding certain birds in an area can also be important information, especially if those birds were once found in that area. That's one of the ways that long-term databases or lists of birds observed in a single location over a long period of time can be very important in identifying trends or population changes over time. To date, there have been over 100 scientific papers published using eBird data. The research in many of those papers likely wouldn't have been possible without the contributions of individuals like you and I to citizen science / community science projects like the Great Backyard Bird Count or eBird. Researchers, like everyone else, can only be in one place at a time. However, if we are all helping to make observations and reporting data, then we can do so much more. Not only does the information we gather make it easier to spot changes occurring right now, but it can also be used in the future to answer questions that we may not even know to ask yet. Links: Great Backyard Bird Count website e-Bird Scientific publications using e-Bird data Merlin Other bird identification resources Great Backyard Bird Count email: [email protected] Backyard Ecology's website Blog article on history of Christmas Bird Count My email: [email protected] Episode image: Participants in the Great Backyard Bird Count Photo credit: Pamela Monahan

We're lucky in the eastern U.S. because bodies of water are pretty common. For most of us, if we don't have access to a creek, stream, river, pond, etc. in our immediate backyards, then we likely have access somewhere nearby in the surrounding community. This means it can be relatively easy for us to explore those waterways, and for many of us part of that exploration at some point included catching crayfish or other aquatic organisms. In this episode, we talk with Mael Glon, a PhD candidate at the Ohio State University in the Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology. Our conversation with Mael focuses on crayfish biology, ecology, diversity, and a variety of other crayfish-related topics. Although we might think of crayfish as being mostly just a reddish-brown color, that's not always the case. They can also include other colors such as turquois blue, golden yellow, bright red, and mossy green. Some species, especially the burrowing crayfish, can be very showy and absolutely gorgeous. We can often identify a crayfish species by looking at characteristics like those color patters, the size and shape of the claws, or where the specimen was found. However, for closely related species that look very similar, other characteristics or techniques must be used to accurately identify the species. One of those techniques is to look at the gonopods of the reproductively active males, but while that technique can be very precise, it also has obvious issues. Crayfish can be considered keystone species in many aquatic and semi-aquatic ecosystems because so many things eat them. However, their importance isn't limited to just being a prey species. Some of our crayfish fall into a group commonly known as the burrowing crayfish. These are the crayfish that burrow underground and often form the mud chimneys that are found around the edges of ponds and streams or in wet meadows. Crayfish burrows are commonly used by a wide variety of animals besides the crayfish that built them. We have around 400 species of crayfish in North America. The majority of those are in the eastern U.S. and parts of the southeastern U.S. are considered a global hotspot for crayfish biodiversity. Recently, Mael and his colleagues added to this biodiversity by identifying and naming two new crayfish species found in Alabama and Mississippi. Identifying and recognizing new species at the scientific level is important because, when it comes to conservation, one large population of a single species is going to be viewed and managed differently than a population consisting of two or three species, each with much smaller ranges. Unfortunately, many of us aren't aware of how diverse and special our crayfish populations are. I just think that it's sometimes hard to recognize or appreciate the biodiversity that occurs in our own communities because to us it's "normal" and therefore "nothing special." That's one reason why sharing what we are seeing on platforms such as iNaturalist can be beneficial, because sometimes it takes someone else's eyes and perspective to help us realize just how special something is that we may see every day. Links: Mael's website Mael's email: [email protected] Other resources Mael recommended: iNaturalist Guide to Photographing Crayfish American Crayfish Atlas International Association of Astacology (crayfish research) Backyard Ecology's website An Introduction to iNaturalist with Maddy Heredia My email: [email protected] Episode image: Banded Mudbug Photo credit: Guenter Schuster

Growing native plants has grown in popularity over the last couple of decades. This has led to an increased demand for native plant seeds. However, many of us have never really stopped to think about how those native seeds are produced on a commercial level. In this episode, we talk with John Seymour and Robert Hoffman from Roundstone Native Seed about this and their recommendations for planting native seeds. John is the president of Roundstone and Robert is their Restoration Ecologist. Growing native plants for commercial seed production is a complicated process. At Roundstone Native Seed, the process starts with collecting the initial native seeds from the wild following the U.S. Forest Service collecting guidelines. The native seeds initially collected must then be grown first as plugs in a greenhouse, and then transplanted into larger production plots which produce the native seeds that are eventually harvested for sale. Once in the production plots, the plants must be cared for throughout the growing season and throughout future years to keep the plots producing to the best of their ability. Some of the ongoing care and maintenance may include watering, hand weeding, and conducting prescribed burns on the fields. For many of the production fields, it may take up to three years before a stand is producing seed to its fullest capacity. For many of these species, much of the harvesting and seed processing must be done by hand. Unlike many of our more traditional crops or flowers, native plants don't all go to seed at the same time. Often times the staff at Roundstone will go out to each stand every day to hand harvest just the seeds that are ready that day – taking a combine through and harvesting the whole field at once, like is done with corn or soybeans, is often not an option for native seeds. After being harvested, the seeds then have to be dried and cleaned. The cleaning process includes removing all the "fluff" and extra pieces of vegetative material. This can be up to a 17-step process for native seeds, while more traditional crops may only have a few steps in the cleaning process. And each species has different cleaning requirements and needs. Each machine also has to be thoroughly cleaned before the next species can be processed. When it comes to planting native seeds, site preparation is extremely important. The type of site preparation you need to do will depend on the current use of that land. Is it a yard, an existing garden or crop field, a pasture, etc.? The number one thing you can do for site preparation is weed control and a lack of weed control is the number one reason why native plant stands or gardens fail. The three most common forms of weed control before planting your native seeds are herbicide treatments, solarization, and repeat tillage. It often takes multiple weed control treatments over several seasons to get a site properly prepped for planting native seeds. Initial weed control is so important prior to planting native seeds because native plants tend to germinate slower and over a longer period of time than many weeds. That longer and slower germination rate can allow weeds to take over and outcompete your native seeds. The old adage for native plants is that first they sleep, then they creep, then they leap, so you really need to do everything you can to reduce the weed competition during the first year or two. The second most common reason for stand failure with native seeds is probably from planting the seeds too deep. Native seeds need a firm seed bed and often shouldn't be planted more than 1/8 to a 1/4 inch deep. It is usually better for the seeds to be on the surface than planted too deeply. Depending on your goals, the site, and your weed control process, native seeds can be planted in the dormant season (mid-November through early March) or the growing season (mid-April through late-June). Both planting times have their own pros and cons. One of the things that I really like about Roundstone Native Seed is that they care about their customers and want to help them find the right mixes for them. If you call to talk to Roundstone Native Seed, they'll often take you through what they refer to as a "seed interview." During the seed interview, they will ask you lots of questions aimed at identifying what they believe will be the best mix to meet your specific needs, goals, and location. Their main goal is to help you have good stands and success with your native plants. Links: Roundstone Native Seeds Website Phone: 888-531-2353 Backyard Ecology's website For more information about the importance of obtaining native seeds from your ecoregion see this episode with Dwayne Estes from the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative My email: [email protected] Episode image: Bees on a purple coneflower Photo credit: Roundstone Native Seed

Land snails???? Come on, how do they fit with Backyard Ecology? True, land snails aren't the most charismatic organism in our yards and communities, so it would be easy to just write them off and ignore them. Most of us probably do that on a regular basis. But, land snails are extremely important to our ecosystem and in some cases are critical to the survival of much more charismatic organisms. Not to mention, they can be pretty fascinating in their own right if we just give them a chance. On today's episode of Backyard Ecology, we talk with Dan and Judy Dourson. Dan is a wildlife biologist, author, illustrator, and educator. Judy is an educator, author, editor, and researcher. Dan and Judy have had really interesting careers that have taken them from the mountains of Kentucky to the jungles of Belize and places in between. However, much of their recent work has focused on land snails. Although they are often overlooked, land snails play vital roles in the ecosystem. They help to recycle nutrients. They move spores of fungi and other organisms to new locations. And they are an important food source for everything from firefly larvae to songbirds and raptors. In some cases, like that of Florida's snail kite, a species' entire diet is made up of a single species of land snail. If those land snails go extinct, then so would the other animal (in this case the snail kite) that depends on them. The eastern U.S. has the highest biodiversity of land snails in all of North America. If you happen to live in the Appalachian Mountain region, especially along the Tennessee / North Carolina border, then you are in an area that is especially rich in land snail biodiversity including many species that are found nowhere else in the world. However, no matter where you live in the eastern U.S., you likely have a dozen or more species of land snails in your yard. Some of those species will be native, while others (like the ones that eat our vegetable gardens) are likely exotic. I love the fact that land snails are something that we can all find in our yards and communities if we just take the time to look for them. And maybe that is the point – just taking the time to slow down, look, and appreciate all the little things that we so often take for granted. Encouraging land snails in your yard isn't hard either. Basically, all we have to do are the same things that we would do to encourage pollinators, songbirds, or other wildlife – no separate "land snail garden" required. My mind often focuses on the ecological importance of an organism, so I was surprised to learn that land snails are also being studied for their ability to address a number of medical issues. This has the potential to create another realm of valuable benefits that land snails can provide beyond their ecological benefits. There's just so much that we don't know and still have to learn about land snails and other organisms, especially the less charismatic ones. In the end, I think Judy had the absolute best quote of the day when she said, "You only protect what you learn to love and you can only love something if you know its name." That is so true and is part of the reason why I include episodes like this which feature some of those undervalued species. I recognize that I don't know enough about land snails and I'm as guilty as the next person of overlooking their importance. So my goal through conversations like this, is to learn more and gain a greater appreciation for some of these less well-known organisms. I've definitely been inspired to start looking for and identifying some of the land snails in my area. I hope you have been too. Links: Dan and Judy's relevant books: Land Snails of West Virginia Land Snails of Belize, Central America: A Remarkable Chronicle of Diversity and Function * Land Snails of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park and Southern Appalachians: Out-of-print, available as pdf upon request Dan and Judy's email: [email protected] Backyard Ecology's website My email: [email protected] Episode image Greenbrier tigersnail (Anguispira stihleri) Photo credit: Dan and Judy Dourson

Many of us grew up hearing about the decline of the old growth forests and their impacts on neotropical songbirds and other wildlife. I think this was especially true for those of us who grew up here in the eastern U.S. However, the story that hasn't been told as well is that of the southeastern grasslands and how they have declined. Yes, I said "southeastern grasslands" because historically, much of the southeast was a diverse patchwork of grassland communities, not a continuous forest like it has often been portrayed. On today's episode of Backyard Ecology, we talk with Dwayne Estes, Executive Director of the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative (SGI). SGI works in a region that basically covers from Columbia, MO across to Long Island, NY, down to Miami, FL and back across to Brownsville, TX. Even though New York and some of these other areas aren't what we traditionally think of as part of the southeast, all of these areas have very similar grasslands. In addition to his work with SGI, Dwayne is also a Professor of Biology in the Center of Excellence for Field Biology, Austin Peay State University. As Dwayne tells us, it has only been within the last decade or so that we've begun to realize just how diverse our southeastern grasslands were. Despite the fact that most of us probably think of Kansas and the Great Plains when we hear the term "grasslands," the southeastern U.S. actually has more types of grasslands than the entire Great Plains of the U.S. and Canada combined. All these different types of southeastern grasslands also translate to a greater biodiversity of animals than can be found in Great Plains. Scientists now think that approximately half of all the plants and animals in the eastern U.S. are tied to grasslands. Part of this biodiversity stems from the fact that not all animals like the same types of grasslands – some species like short grass, some like tall grass, some need larger tracts, some are happy on smaller acreages, some like drier areas, and some are drawn to wetter areas. By having so many different types of southeastern grasslands, there are opportunities for all of these different habitat preferences to be met. And just to be clear, when we talk about southeastern grasslands, we aren't talking about mowed yards. We're talking about short-grass prairies, tall grass prairies, savannahs, glades, wet prairies, coastal plains, and other similar locations where native grasses and their associated wildflowers are the dominant vegetation. Trees and shrubs can exist in those areas too, as in the case of savannahs, but they aren't the dominant vegetation type like you see in a forest setting. Nowadays, it can be hard to find naturally occurring southeastern grasslands because many of our southeastern grasslands have been turned into agricultural lands (croplands or pastures) or allowed to grow up into forests after fire was removed from the ecosystem. Some of the best places to look for existing southeastern grassland remnants are often in powerline rights-of-ways, along rocky roadsides, along old fence rows, or in similar places. It is entirely possible for someone to have a southeastern grassland remnant on their property and not even realize it. Most of our remaining southeastern grasslands have been reduced to only a few acres and are located on private land which makes small landowners critical in identifying, managing, and helping to conserve our southeastern grasslands. Larger tracts of southeastern grasslands still exist in a few places, but they are much less common than the smaller grasslands. The Southeastern Grasslands Initiative is working to raise awareness of our southeastern grasslands and to provide science-based resources for identifying, managing, and conserving those habitats. They are accomplishing this by partnering with many different conservation and educational organizations and agencies, as well as, with individuals who are just interested in southeastern grasslands and want to help make a difference. The Southeastern Grasslands Initiative fully embraces the concept of working hand-in-hand with others to accomplish their mutual goals. Among the many resources that the Southeastern Grasslands Initiative is developing which will be of direct benefit to interested individuals is information which will help landowners determine whether they have a southeastern grassland remnant hiding on their property. It's hard to protect or take care of something if you don't even know it exists. So, the first step is learning how to figure out if you have something that might be worth protecting or conserving. The Southeastern Grasslands Initiative is also embarking on a new project that will provide seed lists by ecoregion for homeowners and landowners who want to plant southeastern grasslands species on their properties. These lists will be tailored to each of our different ecoregions, as well as the specific soil types and available sunlight at each location. A prototype seed

Hi Everyone! Today we are talking with Mac Callaham who is a Research Ecologist with the Southern Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service. Mac's focus is on invasive species, with a specialty in soil animals, especially earthworms. Like many people, I grew up thinking that earthworms were a good thing and a natural part of our ecosystem. However, that's not completely true. In North America, many of our earthworms were wiped out during the Ice Age either directly from the glaciers or because the ground, even quite a distance out from the glaciers, was frozen. We still have some native earthworms in the Pacific Northwest and parts of the southeast, but we also have quite a few non-native species of earthworms. Some of these non-native earthworm species have probably been here since the early European colonists arrived and brought their plants with them. Other species are much newer arrivals – some being discovered for the first time within the last few years. The impacts of these non-native earthworms depends on where they are found. In more northern parts of the continent, the effects of the non-native earthworms can be devastating to the ecosystem. This is because the local ecosystem existed for so long without earthworms in it. However, in areas where there were native earthworms, the impacts are often not quite so drastic, but that doesn't mean there are no impacts. In many areas of the southeast, non-native earthworms are much more common than native species. Yet, even though the species composition has changed, we aren't always seeing the same sort of dramatic impacts that are being seen further north. Part of that could be because those species have been in the southeast longer and part of it is likely that those species of non-native earthworms are doing some of the same things as the native earthworms in this area. However, some of the more recently discovered species of non-native earthworms can have quite drastic effects, even in the southeast, because their feeding behaviors are very different from the native species. Throughout this episode, Mac and I talk about the different types of earthworms, their impacts in various parts of the region, how much we don't know, and how there really isn't a simple, black and white answer when it comes to earthworms. Yes, non-native earthworms can have serious, negative impacts on the natural ecosystem, especially in parts of the continent. But in other areas, earthworms, even non-native species, can help soil health, especially in southern regions that have been highly impacted through long-term agricultural use. This is a complicated topic and we talk about some of those complications, including things that we as homeowners can do. Links: Southern Research Station Earthworm related Research Highlights from the Southern Research Station: Earthworms, Millipedes, and Soil Carbon in the Eastern U.S. Prescribed Fire to Stem the Tide of Earthworm Invasion Invasive earthworms have unexpected effects on other soil organisms Soil fauna are of vital importance to soil processes and deserve attention Short-circuiting an Invasional Meltdown Mac's email: [email protected] Other groups or researchers mentioned who are studying earthworms: Great Lakes Worm Watch, University of Minnesota Earthworms across Kansas, Kansas State University Bruce Snyder, Georgia College Josef Gorres, University of Vermont Katalin Szlavecz, John Hopkins University Books mentioned: The Formation of Vegetable Mould, Through the Action of Worms: With Observations on Their Habits (Classic Reprint) * Earthworm Ecology and Biogeography in North America * Backyard Ecology's website My email: [email protected] Photo credit: Yuanyuan Li

Hi, Everyone! In today's episode of the Backyard Ecology podcast we are talking with Shelby Fulton who is a terrestrial biologist with the Kentucky Nature Preserves. Our conversation focuses on moths and how they survive the winter. We also talk about how diverse moths are and ways to observe them during the winter. The number of different moth species is astonishing. For example, there are over 2,500 different species in Kentucky alone. Many species of moths are extremely small – almost too small to see. Others are much larger and easily identified. How a moth spends the winter is determined by its species. Some species overwinter as eggs, some as caterpillars, some as cocoons, and some as adults. The most common overwintering strategy is as a cocoon (pupae). There are also quite a few moths that overwinter as adults. Moths that overwinter as adults tend to have fluffy, "furry" abdomens. Some of these species are dormant all winter – basically going into the moth equivalent of hibernation. While others may be active and fly around on warmer winter nights. In addition to the fluffy, "furry" abdomens, moths that are active on warmer winter nights also tend to have other physiological adaptations to help them stay warm. These adaptations usually include the ability to shiver and warm themselves up enough so they can fly. Some species have internal adaptations that allow the moth's hemolymph (insect blood) to help keep itself warm. Those internal adaptations prevent the heat generated from the moth's shivering behavior from being lost to the outside environment as quickly as it would be lost without those internal adaptations. Many of the moths that overwinter as adults are relatively small (dime to nickel sized) and tend to be narrowly triangular and kind of drab colored. But some of them, like the herald (Scoliopteryx libatrix), which is featured in the photograph associated with this episode, are beautiful shades of brown or have intricate dashed patterns. One of the primary places that moths overwinter, whether as adults, caterpillars, or cocoons, is in the leaf litter. That is one of the reasons why leaving your leaves on the ground and not throwing them away, burning them, or mulching them is so important if you want to provide habitat for moths, or even butterflies. If you want to try and see some of the species of moths that overwinter as adults in your area, then you can try a sugar bait. There are many different sugar bait recipes, but they all include some form of alcohol, sugar, and fermented fruit. Mix everything up and spread it on a tree on a warm winter night, then check it periodically to see if anyone shows up. Taking pictures of any winter moths that show up and posting them to iNaturalist is a great way to get help identifying the moths. It will also help researchers learn more about what species of moths are active in your area during the winter, because this is yet another relatively understudied area of backyard ecology. Links: Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves website Shelby's email: [email protected] iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/ Backyard Ecology's website My email: [email protected] Photo credit: Shelby Fulton, Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves

Hi Everyone! On today's episode of Backyard Ecology, we talk with Maddy Heredia who is the outreach specialist and a biologist with the Kentucky Nature Preserves. Maddy and I first met when she was in college and volunteered on a citizen science / community science program that I was leading. Today we turned things around as she taught me a little bit about iNaturalist, which is a program that I knew about in the broad sense, but have never really used myself. I had a lot of fun recording this episode and I hope you enjoy it too. iNaturalist is a tool that can either be used through a smartphone app or online with your computer. iNaturalist is commonly used to help people identify a plant or animal. After you upload a picture and a little additional information about when and where you found it, iNaturalist will make recommendations as to what the organism could be. Other iNaturalist users can also comment on your photograph and help with the identification. Another common way that iNaturalist is used is by people who want to document the plants and animals they find. You can document the plants and animals in your yard, the pollinator garden at the local elementary school, the county park or other public land, or anywhere else. The observations that you make and upload to iNaturalist are publicly accessible. Those observations are extremely valuable to scientists because they can't be everywhere at all times. Also, we often don't know exactly where specific plants or animals are found, especially when it comes to understudied organisms like insects. Observations uploaded to iNaturalist can help fill in those knowledge gaps. For example, recently a species of moth that had previously never been documented in Kentucky before was documented in the state because someone took a picture of it and uploaded it to iNaturalist. I like the fact that not only can I use iNaturalist to help me learn more about the plants and animals that I find, but it can also help scientists learn more about those plants and animals as well. After talking to Maddy and hearing her walk us through the steps of using iNaturalist, I think I'm going to set up an account to help document some of the plants and animals that I find, as well as, to help identify some of the mystery insects that I discover as I'm taking pictures of different pollinators. If you aren't already using iNaturalist, then I encourage you to take a look at it. I'm guessing, that like me, you can find multiple uses for it. And if you use iNaturalist in Kentucky, please join the Kentucky Nature Preserve's projects so your observations can help them learn more about all of our amazing plants and animals. Links: iNaturalist Kentucky Nature Preserve Projects on iNaturalist: Documenting the Natural History of Kentucky Kentucky Roadside Native Plants Office of Kentucky Nature Preserves website Maddy's email: [email protected] Backyard Ecology's website My email: [email protected]

Hi Everyone! Today we are talking with Dr. Adam Baker who recently completed his PhD studying monarch butterflies and their use of monarch waystations in urban and suburban areas. His research has led to some important and easily applied strategies that any of us can use in our gardens. First, Adam looked at existing monarch waystations. He wanted to determine if monarchs used monarch waystations and if there were any key characteristics that might make one monarch waystation more successful than another. He found two very important characteristics that increased monarch butterfly use of the gardens for egg laying. First, more eggs were laid on milkweeds that were isolated from other plants – in other words, not touching other plants. Second, monarch waystations with clear lines of sight in the north-south directions were used much more than waystations where those lines of sight are blocked. Next, Adam looked at ways to design monarch waystations or pollinator gardens that would make them more attractive to egg laying monarchs. His research found that planting milkweed around the perimeter of the garden resulted in more monarch caterpillars and eggs than gardens where the milkweed was planted as a clump in the middle or mixed up with other plants throughout the monarch waystation. Additionally, he compared monarch egg laying behavior and bee usage of different species of milkweed and even compared some of the milkweed cultivars with their wild type counterparts. His research showed that tall, broad leaf species were more attractive to egg laying butterflies, than species with shorter or narrower leaves. The species of bees that used the different types of milkweed also varied. Yet another, component of Adam's research looked at European paper wasp predation of monarch caterpillars. He found that butterfly houses or butterfly hibernation boxes – those long, skinny houses with slits in the front or side that are often placed in or near pollinator gardens or monarch waystations – are commonly used by European paper wasps. There's no evidence that butterfly houses or hibernation boxes are actually used by butterflies. Thus, placing one in your monarch waystation or pollinator garden might be providing additional habitat for caterpillar predators while not doing anything to help monarchs or other butterflies. I love how Adam's research provides us with applicable, hands-on activities we can do to support egg laying monarchs in our gardens. I also like that part of his research looked at bee usage of milkweeds because obviously milkweeds are used by more than just monarchs. Adam's research is another example of how much we still have to learn about gardening for pollinators and wildlife, even for something as iconic and popular as the monarch butterfly. To me, it's exciting to see more of this type of research being done, especially when it results in real-world applications that we can so easily use in our own yards and communities. Links: Adam's papers and resources Backyard Ecology's website My email: [email protected]

Hi Everyone! On today's episode of Backyard Ecology we talk with Dr. Kirsten Traynor, a research associate at Arizona State University and the editor of 2 Million Blossoms, a quarterly magazine dedicated to protecting our pollinators. Our conversation takes a curvy, twisty path that covers multiple different topics including what led her to start the magazine, some of the articles in the magazine, a discussion of some of the crazy interactions between plants and their pollinators, some of her current research, and what's next for the magazine. Kirsten's journey into the world of pollinators started when she became a beekeeper. Her honey bees served as a "gateway bug" that inspired an appreciation of all the other bees that she also found visiting flowers. She started 2 Million Blossoms because she wanted to bring together beekeepers, native bee enthusiasts, and other people who love pollinators. Her goal with the magazine is to inform, inspire, and entertain. 2 Million Blossoms launched in January 2020. The tone of the magazine is very positive and it always has beautiful photographs and artwork. Articles over the past year have included the story of someone who rode her bike from Mexico to Canada and back as she followed the migration path of the monarchs, how coyotes serve as important seed dispersers for pawpaws and persimmons, goldenrods that grow well in garden settings without taking over, the lost migration of hover flies on the east coast, and photo essays exploring the connection between nature and the night sky. Kirsten also hinted at some of the stories she has planned for 2021. I'm a huge fan of 2 Million Blossoms and it's currently the only magazine that I read cover to cover. I can't wait to see what's in store for its second year. If this is your first time hearing about the magazine, then I encourage you to check it out. Kirsten was even kind enough to give our listeners a coupon code for $5 off the subscription price. (And no, I don't get any kick back or affiliate fees if you subscribe. I just really enjoy the magazine and think many of you will too.) Links: 2 Million Blossoms Download the 1st issue for free Sample from fall 2020 issue with goldenrod article Use coupon code BACKYARDECOLOGY to get $5 off the subscription price – Thanks Kirsten! Kirsten's email: [email protected] Backyard Ecology's website My email: [email protected]

Many people believe that nature is only "out there" – in national parks, other large chunks of pristine land, or some far-off exotic place. For a long time, I did too. But the truth is that nature is everywhere and there are still plenty of discoveries to be made about the common species inhabiting our yards and communities. In addition to my love of learning about plants and animals, I also have a passion for teaching and sharing my love of nature with others. Backyard Ecology is one of the many ways that I have chosen to express that passion. I write a weekly Backyard Ecology blog and am so excited to be launching a Backyard Ecology podcast. Hi, my name is Shannon Trimboli, and I'm the host of Backyard Ecology. I live in southcentral Kentucky and am a wildlife biologist, environmental educator, beekeeper, author, and owner of a nursery specializing in plants for pollinators and wildlife conservation. I have always loved exploring nature and learning about different plants and animals. In this podcast, I will be talking with scientists, educators, and other experts about pollinators, backyard wildlife, gardening for pollinators and wildlife, new research and other news we should be aware of, specific things that can do to help, and many other topics. I have some amazing guests lined up and can't wait to share our conversations. The first full episode should launch in early Dec. 2020. While we're waiting for the official podcast launch, you can go to the Backyard Ecology website at www.BackyardEcology.net and take a look at some of my blogs. While you are on my website, you can sign up for my email list. Once you join the Backyard Ecology email list, you'll get weekly emails with all our latest news including links to that week's blog and podcast. I also have two quick favors to ask of you. First, go to your favorite podcast listening app and subscribe to this podcast. Second, tell your friends, social media contacts, and others about the Backyard Ecology podcast. Word of mouth and recommendations from someone we trust, is the fastest way for others to learn about a blog or podcast. Thank you so much for helping me spread the word about Backyard Ecology. If you have any questions or want to share your own nature-related discoveries, feel free to email me. I look forward to talking with you soon. Until then, I encourage you to make some time to go outside and discover the nature in your own backyards and communities.