One of the great joys of summer is maple seeds, those wonderful natural helicopters that children love to play with. This seed is from a silver maple, Acer saccharinum L., and is about 2.4 inches (6 cm) long. What can a tree know of aerodynamics? Click on the image for a larger view.
Tag Archives: Nature
Summer Wind, Summer Forest
Yesterday was beautiful. I believe that trees evolved to be tall simply to play and dance in the wind. Click on the image for a larger view.
Where the Land meets the Sea, part 5
On a moonlit night at Pemaquid Point, two figures look out to sea. A soft wind presses against their bodies. The rhythm of breaking waves fills the air. “I would love to spend the rest of my life searching for beauty,” whispers the woman to the man.
Click on the image for a larger view.
Where the Land meets the Sea, part 4
We imagine the end of the day along the coast having the fiery reds of a sunset. But water, whether liquid or vapor, is a conjuror of color. When the sun is blocked at the horizon, color transmutes into something magical. Click on the image for a larger view.
Where the Land meets the Sea, part 3
For all of Maine’s lengthy coastline, what is rare is sand. Seawall Beach comes between the salt march of Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area and the Atlantic Ocean. Many threatened seabirds need the dunes behind these beaches to reproduce, which makes these areas along the coast extremely important. However, what are not rare on the Maine coast are mist and fog. Click on the image for a larger view.
Where the Land meets the Sea, part 2
Maine’s coastline is a contorted into bays, peninsulas, coves, and islands. Bailey Island is the terminal point along a string of inhabitable islands jutting out into the Gulf of Maine. Many small uninhabitable islands dot the coast as well, like these rocks on the other side of Jaquish Gut—a small waterway between Bailey Island and Jaquish Island. Click on the image for a larger view.
Where the Land meets the Sea, part 1
Maine is famous for its coastline. Millions of people flock to places like Acadia National Park to enjoy its beauty. But the land and the sea can have very contrasting natures. While a perfect day in June can have warm sunny weather with a soft breeze, swells from an unseen storm out at sea can lash the coast. Click on the image for a larger view.
Dandelion and the Big Bang
The thirteen-billion-year journey the universe has taken since it came into being has led to this dandelion. Not a certain outcome—rewind this history and it will play out differently. But one thing is sure, if not dandelions, the product of a universe will be complex, it will be beautiful. It may, however, not be edible. Click on the image for a larger view.
Spring Marsh Floods
Bates-Morse Mountain Conservation Area is home to a system of marshes. The marshes above the main salt marsh are prone to flooding from the spring rains. What appears during most of the year as grasslands become large shallow lakes. Click on the image for a larger view.
Starflower
The starflower, Lysimachia borealis, has colonized a part of our forest. It is a small, but striking plant, blossoming in the late spring to early summer. The flower commonly has seven petals, but the number can vary; one of our plants has nine. Click on the image for a larger view.
