Next to birds and flowers, I probably pay closest attention to butterflies and moths. These are fascinating creatures with winged scales (which is reflected in the name of their order, Lepidoptera, or lepidopterans, from Greek lepis, meaning “scale,” and pteros, meaning “wing”). An estimated 180,000 lepidopteran species exist on this planet which is a formidable … Continue reading Beauteous Butterflies
Today, I would like to take you back to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. If you didn’t travel there with me last week, please do so here for background and context. After parking and checking in at the front desk, you can watch the documentary about the history of this place and/or read about it … Continue reading Florissant Fossil Beds–Part 2
Between Colorado Springs in El Paso County and the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in neighboring Teller County to the west, one doesn’t simply travel some 30 miles in distance but also some 36 million years in time, back to the late Eocene (56 to 33.9 million years ago), when the Florissant Valley was covered … Continue reading Florissant Fossil Beds–Part 1
How do we know it’s springtime along Colorado’s Front Range? How does anybody anywhere know it’s springtime? It’s because the dandelions are blooming, showing their bright and cheerful faces to the supraterranean world! 😊 I wonder if that’s true where you live, too. Because the Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) has spread from its original home … Continue reading Spring Arrives on the Front Range
Last week’s post was a love song to the spectacular Sandhill Cranes who migrate through Colorado's San Luis Valley twice a year. This week’s is a tribute to the no less spectacular setting where the cranes congregate each spring and autumn. Multiple routes lead to the San Luis Valley from Colorado Springs, but the most … Continue reading Journey to the Cranes
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