Web Mountain Park is a small preserved located in Monroe. Last week some of my high School kids spotted this female Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) seating on its eggs.
It was amazing to me the ability of this bird to hide in the woods next to a large tree and close to a small stream. Go out there! Open your eyes! And you will discover the wonders of nature.

A word on Invasive Japanese Knotweed

Invasive plants are an alarming problem, and especially when a patch of these plants are found on a central area within a nature sanctuary. Two days ago as I was hiking inside the white trail in the Whittemore Sanctuary in Middlebury, CT. I found an impressive Japanese Knotweed patch within a forested clearing. This growth will expand to new areas if not carefully eradicated.
Japanese Knotweed or Polygonum cuspidatum also known with the names of Mexican bamboo, Japanese’s fleece flower or crimson beauty is a persistent plant that is very difficult to eradicate. It requires annual and consistent cut or pull sometimes 2 or 3 times during the growing season. Some herbicides will also help.
This plant can change the ecosystem by quickly spreading to form dense patches that will exclude native plant populations. It can survive floods, high salinities, and can cause structural damage to foundations.Walk you favorite nature area and look for invasive plants that if eradicated soon will keep the nature area pristine. Alberto F. Mimo