By Anna Lehr Mueser, Public Relations Manager
Happy spring! On March 20, despite a sprinkling of snow, the year officially turned from winter to spring! So, why are our staff excited for spring?
Gail, our Director of Education loves seeing the rise of skunk cabbage on the late winter forest floor.
Mike, our Executive Director, explains, “I love so many individual critters for so many different reasons, but one I especially adore is the blackpoll warbler. If warbler migration is a parade of colors, the blackpoll is the tramp clown at the end of the circus parade, mopping up after everyone. Around Memorial Day, I listen for their distinctive squeaky-wheel call and smile–the last migrating warbler in the long parade is here!”
Claire, who coordinates volunteers including our Toad Detour program, is most excited to see the first toads of spring migrating across Port Royal Ave (the first one was spotted March 9 in fact).
Write Barbara, one of our Monkey Tail Gang staff members, “I have been delighted to see the return of the Canada Geese. Last year I was near Fire Pond when they came zooming down from the sky, squawking joyously. This year I’ve seen them hanging out around Fire Pond and cautiously watching the lively antics of our after-school crowd, the Monkey Tail Gang.”
Both Christina, our Director of Environmental Art, and Donna, our Director of Administration and Finance, are excited for the longer days. Christina is especially happy for “the gradual crescendo of all the growing things coming back to life” and Donna loves “the smell of spring, that earthy, musky refreshing scent.”
