Heather Russell 4/3/23 Heather Russell 4/3/23

Mosquito Control - Without Harmful Chemicals

Is there really such a thing as mosquito control without chemicals? Ask any pest control company and they will tell you no. But ask an entomologist and they will tell you yes! The problem with pest control companies is that their barrier sprays don’t just kill mosquitoes, they kill everything else in their spray’s path! Even companies that claim their chemicals are organic, still kill all the other insects, not just the pesky mosquitoes but all our beneficial insects! Mosquito spray companies use an insecticide that is sprayed on the vegetation in your yard and around your home. Mosquitoes like to rest in the vegetation and the insecticide kills them when they go in there to rest. The problem is it also kills the other insects that rest in the vegetation. It’s called a non-target effect. There is no way to avoid killing beneficial pollinators if you’re spraying for mosquitoes. One other downside to using sprays is that butterfly and moth caterpillars, and many other insects, eat the leaves of the plants and shrubs that have been sprayed and are then eaten by birds, so now the birds are at risk as well. Another problem with spraying for mosquitoes is that you must keep spraying since sprays only kill adult mosquitoes.

Entomologist Doug Tallamy, recommends in his book, Nature’s Best Hope, making a mosquito trap. Here are the steps: Partially fill a bucket with water, add wheat straw or hay, and then just let it sit and ferment which will attract the females to come and lay their eggs. Once the eggs are laid, add a mosquito control dunk that contains Bacillus thuringiensis to the bucket with the larvae. The dunk will kill the larvae, getting rid of the next generation of mosquitoes. You can cover the bucket with chicken wire or some wide netting so wildlife doesn’t accidentally fall into it and drown. You can watch a short video of Doug explaining it here

It is also very important to get rid of any standing water on your property.

Heather Russell 12/22/22 Heather Russell 12/22/22

Woven Works Park Native Pollinator Planting.

On December 10th volunteers planted 100 pollinator plants and shrubs.

On December 10, 2022, TriadWild!, the local chapter of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, held a successful Native Pollinator Planting at Woven Works Park, just off Murrow Boulevard. The volunteers planted over 100 pollinator plants and shrubs, including several varieties of coreopsis and echinacea. A grant from the Rotary Club of Greensboro covered the full cost of all the plants.

City of Greensboro Parks and Recreation employee Matthew Hicks selected the plants and their planting sites, along with help from volunteer Maury Schott. TriadWild’s president, Robin Davis, said “It is wonderful when so many parts of our community – the City of Greensboro, Action Greensboro, Greensboro Rotary Club, TriadWild!, and interested citizens – can join forces to improve our environment. Come spring and summer, this will be a beautiful area full of pollinator plants, where folks from all over the city can learn about the importance of native plants for our environment.” Maxie B’s Bakery and Dessert Café provided refreshments for the volunteer crew.

Jon Wall, a Greensboro Rotary member and board member of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, said “Restoring native pollinator habitat is important for so much of our wildlife, and it is great to create this ‘oasis’ in the middle of downtown Greensboro. NCWF website has lots more information, here, on the importance of native pollinators, including recommended lists of native plant options.”

The Downtown Greenway is a public-private partnership between Action Greensboro and the City of Greensboro. Woven Works Park is one of four major works of public art that are the cornerstones of the four-mile loop that encircles downtown Greensboro. Downtown Greenway Project Manager Dabney Sanders notes “These enhancements at the Bird, Bee, and Butterfly Pollinator Garden at Woven Works Park further our goal to create beautiful spaces along the Downtown Greenway that educate, inspire, and are good for the environment. This partnership joins a tradition of community partnerships that have made this project so successful.”

Heather Russell 11/19/22 Heather Russell 11/19/22

How I fell in love with Nature

It all started with a simple, little bird at a simple, little feeder that led me to birding and eventually to falling in love with nature.

It wasn’t until my dad asked me to “retire” from teaching to help him take care of my mom that I was finally able to slow down and begin to enjoy the nature around me. I enjoyed playing outside as a child and our annual trips to Yosemite but I didn’t really pay a lot of attention to the things around me. If it wasn’t for the opportunity to help my mom, and a cute little Tufted Titmouse, I don’t know what I would be doing today. That little titmouse led me to discover the joy of watching backyard birds which then led to birding full time after my mom passed.

I used to spend hours observing the birds that came to the feeders in my yard, but soon that wasn’t enough. I ventured out of my comfort zone and began to discover new places which in turn led me to encounter new birds, or lifers as they are called in the birding world. I traveled to local parks, the beach, and to different wildlife refuges across the state to chase the birds!

Barred Owl with grasshopper at Alligator River NWR

Many days the birds were scarce so I turned my camera to anything in nature, particularly the butterflies that came to my parents’ backyard. Even now, I usually carry two cameras with me...my long lens for birds and wildlife and usually a macro lens for closeups of small things like bees, butterflies, flowers. I could be gone all day with my camera. Discovering new things makes me happy and feel closer to her.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on purple coneflower

One year on a trip to the Smokies, I discovered there was other wildlife to photograph besides just birds...a coyote, bears, deer and I fell in love with nature! If someone who enjoys birds is called a birder, can someone who enjoys nature be called a naturer? If so, I am a naturer! I LOVE NATURE! Well, maybe not mosquitoes!

Then I started seeing headlines about the decline in the bird population across the country. (2.9 billion birds lost since 1970!). Then headlines about how the honeybee is in decline as well as other pollinators. Then I started noticing headlines about animals being killed/murdered because they had become a nuisance. And finally, the IUCN declared the Monarch butterfly endangered! These headlines ignited a spark in me, a spark to get out there and experience everything nature has to offer before it’s too late.

When I started on this journey, I had no idea how diverse our natural world was and so I have decided that I want to see and observe as much nature/wildlife as I can while I can. I can’t imagine a world without any of these things but if that day should come, I want to have experienced some time with them. I want to know I saw a Monarch and planted milkweed in the hopes of helping to save the species. I have started to incorporate as many native plants in my yard for all wildlife and have even created my own little Butterfly Highway by providing not only plants that provide nectar for them but also host plants for them to lay their eggs and provide food for their caterpillars.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird enjoying the cardinal flower.

I travel when and where I can trying to photograph as much wildlife as I can. Besides traveling to take photos of wildlife I am also active in my community promoting conservation efforts through my work on the board of the local Audubon group, T Gilbert Pearson Audubon Society and Triad Wild, the local chapter of North Carolina Wildlife Federation. I hope my story and my photos inspire you to get out and explore nature and help wildlife out in your own yard.

Snow Geese lift off at Pocosin Lakes NWR

Heather Russell

Secretary, Triad Wild!

Heather Russell 9/29/22 Heather Russell 9/29/22

Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards

We had a wonderful weekend in Raleigh taking part in the Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards

We had a wonderful weekend in Raleigh earlier this month where we gathered with other chapters and shared what we have been up to and what we are looking forward to achieving this year. We then celebrated the 19 conservation heroes of the year; it was so uplifting and inspiring! We now feel energized to learn more, do more, and work harder to protect North Carolina’s wildlife and wild places. You can read more about the evening and the conservation heroes here.

Heather Russell 8/1/22 Heather Russell 8/1/22

Congratulations!

"Triad Wild is thrilled to announce that our very own, Robin Davis, CEO of Maxie B’s, has been awarded Business Conservationist of the Year! Robin is a devoted advocate for both the natural world and the community who help support it, through her generous donations of time and resources. We are so proud to work alongside her to improve our world and raise awareness for conservation and wildlife advocacy!"
You can read more about Maxie B’s Environmental Stewardship here

Heather Russell 3/20/22 Heather Russell 3/20/22

March Program:

Safe Passage for Wildlife with Jeff Hunter

Heather Russell 2/17/22 Heather Russell 2/17/22

February Program:

Creating a bird and wildlife habitat in your own yard with Carol Buie-Jackson

Creating a Bird and Wildlife Habitat in Your Own Yard with Carol Buie-Jackson

Heather Russell 1/20/22 Heather Russell 1/20/22

January Program:

Recording of our January program with Katerina Ramos of NCWF

The Endangered American Red Wolf

Heather Russell 1/9/22 Heather Russell 1/9/22

The Wonders of Wintering Waterfowl

One of the things I enjoy most about living in North Carolina is the vast diversity of wildlife that can be found within a few hours of leaving my home. No matter which direction I travel, there are public lands to explore, teeming with wildlife. Be it deer, bear, elk, birds, butterflies, turtles - every season yields new treasures to be discovered and seen.

But I especially love all the wonderful waterfowl that visit NC in the winter. With thoughts of Snow Geese, Tundra Swan, and hundreds of wintering ducks, I packed my gear and bags, loaded up my car and headed east for the coast. The excitement built the closer I got. To me, winter birding at the coast is much like going to Disneyland as a child. Before I knew it, I was pulling into the parking lot of the Visitors’ Center at Pea Island NWR, just south of Nags Head. As soon as I parked my car, I was greeted by the sounds of hundreds of Tundra Swan calling! I grabbed my camera, headed for the trail, and soon I was gazing out over North Pond with a view of hundreds of Tundra Swan, White Pelicans, and a variety of ducks…Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Blue-winged Teal, to name a few! If you have never experienced wintering waterfowl along our Outer Banks, I highly recommend it.

I continued my walk along the wildlife trail between North Pond and New Field Pond stopping at the observation decks along the way and snapping photos. It was fun to sit and observe. One interesting behavior to observe is the various feeding techniques used by the variety of waterfowl. Swans are mainly herbivores eating aquatic plants and roots, but they will also eat arthropods and worms. On water, they will tip their bodies over, plunging their heads underwater to forage. Sometimes they use their webbed feet to stamp in the muck and dig up underwater food, like tubers. It’s fun to watch the smaller ducks gather round and go after what the swans dig up.

Another fun thing to experience is the sound of feet slapping the water as swan and ducks start to take flight. Diving ducks, ducks that propel themselves underwater for food - like Canvasbacks, American Wigeon, and Ruddy Ducks - have small wings relative to their body weight and fly faster. Because of this, they need open water that provides a runway of sorts for their take-offs and landings. Dabbling ducks are ducks that skim the surface of the water for food or feed in the shallows by tipping forward to submerge their necks and heads to find food. Some examples of these are Green-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, and Northern Pintails. These ducks can take off vertically – they just pop right out of the water!

Above photos: Tundra Swan running to take flight, Northern Shoveler popping out of the water, Bufflehead running to take off

After I spent a few hours with the waterfowl, I decided to walk across the road and see what I could find along the beach. I was hoping to spot some American Oystercatchers, but I didn’t spot any that day - good thing I still had another day at the beach.

The next morning, I set out before sunrise, hoping to catch a few shots of the rising sun before spending the day photographing waterfowl. I decided to stop at a favorite spot of mine on my way down to Pea Island in the hopes of seeing some Snow Geese. I am glad I did! I got to spend a few hours sitting, observing, and photographing them. The weather was cooperating with sun, warmth, and no wind! After another car pulled up and flushed the Snow Geese from the area, I decided it was time to head to Pea Island. Again, I was greeted by the calling Tundra Swan and the nasally calls of American Wigeon as I walked slowly along the pond taking it all in and snapping photos. There was so much going on everywhere I looked, it was hard to know where to point my camera. Every time I aimed in one direction something was happening in another direction!

Above photos: Snow Geese, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, and a Canvasback going for a dive.

After my time with the waterfowl, I had made arrangements to meet Katerina Ramos, from NC Wildlife Federation, at the Red Wolf Center in Columbia. I thought learning about the red wolves of North Carolina was a great way to break up my long drive home. This was something I had been wanting to do for a quite a while, especially after photographing one of only eight red wolves left in the wild back in May. That encounter had sparked a desire to learn about them in the hopes of somehow helping in their recovery, even if only by teaching people about them and their plight. I spent an hour listening to Katerina and asking questions. She was so interesting to listen to, like everyone when they are passionate about their subject! You could tell she really loves the wolves. I even got to see the 2 resident wolves, Manny and Sage! I heard about some of the successes of the recovery program as well as some the setbacks/losses. I left this visit feeling determined to not let another species become extinct!

Manny at the Red Wolf Center in Columbia, NC.

After I had finished up at the Red Wolf Center, I drove down to Lake Mattamuskeet and made the tour along Wildlife Drive, happy to be greeted by the sounds of Tundra Swan once again. I had planned on spending time at Pocosin Lakes NWR on my way home, exploring it late that afternoon, photographing the sunset and spending the next morning photographing the waterfowl. After hearing about how the drought was affecting the water levels on the impounds and causing the number of waterfowl to drop this year, I decided to just drive through the refuge and head home instead. Pocosin Lakes is a great place to see hundreds, if not thousands, of wintering waterfowl and, as a bonus, Sandhill Cranes have been wintering here for the past few years! I had seen reports that they were here again this year. I was shocked by the low numbers of waterfowl and lack of water, saddened actually. One bright spot on my way in was spotting the 7 Sandhill Cranes, even if they were too far away for any decent shots. No waterfowl were in any of the usual spots, so I turned my car around and headed out.

As I was leaving the refuge, I heard a familiar call - that of hundreds if not thousands of Snow Geese. I pulled my car over, turned off my engine, and stared up at the darkening sky…sunset was almost upon me. In the distance I could make out a “cloud” of Snow Geese. The cloud was growing closer, and the calls were getting louder. They circled the field several times, landing, settling down for a while and then taking flight again. They did this a few times all while feasting on the spent corn crop as I sat and watched until the sun went down. It was dark now and I could barely make them out in the field as they finally took flight one last time and headed to the lake for the night.

Above photos: A “cloud” of Snow Geese getting closer and closer.

As I was driving along the back roads of eastern North Carolina I passed many logging trucks, and I was left wondering when will it ever be enough? We are just clearcutting the landscape with no thought of the wildlife that calls these woods home...but that is a topic for another day.

We are lucky to live in a state with such a variety of habitats that can support all the wildlife that call North Carolina home, even if just for the winter. I can’t wait to see what spring brings.

Heather Russell,

Photographer and Secretary, Triad Wild!

Heather Russell 12/10/21 Heather Russell 12/10/21

Digging in the Dirt

Sometimes you just have to do what calls to you…even on a random Tuesday morning in December. Such is what happened for me last Tuesday, December 1.

I was going about my morning routine (feeding the birds and changing their water, tending to the pugs, laundry, and checking email to get all caught up before really getting into what I needed to do that day) when I read an email from Madison Ohmen with the North Carolina Wildlife Federation about a volunteer opportunity to help plant some native plants in a permanently-protected Plant Conservation Preserve (PCP) in Durham.

The only snafu was that it started in 3 hours from when I read the email! I tried to shrug it off and just stay on track with “My To Do” list. But I couldn’t stop thinking that this would be so interesting, rewarding and educational. The weather was amazing. And the plants had been grown by the folks over at The North Carolina Botanical Garden in Chapel Hill (one of my favorite organizations).

So….

Sometimes you just have to do what calls to you…even on a random Tuesday morning in December. Such is what happened for me last Tuesday, December 1.

So….

I signed up!

I finished my coffee, wrapped up a few office items and walked the pugs quickly then head out the door with my garden clothes, a hori hori knife , a bucket, some gloves, and a big thermos of ice water.

The directions said to park on the roadside shoulder. Upon my arrival, I saw a small group of folks headed down into the woods. Not to worry, Madison was waiting patiently for a few straggling volunteers to arrive. She cheerfully led me to the group where we did some quick introductions and then got to planting!

While we planted, Lesley Starke, the NC Plant Conservation Program Director, chatted about the work that they have done over the prior 10 years of this very piece of land to remove invasive plants and to restore the land to it’s prairie days. Today was perhaps just another drop-in-the-bucket workday toward the ultimate goal of restoration, but not one taken casually or with any sense of frustration in the amount of work it can take to reach a project’s full potential. Their cheerful wit and enthusiasm for a day spent doing this kind of work was truly contagious. (Even if you did not originally want to be there, by the time you left, you would have changed your tune!)

As part of the founding board of Triad Wild! I really was curious to see how this planting would be executed. Our mission today was to plant 500 little native plants in the woodland preserve in only 2 hours! I wondered if this could truly be done?!

Well, we did it! And it was actually quite easy. The magical puzzle piece was that the Bot Garden had loaned the dedicated staff of the North Carolina Plant Conservation Program two of their drill-powered augers! The site had been scouted ahead of planting day to decide which species of plant would go where and then we simply carried the flats of small plants to their new homes, dropped them in the holes that had just been dug before our very eyes, and tucked them in nice and tight with the rich, dark soil of the forest. After planting, the staff of the NCPCP used their backpack water packs to give them a drink and we lightly covered them back with the leaf litter we had gently moved before planting them.

As I headed back to Greensboro that afternoon I could not help be thankful that I had read that email in the nick of time to lend my help. I met a lot of wonderful folks who just enjoy doing good deeds for our planet. And I look forward to seeing pictures of this planting down the road and knowing that our efforts helped create more pollinator habitat along a corridor in Durham.

Next up….similar volunteer-based plantings in the Piedmont Triad as we get this fledgling community chapter of the NCWF up and running. I hope an email soon finds its way to you in a timely manner! You’ll be glad you joined in, I promise.

Robin Davis

President, Triad Wild!

December 2021