Nature Moncton Nature News: Sept 28, 2015

** A very big thanks to Dr. Melissa Grey for an outstanding presentation to the Nature Moncton workshop on Sunday afternoon. Melissa showed just how special the JOGGINS FOSSIL SITE is to this area and the whole world, for the information it has revealed about life 300 million years ago, at a time when the site was actually located at the Earth’s Equator. This site has drawn people from around the world to study what appears in the cliffs, as well as large numbers of people who wish to see a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Also, special thanks to workshop coordinator Louise Nichols for arranging to have Dr. Grey come to Moncton to share some of the amazing story of the Joggins fossils.

** The fall ASTERS [asters] are great plants for insect pollinators, as well as “eye candy.” Susan Linkletter is involved with a pollinators project that she participated in a few years ago, where she grew asters, harvested the seed, and sent them to an organization that was going to monitor pollinator populations in Canada. Susan shares a few recent photos of some pollinators in action on her aster plants.

** Brian Stone shares a photo from Sunday of a BUMBLEBEE [bourdon] continuing its pollination, a fuel-gathering mission, as well as of a content-looking woolly bear caterpillar. This is the larva of an ISABELLA TIGER MOTH [Isia isabelle] and will over-winter in the caterpillar stage.

Also added are a few specimens that were on display at Sunday’s FOSSIL [fossile] workshop.

** As expected, Brian was very ready for last night's TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE [éclipse totale de Lune] that came off in a clear sky, letting lots of folks experience this astronomical event. Brian got a series of photos to beautifully show it, and also put together a composite photo of the eclipse.

** The three BLACK SWALLOWTAIL [Papillon du céleri] caterpillars contributed by Susan Richards several days ago have all gone into the chrysalis stage. A photo of one is attached. Note the strands of silk holding the chrysalis to the stick. The caterpillars would have been from a second brood of the season. The three chrysalises will be held, protected for the winter, to hopefully successfully emerge next spring to be released to head out on their reproductive mission.

nelson@nb.sympatico.ca

Nelson Poirier

Nature Moncton