Photo caption: Tamaracks, a deciduous species native further north, begin to lose their needles for the season during the October snow. Photo by Klara Kjome Fischer ’26.
The first snow has come...
Several weeks ago, a gray fox was observed wandering around the Arboretum. Unlike the more familiar red fox, gray foxes are recognized by their beautiful coats, a gradient from a silver-gray on their back...
One of the best trees to learn to identify in Northfield might be the hackberry, Celtis occidentalis. It’s a medium-sized deciduous tree with small red-purple berries throughout the winter. Need a snack...
Lately, friends of mine have been going off gallivanting, then return home with arms full of a giant white orb, lighter than air and larger than life*. This mystery orb is colloquially known as giant puffballs,...
Seed collectors in the Arboretum. Proto credit: Tim Vick
What do chickadees, Arb volunteers and meadow jumping mice have in common? Fall is the time to build up a nice cache of seeds!
As...
Who is this rogue potter, seemingly throwing clay on a miniature wheel and sticking the finished product on sumac branches? Look no further than the charming potter wasp, or Eumenes fraternus!
Anyone...
Amelia Leonard, Cole Student Naturalist
• September 29, 2023
A smidge of gold has doused the Northfield foliage a touch earlier than last year, and a touch later than the year before. These shortening days, as well as the cooler temperatures we experienced the first...
Gerrit Hoving, Cole Student Naturalist
• May 5, 2023
Spring has arrived, and the Arboretum is starting to flower and leaf out. But spring has also brought a couple of non-traditional signs to the Arboretum. Burned patches of ground, plumes of smoke —...
With a funky tune in the background, a plump, long-beaked brown bird treads daintily, bobbing its body back and forth while keeping its head perfectly stable and keeping up with the beat. You might have...
With what may be the last of the snow, southern Minnesota has seen a flurry of activity amongst its many feathered and furry creatures. Hibernators have risen from their dens and nests; migrators touch...
The city of Northfield recently published a press release confirming that emerald ash
borers have started to infest Northfield ash trees (see northfieldmn.gov). This is bad news for
the campus arboretum,...
The Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) is the heaviest-flying native bird in North America and has an average wingspan of 185 to 250 centimeters. Due to their size, they require around a 100-yard runway...
