With the arrival of warmer weather in southern Minnesota also comes a strange and fascinating species of fungus to the Cowling Arboretum. This is the Cedar Apple Rust, a fungus from the family Pucciniaceae, most of which require two host species to survive. This fungus undergoes many life cycles, and…
The Bald Spot
LOCATION UNKNOWN— A local river, which has never been explored by a single soul, reported Sunday feeling “overshadowed.” The river has existed since before even the first humans, but nobody has ever dipped a toe into its temperate waves, let alone included it on a single map. It lies some…
Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora) is a native wildflower of Minnesota, with large, yellow, conical, pendant flowers. It gets its common and scientific names from the shape of its flowers, which resemble bells (if you have ever seen a bell before) or uvulas (if you have an overactive imagination or an obsession…
If you wander by the ponds in the Arboretum in early evening or after a rain, you may hear what resembles a chorus of fine-tooth combs. This is the call of the western chorus frog (Pseudacris maculate), an elusive tree frog found in open, damp areas. During the first run…
While many of us are away from Carleton for this Spring term, one highlight of any Spring in the arboretum is spotting Spring ephemerals while walking in the woods. True to their name, spring ephemeral wildflowers bloom for a short period of time in the Spring and then fade away.…
As the weather gets warmer in southern Minnesota, reptiles are beginning to emerge from hibernation en masse. Three species of snake—the Common Gartersnake, Dekay’s Brownsnake, and Redbelly Snake—are frequently recorded in the Arb. Though rattlesnakes can be found along the Mississippi River near the border with Wisconsin, all the snakes…
Carleton has reached a new milestone: for the first time in the college’s history, 100% of students have enrolled in an Off-Campus Study (OCS) program. “Carleton’s current OCS programs are extremely personalized,” said a representative from the OCS office. “In fact, they can be tailored to any unique location across…
The pussy willow (Salix discolor) is a native shrub that is one of the first plants to flower in the spring. Because they start blooming in very early spring, pussy willows are a valuable source of pollen and nectar for pollinators. They are usually found growing in damp to wet…
Should I tilt my head to “my right” or “your right?” The COVID pandemic affects our lives in so many ways, and our love lives are certainly not immune. Couples on campus who were practically married are now separated, living hundreds of miles away from their beau. Students with crushes…
As we are all painfully aware, Spring term is quite unlike anything we’ve experienced before. Carls are scattered across the globe, confined to their living quarters; classes, meetings, and even socializing now occur exclusively online. The unprecedented situation leaves Carls with many questions: will I be able to engage as…