Dragonflies need fresh water to complete their life cycle, so we often see them flying around the lakes at Tara and along the banks of the Mississippi River around pockets of still water. Dragonfly Life Cycle Dragonflies spend most of their lives as nymphs (larval form) in the water, sometimes for as long as 5 years. Eventually, the nymph will crawl out of the water and shed its skin to become an adult dragonfly. The adult dragonfly stage of its life is much shorter, sometimes only a few months or a year. The Food Chain Unlike many common garden insects, dragonflies are carnivores, meaning they feed on other creatures. They feed … [Read more...] about 10 Astounding Things You Should Know About the Dragonfly
Partridge Pea: Providing Food, Cover, Erosion Control, and Soil Nutrients
With tiny leaflets and bright yellow flowers with a red center, this native plant improves soil quality, provides food for pollinators and birds, and is a host plant for the caterpillars of several butterflies. And even more exciting – it has an interesting reaction to being touched. If you want to attract butterflies using a low-maintenance plant, this is the plant to add to your butterfly garden. Food For Pollinators The bright yellow flowers of partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) produce nectar that is fed upon by ants, bees, wasps, flies, and even velvet ants. The flowers bloom in summer and persist through early … [Read more...] about Partridge Pea: Providing Food, Cover, Erosion Control, and Soil Nutrients
10 Amazing Things You Never Knew About Raccoons
At Tara, we often see raccoon tracks near the edge of lakes and ponds where they often go to feed. Raccoons are nocturnal, so it isn’t very common to see them in the daytime, but sometimes we see one out and about in the daylight. Raccoons are omnivores, meaning they will feed on just about anything – fruits, crayfish, nuts, frogs, mice, insects, snakes, turtles, mollusks, worms, eggs, corn, and even our garbage! The name for this masked mammal is derived from the Algonquian term arakun, which can be loosely translated to mean "he who scratches with his hands" (Raccoons: A Natural History by Samuel I. Zeveloff). These masked mammals … [Read more...] about 10 Amazing Things You Never Knew About Raccoons
Top 6 Corporate Retreat Activities
The unique, rustic setting that Tara provides is perfect for relaxing and unwinding in the outdoors -- away from to-do lists, ringing telephones, and a constant influx of email. We asked folks who attended a corporate retreat at Tara’s Herbert Bryant Conference Center to tell us what their favorite recreational activities were during their visit. These activities can help build relationships between colleagues and help everyone relax and enjoy himself or herself. According to their answers, these are our six most popular activities for corporate groups that come to Tara. #1 Free Time in a Relaxing Setting It might surprise you … [Read more...] about Top 6 Corporate Retreat Activities
Native Buttonbush Provides Food for Wildlife – Native Plant of the Month
One of the more unusual flowering shrubs in our native plants garden (located between Tara Lodge and the Herbert Bryant Conference Center) is buttonbush, also known as button willow. Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) is usually found in wet soils, such as swamps or the soil adjacent to the edge of a pond or stream. It grows well in wet soils overhanging water and its branches provide shade for spawning crappie and ducks. It can also grow well on moderately dry soils, as long as it gets enough water when it is becoming established. Starting in June and continuing through September, you can find 1-inch diameter round, spiky-looking … [Read more...] about Native Buttonbush Provides Food for Wildlife – Native Plant of the Month
Bald Cypress Tree: Native Plant of the Month
When you picture Mississippi swamps and lakes, you probably think of bald cypress trees growing in the water, with their knees sticking out of the water like so many miniature hills in a landscape. We've got some of these trees growing just outside the door of Tara Lodge, at the edge of the lake. Their branches dip down towards the water, creating shady spots for fish, reptiles, amphibians, and insects. Wildlife Value of Bald Cypress Trees Birds and small mammals use the trees for nesting and roosting locations in these swamps and wet areas. Clusters of bald cypress trees are often used as rookeries by nesting herons, egrets, and … [Read more...] about Bald Cypress Tree: Native Plant of the Month
