This tiny Mexican Smilisca (Smilisca baudnii) huddled at the back side of my moth sheet the first week of November. Discovering the frog was significant because it has been a long, drought- stricken summer, without the usual visits from these little tree frogs – nor other frogs and toads that generally hang out around
the moth sheet, free-loading for easy food.
Rio Grande Valley grade school students aren’t too young to learn about nature’s dangerous predator/prey modus vivendi, especially when Texas Master Naturalists (TMN) like Bill Rich involve the children in a rowdy game of coyotes and rabbits.
Painted spurge (Euphorbia heterophylla) and painted leaf (Euphorbia cyathophora) are not so distant relations of the famed commercialized poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) all of which are in the Spurge family and widespread throughout the tropics and subtropics. They also have been introduced or naturalized in many countries – giving them many common names.
Estero Llano Grande State Park in November wrapped up the Rio Grande Valley’s State Parks’ 100- year anniversary celebrations with an Outdoor Family Fiesta.
I’ve hesitated to speak aloud the word drought, in case it would make it real, but without an abundance of water, things “they are a-changin,’” as Bob Dylan wrote in a 1963 folk song.
The abnormally hot June and July temperatures, lack of rain and persistent wind have caused many water sources to dry up. In place of the water is a veritable sea of new vegetation. Two species particularly noticeable where the edge of our resaca once was, are described below.
I accumulated a few one-gallon pots of upstart plants from the yard in late spring and stashed them under the arbor in a make-shift nursery. There were no more plant sales slated; several of the plants were naturalized, rather than native, but a mantra goes through my head sometimes, “no plant left behind,” and I end up babysitting stray plants.