Author: Anita Westervelt
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Anita’s Blog — It was a Sluggish Day
It was a sluggish day. Even the mower seemed slow, hampered by a headwind as it was. The only thing moving quickly was the wind — gusts so forceful the clipped grass chips stung my legs. Dust and clippings swirled under my face mask and into my eyes. Other than those annoyances, it was a…
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Colorful and unique creatures share the warm Gulf waters off South Padre Island’s shore
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By Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Moray eels are a unique fish found worldwide in tropical and temperate seas. They are often brightly colored, have a big mouth, tapering body and swim using a series of undulating movements. Morays have no side fins like typical fish. Instead, they have a dorsal fin — generally the…
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That’s a big bug!
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Story and photos by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist There’s one super big bug that always gives me pause. I erroneously labeled it as a rhinoceros beetle and was told they kill trees by eating the roots. Neither is correct. It is an ox beetle, in the scarab family, Strategus aloeus. Ox beetles can measure…
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Leaping frogs and hopping toads
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Story and photos by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Distinct features can help you identify whether you’re looking at a frog or a toad. A prominent one is that frogs have smooth, slimy skin, while toads are warty looking and have rough, dry skin. Another quick tell is the legs. A frog’s legs are longer;…
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A rose is a rose — unless it’s a hibiscus
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Story and photos by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist You could say, “a rose by any other name is” changeable — and if you’re talking about Hibiscus mutabilis, one of its common names is changeable rose-mallow. This giant of a flower has other names, cotton rose, cotton rosemallow and its most common name, Confederate rose.…
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Climbing hemp weed — a favorite for the honey bees and butterflies
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Story and photos by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Climbing hemp weed (Mikania scandens) competes with all-time butterfly-attracting Valley favorite, Crucita — fall-blooming mistflower (Chromolaena odorata) — during the annual fall butterfly season. While mistflower grows as a small shrub in a multitude of soils and growing conditions, climbing hemp weed is generally found growing…