'Beauty and the Beetle' at Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History in New Haven

NEW HAVEN - "Beauty and the Beetle: Coleoptera in Art and Science", opens May 27, at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, according to release.

The exhibition, on view through Aug.t 6, "combines select beetle specimens from the Peabody collections with larger than life beetle-inspired art by New Haven sculptor Gar Waterman and Bethany photographer William Guth, both masters of their craft," according to the release.

Like "Dinosaurs Take Flight," which is also on view at the Peabody, "Beauty and the Beetle" employs "the interpretive nature of art to augment the science presented by engaging audiences and arousing the imagination in ways not available to science alone," the release said.

 

A larger goal of "Beauty and the Beetle" "is the quest for “the deeper appreciation for the fantastic creatures that call Earth home – including humanity – and encourage us to reflect and respect the environments that support us all," the release said.

 

Editor's note:

Metal sculpture by Gar Waterman of a scissor-jawed longhorn beetle

Photograph by William Guth of a New Guinea spotted longhorn beetle.

 

More (also from the release):

Beetles are a group of insects that form the order Coleoptera. Their front pair of wings is hardened into wing-cases, called elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. They include more species than any other order and constitute nearly a quarter of all known types of animal life. Of the one million species of insects known to scientists today, nearly half – about 400,000 – are beetles. They are found in habitats across the globe, and take on a wide variety of shapes and sizes, the largest being 400 times longer than the smallest.

Actual specimens are small if not miniscule. Waterman and Guth met the challenge of transforming the microscopic into the extraordinary, the mundane into the heroic, by supersizing the scale of these fascinating creatures. Waterman, who calls himself “a nature-obsessed artist whose work explores the architecture of natural design,” pairs larger than life metal sculptures with beetle specimens to reveal by altered scale the remarkable details of beetle anatomy. To inform his work, he met with Munstermann and fellow entomologist Bill Krinsky and, in the Peabody Division of Entomology, observed specimens to learn about their anatomy.

The art form he employs is bricolage, a construction of whatever materials come to hand. His sculptures were initially inspired by metal stampings that were cast-offs from an automobile brake parts manufacturer. They resembled insect legs. “What began as found object art evolved into a science lesson in entomology,” Waterman explains. “The more I studied beetles to inform my art work, the more fascinated I became with their extraordinary biology and biodiversity.”

A video in the exhibition shows Waterman at work in his Westville studio transforming brake parts into adult beetle sculptures. The work requires a lot of cutting and shaping using numerous tools to which this artist is no stranger – industrial laser cutter, angle grinder, TIG welder, and MIG’s electric arc. Hundreds of individual welds are required to complete each section of the sculpture.

The magnificent oversized beetle photographs in the exhibition – high resolution color inkjet prints – are the work of William Guth. Both art and anatomy lesson, they feature amazing colors and exoskeleton topographies that straddle the line between abstract art form and biology. Guth cites three elements of his macro photography that were significant to capturing the fine detail of specimens this size – lighting, camera control, and photo-editing software. Fourteen images of a subject were taken at different focal points, then combined to produce a fully focused image and selectively enhanced detail.

The beetles on display are stunning themselves, representing the amazing beauty and complexity of nature’s art. The largest group of beetles are the weevils, or snout beetles of the Curculionidae family. One of six groups of Coleoptera on display, they comprise about 90,000 species – more than all species of fishes, amphibians, reptiles (including birds), and mammals combined – and range in size from a grain of sand to 1.5 inches long.

Other Coleoptera on view include the stag beetles (Lucanidae family), longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae family), scarab beetles (Scarabaeidae family), and ground beetles (Carabidae family). In each case, specimens show the many extraordinary variations of rostrums, antennae, mandibles, and other features. 

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Connecticut Motorists: Watch for Deer and Moose this Fall

Deer a little later in the season

 The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is reminding motorists to watch out for deer and moose along roadways, especially during early morning and evening hours, according to a release.

"September through October is the peak of the breeding season for Connecticut's small but expanding moose population in the northern part of the state. The breeding season (also known as "the rut") for white-tailed deer closely follows the moose breeding season, running from late October through late December," the release said.

Further, DEEP’s Wildlife Division "says motorists should be aware and heed 'Deer Crossing' signs along state highways. Motorists are advised to slow down and drive defensively should a deer or moose be spotted on or by the road," the release noted. "Because moose are darker in color and stand much higher than deer, observing reflective eye-shine from headlights is infrequent and, when struck, moose often end up impacting the windshield of vehicles."

Moose and deer vehicle collisions should be reported to local, state, or DEEP Environmental Conservation police at 860-424-3333.
 

 

“During 2015, approximately 4,500 deer were killed in the state due to collisions with vehicles,” Rick Jacobson, director of the DEEP Wildlife Division, said, also in the release. “A total of 40 moose-vehicle accidents have been reported in Connecticut between 1995 and 2016, with an average of two per year since 2002.  Moose-vehicle accidents are expected to increase as the moose population expands.”

Also:

"Most of Connecticut is not considered ideal habitat for moose because the state’s landscape is fragmented, roadways have high traffic volume, and moose have large home ranges (approximately 10-15 square miles). Moose venturing into southern Connecticut, with high population density, road networks, and traffic volumes, pose an increased potential for human fatalities from accidents as compared to deer-vehicle accidents. Residents throughout the state are encouraged to report moose sightings on the DEEP website at www.ct.gov/deep/wildlife."

Program on raptor rehabilitation and birds of prey to be held in Derby

The Naugatuck Valley Audubon Society,  in cooperation with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will hold "a program for the entire family" at the Kellogg Environmental Center, Derby at 1 p.m. May 15, according to a release.

 

The event will help folks learn about "A Place Called Hope, a Raptor Rehabilitation and Education Center for Birds of Prey," the release said.

This non-profit organization, located in Killingworth, is run by volunteers who specialize in rescue, rehabilitation, re-nesting, and release of birds of prey within Connecticut, the release said. "Their goal is always to reunite wildlife into the natural world."

 

The program will include two live diurnal and two nocturnal birds of prey. Visitors will have a chance to see birds, rehabilitated from injuries too severe for release, which have become educational birds, the release said. "You will learn about their habitat along with tips on how to lessen human conflicts."

After the presentation participants will have a chance to take a walk through the Osborne Homestead Museum gardens and, if time allows, a bird walk across the street at Osbornedale State Park where NVAS maintains bluebird houses, the release said.

The program will be held at the Kellogg Environmental Center, 500 Hawthorne Ave., Derby. A donation of $5 per adult is requested. Children under 12 are free. Light refreshments will be served after the meeting.

For more information, directions, or to register, call (203) 734-2513 or email donna.kingston@ct.gov

 

Editor's note: All information and the photo in this post were contributed.  Photo by:  Paul J. Fusco/CT DEEP Wildlife Division.

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Smile: Mystic Aquarium reminds us of National Penguin Awareness Day

Mystic Aquarium is reminding everyone of National Penguin Awareness Day "in honor of its colony of African penguins and the endangered populations in South Africa," according to a release.

"This day is especially meaningful in bringing awareness to the plight of endangered African penguins and the organized efforts of organizations like Mystic Aquarium, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB)," the release said.

This film, produced by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Gayle Sirpenski, "provides a look at the current threats facing African penguins and why it is important these endangered birds be saved from extinction," the release said.



"In celebration of Penguin Awareness Day, Mystic Aquarium is proud to announce the addition of 'Penguins Up Close' a new encounter program designed to provide further insight into the care and conservation of the endangered African penguin.  Among the most popular exhibits at Mystic Aquarium, guests are invited to go behind the scenes of the Roger Tory Peterson Penguin Pavilion and get up close to the African penguins," the release said.


Learn more here.

"Mystic Aquarium is a leader in a collaborative, nationwide effort to assist researchers in South Africa and sends staff to SANCCOB, a leader in seabird rescue and rehabilitation. Staff from the aquarium’s animal care, education and research departments examine all factors possibly affecting the penguins and develop plans for the aquarium to lead and assist with education, research and the conservation efforts of this species. Just last month, Tracy Camp, Senior Trainer at Mystic Aquarium, traveled to South Africa to assist with the efforts at SANCCOB. Her blog can be found at http://www.mysticaquarium.org/newsroom/south-african-penguin-blog," the release said.



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'Peabody’s Bird Nest Collection featured in Nature’s “Animal Homes” on PBS'

NEW HAVEN -- PBS NATURE’s "Animal Homes" is a three-part series produced by New Haven documentary filmmaker Ann Prum and THIRTEEN Productions LLC "that explores the complexity and diversity of animal architecture and provides intimate, never-before-seen views of the lives of animals in their homes," according to a release.

Airing on April 8, 15 and 22—at 8 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), "the series looks at animal homes around the globe—bird nests, bear dens, beaver lodges, spider webs and more—and the intriguing behaviors and social interactions that take place in and around them," the release says "Over the course of three episodes, the series delves into the amazing flexibility animal architects display, the clever choices they make and the ingenious ways they deal with troublesome habitats."

Also in the release (shared unedited here): 

Program 1, “The Nest,” airing Wednesday, April 8, at 8:00 p.m., begins with specimens from the ornithology collections of the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History that illustrate how nests come in all shapes and sizes, crafted from an inexhaustible diversity of materials, including fur, grasses, leaves, mosses, sticks and twigs, bones, wool, mud and spider silk—and often man-made materials such as colorful twine, bits of wire, even plastic bags. From Madagascar there is a hanging moss nest of the Velvet Asity, from Uruguay a mud nest of a Rufous Hornero made of 5,000 beakfuls of mud, and from Nova Scotia an Arctic Tern nest that is a simple platform of pebbles. A cup nest of the Common Yellowthroat, built within an old shoe, was collected in 1899 in Old Lyme, Connecticut. There are also Bluebird and Eider Duck nests and a stick nest of the Firewood-gatherer. Each one is a remarkable work of art, built with just a beak!

 Corey O’Hern, associate professor of mechanical engineering & materials science at Yale, conducts stress tests on some nests, and ecologist Chris Morgan, series host, tries his hand at building a few. This episode then branches out to scenes in the wild all over the world, where birds arrive at diverse nesting grounds to collect, compete for, reject, steal and begin to build with carefully selected materials, crafting homes for the all-important task of protecting their eggs and raising their young. The osprey and saltmarsh sparrow segments in this episode were filmed in Connecticut—the first in Greenwich, the latter in Madison.

 

Program 2, “Location, Location, Location,” airs on April 15. Featuring the homes of beavers, black bears and woodrats among others, it emphasizes the importance of finding a good base of operations—the correct stream or tree, the correct building materials, neighbors and sometimes tenants. Episode 3, “Animal Cities,” airing on April 22, looks at puffins in the Hebrides, social spiders in Ecuador and leafcutter ants in Costa Rica to demonstrate the importance of colonies to these animals.

The series features a blend of CGI, animation, CT scans and signature blueprint graphics to highlight engineering principles inside the structures. A variety of cameras, including tiny HD versions, capture unprecedented views inside animal homes without disturbing natural behavior. When appropriate, filmmakers shoot behaviors in slow motion and use infrared and time lapse  to reveal how animals create their structures over time and through the seasons. After broadcast, the episodes will be available for online streaming at pbs.org/nature.

New Haven resident Ann Prum explores science, wildlife and the environment through film. She began Coneflower Productions in 1995, and has created programs for National Geographic, The Discovery Channel, The Science Channel, TBS and PBS. She made the popular “Hummingbirds: Magic in the Air” for NATURE and won a regional Emmy for "Creating the Peabody's Torosaurus: Dinosaur Science, Dinosaur Art.”

 

Snake matters and snakes matter - really

I firmly believe that the presence of snakes in a yard is a good barometer of the health of that yard.

I do have to admit upfront that I am a big fan of snakes (my son is a true snake expert and licensed nuisance wildlife control operator in Connecticut)

There are 14 snakes that call Connecticut home; nearly all of them are not only harmless. but in fact beneficial to the residents of this great state. Keep in mind that the two venomous snakes that live here, both pit vipers, are more interested in avoiding you than you are in avoiding them. (The northern copperhead lives in some very few spots in Connecticut, as does the timber rattlesnake.)*

Again: snakes are our friends and the copperhead and rattlesnake want to avoid you.

My joy at the presence of snakes is not just about getting to spot a garter (shown in top photo) or a black racer slithering or sunning itself. It also makes me happy because we do not use pesticides, fungicides or any other -cides in our yard.

I do not recall, in fact, every using fertilizer on our lawn.  And yes, it has moss and there are weeds mixed in too. These sometimes unwanted elements of a lawn are not of concern to me- when my children were little, it meant not worrying about them rolling in the grass. It also means I am not sending any dreadful chemicals into the watershed. (through storm drains or the adjacent Regional Water Company property)

Check out my resident garter snake here:



I try to protect my property from harmful things people sometimes use - and try always to be careful about leaves it - as I do not want anything that leaves the place I live to harm Long Island Sound (storm drains often lead there)

The conclusion I have drawn about these snakes indicating good health of a property is based on the terrible effect many chemicals have on reptiles and amphibians.  Further, the presence of snakes means they are performing a good service: they eat many of the other crawly things that inhabit these parts.

So next time you spot a snake, don't scream, They can't hear you anyway. Smile instead and remember they want nothing to do with you either!

*(DEEP also reports that there are reptiles here that are not indigenous)


I like turtles too:

When do you know if your life has gone to the birds?

Has your life gone to the birds if you bird watch all winter and buy food for the feathered friends more often than for your hubby?

Check.

How about if the only Christmas present you really want was a bird bath?

Check.

What if you stop at parks in New Haven all spring to look for the returning ospreys?

Check. (not looking good so far)



Stop to take photos of hawks sitting on wires?

Um... check plus.

And then there is checking in with a co-worker anytime you see something interesting on the wing.

Check again.

Think birds are tweeting directly at you? Well, it could happen.

OK. Enough true confessions.

Anyone else have this issue? We could form a flock........

Oh Deer! They sure do like to hang around!

In Connecticut and certainly across Greater New Haven, white-tailed deer are plentiful. In some places, they are more plentiful than others and often appear as if they will move in, or at least expect a place at the dinner table. In some cases, the place at the table is literal, as shown in this videos.
If you watch the videos in a row, you will see exactly how at home these creatures are! (the last one is the best but you have to watch it to see why)


The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection says they are a "stately, graceful animal."

Do you agree? (And yes, I know we should have stored the patio furniture but we were still using it into December!) 

Connecticut DEEP: Snakes live here too

It is the "Year of the Snake" in

Connecticut and it's their state too

HARTFORD - The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection issued a release "reminding residents that snakes are starting to come out of their winter dens at the same time people are venturing outdoors to enjoy the nicer weather, start yard work, or participate in various outdoor activities like hiking."

  "Snake encounters can be alarming for some people, especially if they do not understand how harmless, yet important these creatures are to the natural world," the release said

Most importantly: "Gartersnakes are harmless to people and are NOT venomous."

“Snakes are probably some of the most misunderstood animals,” Laura Saucier, a wildlife technician with the DEEP Wildlife Division said, also in the release.  “There is no need to fear or hate these reptiles.  If you leave snakes alone, they will leave you alone.”

Further, the release said: "One of the earliest snakes to be encountered by people in spring is the common gartersnake.  This snake is perhaps the most common, widely distributed, and familiar of all North American snakes.  It is found throughout Connecticut, from sea level to the highest elevations, and from urban to rural areas.  The gartersnake is marked with a pattern of three light stripes on a dark body, and the belly is yellow and pale green.  Adults range in size between 18 and 26 inches in length."

"The closely related common ribbonsnake resembles the gartersnake in appearance and habits.  However, the ribbonsnake is less common in our state and is listed as a species of special concern."

More on the little snake that could:

"The gartersnake is extremely cold resistant. It is active earlier in spring and later in fall than other snakes. Ideally, snakes prefer temperatures around 75 degrees.  However, snakes, especially the males, will come out in lower temperatures in early spring.  At this time, snakes are focused on two things – finding a mate and finding food.

Gartersnakes feed mainly on amphibians (frogs, toads, salamanders), but will also eat earthworms, mice, small fish, nestling birds, small snakes, and a variety of insects and spiders.  Feeding usually occurs during daylight, but gartersnakes will also hunt for food in the mornings or evenings, and at night in hotter months and during the amphibian breeding period.  After successfully capturing and eating a meal, a snake will find a place to hide and digest.

The gartersnake’s success is due to its opportunistic nature to both habitat use and food habits.  This snake uses a variety of habitats, such as deciduous forests; forest edges; fields; swamps; bogs; stream, river, and pond edges; hedgerows; overgrown lawns; and grassy areas.  Snakes are often seen basking on wood piles, stone walls, hedges, and rocks."

More:

Gartersnakes... "occasionally they will enter homes and outbuildings in search of food.  A snake found in the home can be easily and safely removed.  A pair of garden gloves is sufficient protection from gartersnake bites.  The snakes have long teeth for their size; a bite on an unprotected hand is not dangerous but can be painful.  The snake should be picked up carefully to avoid excessive squeezing. Snakes have delicate bodies and are easily injured.  Place the snake in a cloth bag and release it in an area not far from the point of capture so the snake will be in familiar territory.  To discourage snakes from entering buildings, make sure all cracks in the foundation are sealed.  Basement windows should close tight or be covered with screens.  Gartersnakes do not require large openings to gain entrance."

.  One of the best ways to learn more about snakes during the “Year of the Snake” is to subscribe to the DEEP’s Connecticut Wildlife magazine (www.ct.gov/deep/wildlifemagazine).  You also can visit DEEP’s Year of the Snake webpage at www.ct.gov/deep/YearoftheSnake.2013 – Year of the Snake

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed. 

Plant It and They Will Come: Butterflies of Connecticut

The Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History this week offers a program about the state’s butterflies.

Andy Brand, manager of Broken Arrow Nursery and past president of the Connecticut Butterfly Association, and Peabody Education Coordinator Jim Sirch team up to introduce you to the common butterfly groups found in Connecticut. Learn how to attract these colorful visitors to your yard with plants that are truly “butterfly magnets”!

The event will be held 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the museum, 170 Whitney Ave. The fee is $20 for members, $24 for nonmembers. To register, contact 203-432-3775 or peabody.education@yale.edu.