Friends of Goodwin Forest

06/14/2026

Hummingbird clearwing moths hover like hummingbirds but are actually day-flying moths.

Several moth species in North America have evolved remarkable adaptations that make them easy to mistake for hummingbirds. Hummingbird clearwings and snowberry clearwings possess rapidly beating wings, long feeding structures called proboscises, and the ability to hover while sipping nectar from flowers. Unlike hummingbirds, these moths have visible antennae, plumper bodies covered with scales or hair, and transparent wing sections created when scales are shed after emergence. White-lined sphinx moths are especially active around dusk and can travel considerable distances while searching for nectar-rich blooms.

A common observation is that gardeners assume these fast-moving visitors are small hummingbirds and overlook the subtle features that distinguish moths from birds. Antennae, fuzzy bodies, and a coiled proboscis at rest are often the easiest clues for identification.

Encourage these fascinating pollinators by planting nectar-producing flowers such as bee balm, phlox, honeysuckle, and evening-blooming species that provide reliable food sources. Avoid broad-spectrum insecticides during flowering periods, especially in late afternoon and evening when many sphinx moths become more active. Taking a moment to observe wing shape and antennae can reveal an entirely different group of beneficial pollinators visiting your garden.

06/14/2026

Most people think moths are small, brown, and forgettable. The ten species on this chart are none of those things.

The cecropia moth has a six-inch wingspan. She's the largest moth in North America — bigger than many birds. She flies at night, which is why most people go their whole lives without seeing one.

The polyphemus has eyespots the size of dimes on her hindwings. She's named after the cyclops from the Odyssey. Five inches across, and she's probably been to your porch light without you noticing.

🌿 The connections most people miss:

The sphinx moth hovering at your flowers at dusk — she's the adult form of the tomato hornworm that ate your garden. Same animal, two completely different lives.

The isabella tiger moth is the woolly bear caterpillar that crosses your sidewalk every fall. The "winter prediction" caterpillar grew up and flew to your window.

And the peppered moth — speckled black and white — changed color during the Industrial Revolution. Soot darkened the trees, and the dark moths survived. The textbook example of natural selection is sitting on your porch.

For every butterfly you see, there are roughly fourteen moths you don't 🐾

06/14/2026

(222/250) The cecropia moth is North America's largest native moth with a wingspan that can measure up to 7 inches across. They're mostly found east of the Rocky Mountains, where females lay eggs on a variety of host plants including cherry, maple and birch trees. Adults don't eat and only live about a week - their only focus is to reproduce.

Photo: Ryan Hagerty/USFWS

06/14/2026

Looking for a fun way to get outside, get your hands dirty, and help out in the community this June?

Join ECCD and the City of Groton for upcoming rain garden volunteer days in Groton!

Volunteers will help care for existing rain gardens and plant new ones around the city. No experience needed, just bring water, comfortable clothes, and closed-toe shoes that can get dirty.

Register here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/city-of-groton-rain-garden-series-4846536

06/14/2026

Have you noticed a surprising new guest in your yard recently? 🐢

It’s snapping turtle nesting season, and these hardworking reptiles are wandering to find a suitable location to lay their eggs. And if you live not that far from freshwater, then this location may end up being your backyard.

Between late May and June, female snapping turtles will dig a nest, lay roughly 20 to 40 eggs, and then cover the nest before heading back to the water.

If you discover a nesting turtle on your property:

✅ Give the turtle plenty of space.
✅ Keep curious pets away.
✅ Leave the nest where it is.
✅ Avoid applying pesticides, fertilizers, or other lawn chemicals.

Predators (raccoons, skunks, and more) will often dig up turtle nests. This is part of the natural food chain, and in most cases, only a small percentage of the eggs will survive to adulthood.

If you are interested in protecting a turtle nest, you can find more information on our "FAQ About Snapping Turtles" webpage at https://portal.ct.gov/deep/wildlife/learn-about-wildlife/snapping-turtle-q-and-a

06/14/2026

06/14/2026

She has fifty teeth and you assume the worst. She is clearing your yard of pests.

Most people see an opossum crossing the lawn at midnight and reach for the worst assumptions. Almost none of them are true.

She does not dig up gardens. She does not chew wiring. She does not pick fights with your pets. She eats the slugs, the beetles, the grubs, and the fallen fruit — then slips into the brush pile before sunrise.

She is the only marsupial in North America. She has opposable thumbs on her hind feet and a prehensile tail that grips branches. Her body runs so cool that most viruses cannot replicate inside her — which is part of why opossums so rarely carry rabies.

Fifty teeth. Zero interest in you.

Leave one brush pile in a quiet corner of the yard. That is the entire ask.

06/14/2026

June is the peak month for native wildflowers across most of North America.
These eight are blooming right now — and each one is feeding a specific group of pollinators.

Purple Coneflower → in bloom from June through September. Monarch butterflies and bumblebees both prioritize it. The seed heads feed goldfinches through winter.

Black-Eyed Susan → one of the most reliable native plants in any garden. Blooms prolifically, self-seeds, and specialist native bees that visit almost no other plant depend on it.

Cardinal Flower → the hummingbird plant. The tubular red flower is the exact shape and depth for a hummingbird's bill. Almost exclusively hummingbird-pollinated.

Butterfly W**d → peak bloom right now. The most garden-friendly native milkweed — stays compact, doesn't spread. Monarchs lay eggs here.

Wild Bergamot → bumblebees and swallowtails fight over this one in July. The lavender-pink flower heads spread slowly by rhizome over years.

Elderflower → flat-topped white clusters blooming for the next 2-3 weeks only. The most time-sensitive harvest in the garden calendar. Make cordial now.

Goldenrod → not what causes your hay fever (that's ragweed, which blooms at the same time). Goldenrod pollen is too heavy to become airborne. It feeds over 100 native bee species.

Spiderwort → one of the earliest June bloomers, loved by specialist long-tongued bees that visit very few other plants.

06/14/2026

You've watched the squirrel on your fence every day for years. She's on the feeder, on the roof, in the oak. You think you know her.

You probably didn't know her ankles rotate backward — that's the only reason she climbs down headfirst. Or that she has whiskers on her legs that read the bark like fingertips. Or that the tail flick you've seen a thousand times is a vocabulary she's using on every squirrel within earshot.

🐿 The one that got me: she buries thousands of acorns a year and never finds all of them. The ones she forgets germinate. Some of the oaks in your neighborhood exist because a squirrel forgot where she put lunch.

She's never lived more than two hundred yards from where she was born. She doesn't hibernate — she's out there every winter morning running on food she buried months ago and somehow remembers where to find.

Ten facts. The squirrel you see every day is doing all of this right now 🐿

06/13/2026

Behold, the jewel of the saltmarsh! 💎

The diamondback terrapin can be found in the brackish salt marshes, estuaries, and tidal creeks of Connecticut’s coastline. This resplendent reptile is the only native turtle in the state to inhabit these areas where freshwater and saltwater meet.

Once viewed as a gourmet delicacy, terrapins were heavily harvested in the early 1900s. Since then, a ban on harvesting has helped their populations rebound. Unfortunately, terrapins now face new challenges, including habitat loss, unintentionally being caught in crab traps, and road mortality.

You can help diamondback terrapins by advocating for the protection of salt marsh habitats and watching for terrapins crossing coastal roads during the spring and summer months.

Did you know? Diamondback terrapins expel excess salt they consume in their diet through modified tear ducts located near their eyes?!

Learn more at https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Wildlife/Fact-Sheets/Diamondback-Terrapin