Friends Of Tekakwitha Woods

10/15/2026

Let the sun shine in! Join us for a restoration workday at Tekakwitha Woods this Saturday, October 17, at 9 a.m. We'll be removing invasive brush to keep the woods open and sunny for native plants to thrive. We know this is a busy weekend with lots of activities, so if you can only lend a hand for an hour that's fine. Every bit of help is welcome!

09/19/2026

Tomorrow's workday is cancelled due to weather. Hope you can join us on Saturday, October 17 instead!

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09/15/2026

Always happy to see this critter at Tekakwitha Woods. It's the Smokey-winged Beetle Bandit, aka Cerceris fumipennis. Not only is it a spiffy-looking pollinator, it preys on adult Emerald Ash-borer Beetles.

09/10/2026

Sumac dripping with color at Tekakwitha Woods.

09/08/2026

Fun find at Tekakwitha Woods this morning! This owlet moth caterpillar was hanging out on a goldenrod plant, kinda chilling and just being cool. It will grow up to be a Brown-hooded Owlet Moth, drab as can be - such a contrast to the campy appearance of its youth! The cats like goldenrod and asters, so this is prime time for finding them. (Second photo shows it taking a bite of the goldenrod plant.) As adults, they're important nocturnal pollinators. Thumbs up for this species!

07/16/2026

This coming Saturday's workday at Tekakwitha Woods is cancelled due to weather conditions. (July 18, 2026) Use the morning instead to sleep in air conditioned comfort, go to the pool, or relax on the porch with a tall iced coffee!

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07/14/2026

While I was bee monitoring at Tekakwitha Woods, this Hummingbird Clearwing was doing its darnedest to distract me. The bumblebees were being uncooperative, so I gave up on them and started shooting the moth instead. A show-off, for sure!

07/11/2026

American Germander (not to be confused with American gerrymandering! is) a lovely little mint. Shot this one in the early morning sun at Tekakwitha Woods, along the shore of the river. Although not a super high quality native plant, it graces bottomland forests as well as meadows and abandoned field. Check out the petals. The lower petal, or lip, serves as a landing pad for pollinating insects. The purple markings act as guides to direct the insect to the sweet spot - the nectar inside the flower.

07/08/2026

The lovely little Enchanter's Nightshade is blooming at Tekakwitha Woods. The tiny flowers are best appreciated with a handlens, as they measure only 3-6 mm long. They're not true nightshades, and they're not very enchanting when their tenacious seeds get stuck in your socks and on your pants legs! But they are cool. The genus name, Circaea, comes from the Greek goddess Circe, an enchantress endowed with a special knowledge of plants and potions.

06/21/2026

Team Tek did a great job at our workday yesterday, clearing honeysuckle, poison-ivy, and buckthorn from the Story Walk at Tekakwitha Woods. The signs are now visible again - and safer for little readers in shorts and flip-flops!