With the official start of summer, Bernheim Forest and the rest of the state are mourning the loss of the ash trees to emerald ash borer. Many of you may have already noticed many dead and dying ash trees in the arboretum that have been and will be removed. Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) is […]
Garlic Mustard Removal Report 2017
June 5, 2017 By | Leave a Comment
Part of Bernheim’s vision is to be ecological stewards. Part of that stewardship and conservation effort is to keep our forest healthy and pristine. In our land management efforts, we place a strong emphasis on removing invasive species, which are non-native plants that can cause damage to the ecosystem they inhabit. Bernheim has removed garlic […]
Bernheim Receives a Monarch Watch Grant to Plant Milkweed
June 1, 2017 By |
Bernheim Forest was recently awarded a grant from Monarch Watch to plant milkweeds in the Big Prairie to enhance the already excellent habitat for monarch butterflies. The monarch population has declined in the last few years due to loss of milkweeds due to the use of herbicide resistant crops, climate change, and loss of habitat on […]
Investigating Bernheim Ants
May 25, 2017 By |
This post was written by Natural Areas Interns, Katherine Cappel and Mikayla Bishop, Campbellsville University students. Since arriving last week, they have been helping with various projects including the new arboreal ant bioinventory. In collaboration with Dr. Steve Yanoviak of the University of Louisville, Bernheim has begin an ant study to survey arboreal (living in trees) […]
You Say Crawfish; We Say Crayfish
May 23, 2017 By |
Anyone who lives in Kentucky has probably seen the volcano mounds of dirt that are created by crayfish. Crayfish are also called crawdads and crawfish, and belong to the order Decapoda. Crayfish are found in lakes, caves, streams, rivers, wetlands, and other freshwater habitats throughout Kentucky. There are over 50 species of crayfish found in […]
Why Do Male & Female Scarlet Tanagers Sing?
May 18, 2017 By |
Spring is a great time to see many of Bernheim’s colorful birds like the Scarlet Tanager. Male Scarlet Tanagers are beautiful bright red birds that are very difficult to see, since they spend most of their time in the forest canopy singing. Females are even harder to find, because they are a pale yellow and will […]
A New Wasp Species at Bernheim (and yes, we’re excited about it)
May 11, 2017 By |
We are thrilled that we just found a wasp species that has never been recorded at Bernheim Forest – the Megarhyssa atrata. It is a common parasitic species that is found in deciduous forests. They require a host for their larvae to make it to adulthood. The female giant ichneumon wasp has one of the […]
Brainard Palmer-Ball’s Successful Day of Birding
May 9, 2017 By |
This post was written by noted ornithologist, Brainard Palmer-Ball. Photo credit, Pam Spaulding. May is the ideal month for birdwatching in Kentucky, because in addition to our permanent resident birds, many migrant species are on the move from wintering grounds to breeding grounds. Because of Kentucky’s location, most species of birds can be found in […]