Gypsy Moth Problems

Gypsy Moth Problems

The skies were blue, but the gentle sound of pattering rain filled the forest where we were camping. This wasn’t the usual watery rain, but a steady rain of tiny bits of leaves and caterpillar poop raining down from the trees above. Caterpillar poop is known as frass,...
Life in a Blanket by Jeff Tome

Life in a Blanket by Jeff Tome

Imagine living your life curled up in a blanket surrounded by the dim glow of sun filtering in and the dark black of night for most of your existence. That is how I imagine the life of a giant silk moth to be. There are several kinds of silk moths that live around...
Changing Perspectives by Jeff Tome

Changing Perspectives by Jeff Tome

Several years ago I took my parents for a short walk in the woods. This was a couple years after they downsized from a house in the country to a smaller, more manageable home in a more developed area. My dad kept looking up at the trees and reveling in how huge they...
The Nature of Cooperation by Jeff Tome

The Nature of Cooperation by Jeff Tome

There is a famous quote from Lord Tennyson about nature being “red in tooth and claw”. The phrase creates this image of nature as a place where you either eat or are eaten. There is an easily recognizable truth in that statement that is easy to see. We watch animals...
The Paradox of Snow by Jeff Tome

The Paradox of Snow by Jeff Tome

Snow and cover are two words that often go hand in hand. Meteorologists produce snow cover maps. Cities with lots of snow take a perverse pride in having more snow falling on them than anywhere else, while bemoaning the huge amount of snow at the same time. Snow and...