🌿 Join us for a hands-on invasive species workshop at Teatown! 🌿 In partnership with the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, this free workshop includes 2 hours of expert-led presentations and 2 hours of guided fieldwork at our Environmental Science Center. Led by Claire Lignac, former Invasive Strike Force leader, you’ll gain tools to help protect our trails and forests. 🗓️ Limited to 25 participants — registration required. Don’t miss out! https://www.teatown.org/events/invasive-species-management-workshop/ (fb)

Columbine in Crimson: A Birdlike Beauty in Bloom Unlike western or European columbines, our Eastern red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) sticks to one vibrant color combination. The five petals are yellow where they cup the pollen, and blend to red as they stretch into spurs in back, while five red sepals lend support. Bumblebees and hummingbirds are its primary pollinators, and it also feeds numerous insects. Leaf-miners often form intricate patterns as they munch a meandering path inside the leaves. The black seeds form in upright tubes, and are easy to rattle out for collection and sowing. Whoever named this group of flowers had birds on the brain – Latin columba means pigeon or dove, and aquila means eagle, so the common name columbine and the scientific name Aquilegia both indicate people sensed some avian resemblance, though they don’t seem to have agreed on whether they saw talons or wings or a small huddled flock. These plants especially like to find rocky crevices or thin soil in dappled light to grow in solitary splendor. You can explore this island gem with 200+ native blooms: Guided Tours of Wildflower Island are available on May 24, 31 and June 7. There will be a Curator Chat & Open Gate Day on May 25. (Thank you to Wildflower Island volunteer Eli Trautwein for the write-up! Photo credit: Linnet Tse.) https://www.teatown.org/events/category/wildflower-island/ (fb)