Browsing: Environment

OK, who loves cockroaches? No one! Well, Ensign Wasps do and when you see one, you know they are on the hunt. These small active wasps are not hard to distinguish from the many small insects that can be found flying about in your home. They are harmless and interesting to watch as they seek their victims.

Treetops have been a place I always wanted to visit. Being afraid of heights has kept me on the ground, but I remain enamored with what I can see and hear from the safety of terra firma. Taking the time to arch your neck and look up into the canopy is a worthy exercise if nothing more than to wonder and contemplate what lies above.  

Have you ever noticed nearly perfect round holes in leaves and wonder what made them? Well, wonder no more, for you have proof that leafcutting bees are nearby. These small industrious bees have evolved to cut and weave these excised pieces of leaves to make their nest.

The 2024-2025 Farmers’ Almanac hit bookshelves this week. It’s important to know that once the new edition is printed, the editors never go back to change or update their forecasts the way other local sources do.

Many people recognize these lyrics as part of Lauren Daigle’s award-winning song, “You Say,” from Look Up Child, her third studio album. However, fewer people might realize that this album became the highest-charting Christian album from a female artist in over 20 years. 

There are more than just fall festivals to see and do this autumn in the Magnolia State.

Fall foliage generally arrives in Mississippi a little later than most of the country, but it’s definitely worth the wait. The Magnolia State is home to brilliant colors of fierce reds, stunning oranges, rustic browns, and electrifying yellows during the fall months with October and November being the stars.

Two students from the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) School of Ocean Science and Engineering (SOSE) boarded the R/V Roger Revelle to study the physics on natural hydrocarbon seeps and the physical processes that control the fate of the released oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico. Joshua Seymour and Charles Heatherly were chosen to be part of a diverse student research group comprised of students and professors from the University of Georgia, the University of Missouri Columbia, and Southern Miss.

Smores are not smores without the marshmallow that holds the treat together. But as with many of our everyday treats, marshmallow’s origin is unfamiliar. But with a name like Marsh Mallow, you have to wonder. And yes, our marshmallow did originate from a concoction made from a relative of our own Saltmarsh Mallow, the bright pink flowers adding color to our tidal marshes in summer.

As a father of three, Marcus Drymon has watched his fair share of Disney movies, but he never imagined his work as an associate Extension professor at Mississippi State University would land him a spot on a National Geographic feature documentary on Disney+.

If you have ever spent time along the edges of tidal marshes during low tide, the waving of claws of fiddler crabs would surely have caught your attention.

Moon trees are grown from seeds that have traveled to the moon or orbited it. Mississippi is home to at least three moon trees in Starkville and Cleveland. These trees foster educational opportunities for the communities and the U.S. Forest Service. 

One Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, among the world’s most endangered sea turtle species, has had its third successful visit for specialized care at Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Better known by university veterinarians as Toast Malone, this turtle recently arrived with a fishhook lodged in its stomach. MSU Professor and CVM Internist Dr. John Thomason performed an endoscopy to successfully remove the fishhook, saving its life.

One of my favorite native trees is Sourwood – Oxydendrum arboreum. I love them for several traits that make them stand out in our landscape. Although Sourwood can grow to be large trees, many are found in the understory of our forests where they have an arching habit, rather than standing straight

A collaborative effort between The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS) provides significant research opportunities that benefit the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s blue economy. Student internships represent one reward from the impactful partnership.

Early summer always brings the fun antics of one of my favorite kinds of insects – June Bugs – more properly known as June Beetles or May Beetles. For most of us, especially in the South, a bug is any kind of insect. For entomologists, like myself, a bug is a member of a different group entirely – but I digress. As for the pronunciation of “bug”, that is another topic altogether and as far as I am concerned, up to the speaker. Cajuns would just say betaille.

It’s officially summer! Although we don’t really need a calendar to let us know that summer is here, June 20 marked the summer solstice, also known as the official first day of summer.