By Ezra Staengl, Center for Urban Habitats We looked around at the hard greens and browns of the heath, breathing in the crisp morning air. Today, despite being only late July, was one of the first days that you could begin to smell the cool, musty scents of fall. The Center for Urban Habitats was […]
Some Basic Concepts as employed by Center for Urban Habitats Paying attention to local natural systems teaches us how to bring forth the hidden potential of nature in areas where others have lost hope. –D.Floyd Plants grow where they grow for a reason. In order to adequately accomplish so-called “Native” landscape design and installation, CUH […]
08
May
May
Surveys for flora and fauna are turning up evidence of the changing seasons, along with some new finds. Below is a list of birds documented on mountainous terrain immediately south of Charlottesville by the bird team during the past couple of weeks. The tree swallow to the left was noted during survey at Quarry Gardens […]
03
Feb
Feb
Preliminary survey planning has begun at a number of sites, and we are excited to be in the woods again! Ezra, Rachel, and I were the survey team on Tuesday. Our goals during preliminary survey during the winter months are focused on identifying unique plant communities. This helps us to prepare for growing-season efforts to […]
31
Jan
Jan
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus purpureus) Ezra was the sole member of the Bird Team on the second effort of the week. The first half of the day was chilly and windy, and Ezra covered a wide variety of habitats from upland ridgelines to deep ravines. US-Virginia-Charlottesville-38.0x-78.5, Albemarle, Virginia, USJan 31, 2017 8:05 AM – 12:05 […]
30
Jan
Jan
5 Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) were noted Ezra, Theo and Joanna performed a half day survey of Avian Fauna at one of our ongoing biological inventory sites. Their goal was to begin the documentation of winter-time species. Quarry Gardens, Schuyler, VA, Nelson, Virginia, USJan 30, 2017 8:33 AM – 12:13 PMProtocol: Traveling2.0 mile(s)23 species Canada […]
By Isabella Gorman 10th grade student, Charlottesville Renaissance School – The students of Charlottesville’s Renaissance School made their second visit on Monday, March 7, to the IX Art Park to begin studying the Center for Urban Habitats (CUH), native ecosystem installation. Under the guidance of Anna Minutella, science teacher, and Dr. Becky Wilbur, dean of academics […]
09
Mar
Mar
We find ourselves at the edge of winter again and critters are on the move. Among these are the Spotted Salamander, Ambystoma maculatum, as it journey’s from it’s fossorial woodland home to the vernal pools of its breeding grounds. The migration has already occurred in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont. The pools there are full […]
25
Feb
Feb
How Center for Urban Habitats Determines a Name for a Plant Community Before one can assign a name to a habitat, one must understand first what the dominant plants and features are in that habitat. The name of a habitat is something that reflects a great number of combined details. In the end the name […]
17
Feb
Feb
“Like a fantastical prop from a storybook sprung to life, the giant’s stairs will lead down to a rich gallery of some of our loveliest natives. Spring ephemerals will be spread out like a floriferous carpet under lush ferns and forest understory trees and shrubs. As fairytales can inspire real-life virtues, this enchanting garden will […]