If you’ve looked in the waters around Greenwich lately, you may have noticed massive schools of fish swimming in slow circles near the surface of the water. Commonly seen near bridges and in harbors around this time of year, these foot-long fish are called Atlantic menhaden, or bunker, and they are a very important part of Long Island Sound ecology.
Read MorePumpkins belong to the genus Cucurbita. Their domestication happened at a very interesting time in natural history, one of extinction, and change.
Read MoreAs the spring of 2020 progressed, it became increasingly clear that the Seaside Center would not be able to open as usual this summer. Ultimately, Kate Dzikiewicz, the Bruce Museum Science Curatorial Associate who manages the Seaside Center, made the difficult decision to keep the doors closed for the summer. However, just because the Seaside Center was physically closed, didn’t mean that it had to be completely absent this summer. That’s where Seaside Center naturalist Brendan Murtha came in.
Read MoreSilk has a long and rich history across the globe. Now, we are gaining a deeper understanding of the science of what makes silk so special too.
Read MoreThe black skimmer is a truly remarkable animal and, while it remains unusual on the Sound, its numbers seem to be increasing— excellent news for committed birders and amateur nature-lovers alike. So, what makes the skimmer so special? If only there was one reason: the skimmer is visually and audibly enchanting, unique in behavior and ecology, and it’s always found in excellent habitat. What’s not to love? Also, as is typical of the species profiled in this series, the skimmers’ natural history is a gateway to some interesting and contested topics. Let’s explore why!
Read MoreWith summer winding down, many animals are on the move. The days are getting shorter, asters are beginning to bloom, and the bink-bink of migrating bobolinks floats down from overhead. To quote a notable house, “winter is coming.” The common buckeye is a distinctive migratory species that, while unusual most of the year, becomes hyper-abundant along the shores of the Sound in late summer.
Read MoreIs that a murder hornet in your back yard? If you see an alarmingly large wasp, it is probably the cicada killer. These native insects might look fearsome, but they could be considered gentle giants - unless you’re a cicada, that is.
Read MoreI wonder how we’d react to groundhogs if they were unusual, if they only persisted deep in protected areas. Would we stop in our tracks, freeze in disbelief, to watch them forage? Would we marvel at their ecological importance, their deep cultural heritage?
Read MoreStories about animals and artifacts by scientists at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT
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