Spring's beauties in the Preserve

Yellow Troutlily in Bill's Woods. Photo G. Denniston

In springtime, visitors to the Preserve are in for so many treats of colors, sound and beauty, lifting our spirits and inviting us to contemplate the cycle of life. These earliest of flowers are already frequented by insects, busily gathering food and also pollinating for the next cycle to begin. Here is a small collection of photos from Glenda Denniston and some insects photographed by Mark Nofsinger and posted on iNaturalist. The big bumble bees seen in early spring are the queens that overwintered and are now gathering nectar and pollen to build cups and food balls for the next generation of bumble bees.

Hepatica in Bill's Woods. Photo G. Denniston