This is an archive of articles written by Anita Westervelt between 2015 and 2021 for the Rio Grande Valley Chapter, Texas Master Naturalist. To focus on the most current information, these earlier articles were retired from the original site. We are pleased to provide a permanent home for them here. Please note that the articles are preserved mainly in their original form and may contain outdated information or links. For Anita’s current work, please visit the South Texas Border Chapter’s blog: stbctmn.org/blog.
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Anita’s Blog — Victory Garden Super Foods
Is it too late to start a victory garden? I don’t think so. Weeds grow, even in this drought, so why not some vegetables? Victory gardens, were vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in the United Kingdom, United States and other countries during World War I and World War II. The gardens were to supplement…
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A little on the wild side
Story and photos by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, a member of the Solanaceae family. This particular species needs further identification to include: [Lycopersicon esculentum var. cerasiforme]. This is one of those plants you may suddenly find in your garden, as did I, one spring. I left the plant to do its…
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Anita’s Blog — A Bit on the Wild Side
This is about one of those plants you suddenly find in your garden. When I found my first surprise-it-looks-like-a-tomato-plant vine in an obscure portion of our yard a couple of years ago, I left it to do its own thing, hoping to eventually identify it. Yes, it looked like a tomato vine, smelled like a…
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Black-bellied Whistling Duck
by Marilyn Lorenz photos by Chuck Lorenz You see them everywhere. Flying overhead with a soft wheesh-wheeshing sound, floating in every bit of water they can find, or even just standing around hanging out in your backyard. These are our own very special kind of duck – the Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Once found only in…
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Must-have butterfly and hummingbird plants for summer entertainment
By Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist You’ve been following this column and rushed out to plant important nectar plants to bring in hummingbirds and butterflies for your summer entertainment. Your Esperanza, Tecoma stans, (The Monitor, September 7, 2019) is about to bloom. Now is the time to prune it if you want a different shape.…
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Anita’s Blog — Along the Road
The first day of March brought a fun surprise — a new bird! I was so excited, my squeal of delight knocked the bird clear out of the tree, even though I was still in the kitchen, viewing the tiny wonder through the glass. I grabbed my camera anyway and waited, leaning my elbows on…
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Beware the beautiful but invasive plants
Story and photo by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Native plants are those naturally occurring in an area without human introduction. Invasive plants, on the other hand, are non-native species that are able to establish themselves within existing native plant communities and can become a threat to the integrity of the ecological community. A plant…
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Wingspans in the Valley Skies
Story and photos by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist The length of a bird is generally the body length from crown to feet or to tip of tail, depending on where the longest measurement will be when the bird is standing or perched. Wingspan, a much more dramatic measurement, is from the very tip of…
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Turkey Vultures, environmental asset
Story and photo by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Not everyone appreciates turkey vultures, although they should. These carrion scavengers perform a much-needed environmental service. Their scientific name, Cathartes aura, provides a clue to their place in the ecosystem. Cathartes, is a Greek word meaning “purify.” Although a permanent Valley resident, an abundance of turkey…