My viewing of winter solstice dawn was quiet, but I had the conviction that this sort of observation reached far back into history, all around the world.
Invasive propensities of the various species are enhanced and more successful in disturbed environments. Consequently, both native and introduced cattails are expanding their ranges.
My observation that fall temperatures and pollination seemed to last longer this year is anecdotal, but the anecdote seems to fit into a documented pattern of climate change altering the onsets and durations of the seasons.
Just as we have learned that the cost of freedom is constant vigilance, we must accept the notion that the lands set aside for forever must continually be guarded.
Monarch butterflies gained access to milkweeds after they evolved the metabolic trick of absorbing the cardiac glycosides by sequestering them in fat bodies.