6/24/2021 | This resource was created by Joanne Vogel and Kate Reilly.
Summertime will sizzle on the Duke Farms Distance Learning Portal through an eclectic array of environmental topics that feature the sights, sounds, and smells of this sensational season as was artistically captured in Dunbar’s historical work. We hope that you are inspired to find your own nature-based adventures and create reflections and memories to last a lifetime.
Summer in the South
The Oriole sings in the greening grove
As if he were half-way waiting,
The rosebuds peep from their hoods of green,
Timid, and hesitating.
The rain comes down in a torrent sweep
And the nights smell warm and pinety,
The garden thrives, but the tender shoots
Are yellow-green and tiny.
Then a flash of sun on a waiting hill,
Streams laugh that erst were quiet,
The sky smiles down with a dazzling blue
And the woods run mad with riot.
Paul Laurence Dunbar, born in 1872, is the author of numerous collections of poetry and prose.
He is one of the first African American poets to gain national recognition.
If you're familiar with our Distance Learning Portal, you might have heard about our our love for keystone plants. These plants serve as the main source of food for Lepidoptera caterpillars and the foundation of regional ecological food webs. So, what is the most productive keystone genera? Oak trees are some of the strongest contenders amongst the 2,000+ genera of native plants in the lower 48 states. No manmade bird feeder can even compete with the power of oaks when it comes to feeding birds. Did you know that an oak trees can produce millions of acorns throughout its lifespan? That's tons of protein, fat, and carbs to feed hungry animals all year round.