September+NTM

September 8, 2014 __**A New Sapling (Maple)**__ While I was in the forest I found yet another sapling. I identified it as a regular maple sapling because of its leaves. It's scientific name is //Acer.// It is bigger than all the others, so I think it will survive the winter and fall. It's trunk is already thickening, so it will probably be sturdy enough to have snow on it. My only worries is fall. It has not fully grown yet and it hasn't gotten enough sugar from its leaves yet, and its leaves will fall off. I was planning to do something with it when it was fully grown, but i don't know if it will survive. All the information and the picture are from http://naturalhistory.crowspath.org/types/tree-plant Here is a picture of the //Acer// sapling: September 15, 2014 **__Doomed Cocoon__** Today, I was walking in the woods, and I found a cocoon hanging on for dear life as the wind almost blew it off the branch it was hanging onto. I identified it as a Monarch Butterfly Cocoon. I could tell due to its pattern, and its scientific name is //Danaus plexippus// cocoon. I have decided to take it inside, since the weather is cold, I think its wings will freeze when it comes it of its cocoon stage. It is in an official butterfly jar, and when it comes out of the cocoon, I will release it in the summer. All of the information and the pictures are from http://photography-vlm.blogspot.com/2012/10/monarch-butterfly-emerging-from.html Here is a picture of the //Danaus plexippus// cocoon: September 22, 2014 __**Termite Terror**__ Yesterday, I was hiking in the wood, and I saw more fallen trees than usual. I walk around for awhile until I stumbled upon a shocking discovery. There were termites in a log, in which it seemed they were resting after a good meal from the forest. They were Dampwood Termites, which are common in the US. The scientific name for Dampwood Termites is //Termopsidae//. I ran inside and looked up how to kill them so that they wouldn't keep destroying the forest. It said that a simple bug repellent would work so I grabbed my moms termite repellent and went back into the woods. I found the log they were in and sprayed it with the repellent. I watched as they quickly died so that they would never harm the forest again. Here is a picture of the Dampwood Termite. All of the information and the picture is from http://www.orkin.com/termites/dampwood-termites/ September 29, 2014 __**The Release**__ Just this morning, the cocoon I had written about before has come out. It was an amazing sight as the butterfly came out and spread it's wings for the first time. I thought it was quite weird that it came out at this time, but you can't change what nature does. It was a beautiful butterfly, but probably by now its getting ready to migrate with the others soon. I hope it makes it all the way to where its warmer. Here is a picture of one //Danaus plexippus// the picture is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_butterfly