by Steve Sass and Amanda Smith In April 2025, we detailed the history of the new Carlisle Olive Township Library's naturalized meadow and the efforts to maintain it (https://ncpl.lib.in.us/2025/04/08/beyond-the-books-biodiversity-in-action-at-the-new-carlisle-olive-township-library/). In the article, we discussed the original planting, the problems that ensued, and our efforts to correct them. In 2025, we began implementing a standardized method
by Steve Sass and Amanda Smith With autumn upon us and the daylight hours shortening, as tree leaves transition from green to shades of yellows, oranges, and reds, our native asters represent some of the final, vibrant gasps of nature's floristic glory. The word "aster" is Latin with origins borrowed from the ancient Greek word for
by Steve Sass and Amanda Smith By now, you've likely heard that one of our best-known and most beloved butterflies is struggling. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) population has declined by 90% since the 1990s. Most experts cite habitat loss, pesticide use, agricultural practices, deforestation, and climate change
