Virginia Creeper is a native vine that often suffers from a case of mistaken identity – some…
Why pay for a garden plant that grows wild right outside the garden?
You may not have seen an Eastern Narrowmouth Toad before, but you’ve definitely heard it.
“Creepy” - a word that could have been coined to describe Dodder, the yellow-orange, leafles…
There’s a tiny predator in the woods around Lake Martin that is a common, year-round residen…
If you’re on Lake Martin, there are almost certainly tiny insects nearby with an amazing, Bi…
My introduction to Devil’s Walking Stick was quick, rude and painful.
One of the first spring flowers to bloom on the forest floor around Lake Martin, the Trout L…
This time of year, the Eastern Red Cedar around Lake Martin sticks out like a sore thumb … i…
Green Sunfish are one of the many native Alabama fish that are sometimes lumped together und…
The Long-tailed Skipper is one those butterflies that is so distinctive it stands out among …
Beggar’s Lice is one of those plants that you don’t often see at first blush. Its small and …
If you bump into a mature Common Snapping Turtle, there’s little doubt that you’re looking a…
You can’t look at a Buttonbush flower without thinking of elephants.
If you have a boathouse with a roof on it – or any roofed structure near the lake – there’s …
There are lizard’s tails.
Daisy Fleabane, a beautiful little white wildflower with an unfortunate name, pops up along …
“Yellowhammer.”
Have you ever heard an agitated “squeaky-toy” sound in the pines?
During the last century, European Starlings overran North America – at least the United Stat…
Witch’s Butter has nothing to do with either witches or butter.
One day it rains, and the next day – POOF! – white puffballs appear, like magic, on the lawn.
If some of y’all ever been down South too much
The Northern Bobwhite Quail does exactly that. Its most distinguishing call is a clear, bold…
The distinctive, lacy green plumes of Dog Fennel are easy to spot, even at 55 miles per hour.
Blue Dashers are your friends.
Rabbits are one of those animals you think you know a lot about because you’ve read, heard a…
Often known as the “little mockingbird,” the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is a bird that does look …
If you spend much time gardening or walking on a wooded path or visiting the woodpile, you p…
What’s in a name?
Have you ever taken a wintertime walk down a country road and found a clump of bright yellow…
Smilax really shines this time of year.
Broadleaf Arrowhead is a pretty wetlands plant you ought to know about.
If you saw this plant growing in the water along the shoreline of a Lake Martin backwater, y…
Popular with hummingbirds and gardeners
Talk about standing out in a crowd.
Smooth Sumac is an ancient-looking shrub that, by appearances only, looks like it would be m…
The Southern Catalpa tree is an icon of the Deep South. And if you’re standing on the shores…
Dog Vomit Slime Mold – those are four words that command attention.
If you see a yellow flag at the Talladega 500, it means take caution.
Also known as Yellow Jessamine, Evening Trumpetflower, woodbine and Poor Man’s Rope, Carolin…
One of the most beautiful fish in the waters of Lake Martin is the Longear Sunfish, which is…
Flamingo’s cousin is known for its cooing and gobbling
Creepy Lake Martin creature is 500 million years old
These purple perennial native wildflowers add color to the fall landscape
One of Alabama’s most common fall butterflies is probably flitting across your property right now
Meet Lake Martin’s Showy Shorebird
That long, gray beard you see swaying in the breeze in several spots around Lake Martin does…
Native vine produces beautiful blossoms all summer
The Nature of The Lake stories feature a plant or animal found around Lake Martin. This mont…
America’s Favorite Panfish
Hikers with green Dirt Pass Crew wristbands can access day-use areas at Wind Creek State Par…
A North American bird that’s hard to love
A native grass that’s treated like a weed
Alabama is a beautiful state with no shortage of natural resources. Many folks from other pa…
It’s not a wives’ tale: Beavers are busy.
In response to last month’s supermoon mania, Lake brings you the lowdown on lunar lore