Things are getting biblical around our pond. The frogs and toads were delighted to find a permanent water source for breeding, so it’s swirling with tadpoles. And now the tadpoles are emerging in large numbers, starting with the toads, who were the first to host an orgy at the pond this spring.
Last year, Laura found this skullcap (genus Scutellaria) on the lower loop trail in the south hollow. She caged it to protect it from the voracious whitetail deer in our woods, and it paid big dividends. Lots of rain this spring as produced a beautiful example of this medicinal forest botanical.
We removed the cage long enough to take a few photos and then replaced it. We can’t protect every skullcap in the forest, but this one definitely is worth keeping off the dinner plate of the local deer.
