Kerry Wixted

Connecting Nature & Community

Category: Pollinators

Vanilla: a Sweet Flavor with a Sticky History

It would be hard to imagine a modern world without vanilla. Vanilla is one of the world’s most popular scents and flavors. It has been used for centuries, and the demand for vanilla far exceeds natural production. In fact, it is estimated that roughly 18,000 metric tons of vanilla flavor is produced annually, much of
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A Better Guide to Yellow, Stripey Things

Did you know? Maryland has over 1,200 documented wasp species, many of which are super tiny and exist around you without you realizing they are there. I have spent the last 20 years working with wildlife and unlearning a lot of harmful stereotypes I grew up with (snakes are dangerous/spider bites cause major medical issues/
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Embracing Free Bird Food

As I was driving along the highway this past weekend, I was struck by the number of eastern tent caterpillar tents along the road. It seems like this year is going to be a BIG year for them in Maryland. Worry, not! You might be called upon by friends, neighbors, and contacts in regards to
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Give it Up for the Ground Nesters

Here in Maryland, we are in the beginning throes of ground-nesting bee season. You might be surprised to learn that there are over 440 species of bees that have been documented in Maryland and that most of them nest in the ground. When most people think of a bee, they envision the honeybee which has
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