Bumblebees make their yearly debut in early spring when they emerge from hibernation. These individuals are not only some of the first bumblebees to stretch their wings; they are the queens.
Clumps of crescent-shaped seed pods embellished a dried plant that stood a few feet tall. The plant lined an open trail and called for a closer examination.
The ice over the pond was thinning, betraying the dark water beneath its increasingly transparent surface. A trio of beavers was there.
