Chuck Lura

Heads up! With a little help from clear nighttime skies and warm temperatures, this month could be a great time to watch for falling stars. There are two meteor showers coming up.

Halloween is close at hand. And bats — particularly vampire bats — Dracula, and other things that “go bump in the night” are important aspects of the holiday. But bats are a much maligned and misunderstood animal.

There is never a bad day to visit Theodore Roosevelt National Park, but some days are better than others. And if you are up for soaking in the sights with a little more solitude than what is generally available during the summer months, this fall might be a great time to visit the park.

When the calendar turns to September, we know that another school year has begun, it is Friday night football at the high school, and the smell and feel of fall is in the air.

Cottonwoods can be found across the state along streams, shorelines, floodplains, wet meadows, and similar habitats. They have also been planted in shelterbelts, boulevards, and yards. And of course, they are very fond of having their roots tap into groundwater.

Perhaps you’ve been noticing some ducks on the marshes as you traveled over the summer months. If so, I’d bet that one of the most common ducks you saw was a small duck with a white crescent running down on the front side of its head. That is a male blue-winged teal. And if they haven’t left already, they will soon.

Hope for a clear sky next Thursday, August 31: There will be a full moon! But this is not your typical full moon — this will be a Full Moon, Supermoon, and Blue Moon all at once.

The emerald ash borer is an exotic insect. It was first documented in the United States in Michigan in 2002, and has been spreading since. Our native ash trees are very susceptible to this insect pest, which can kill a green ash in as little as three years.

If August had an official color, it would have to be yellow. It seems that everywhere we look right now, yellow flowers predominate.

Have you been on the Maah Daah Hey Trail? If not, you really owe it to yourself to check it out, if you are able. And even if you have been out there, this summer or fall might be a good time to visit again. It has some spectacular scenery and wildlife to enjoy.