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The Southern Leopard Frog is found at the pond near the back of the Pollinator Berm. It is not poisonous; however, like all amphibians, it can carry harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, which can make humans sick. They  do not produce toxins, but touching them with dry hands can damage  their protective skin, so handling is generally discouraged  

This Norh American Racer, AKA Eastern Racer was found near the Pollinator Berm on Friday, September 19, 2025.   The eastern racers,  nonvenomous snakes, are fast-moving, highly active, diurnal snakes. Their diet consists primarily of small rodents, other mammals (as large as small cottontail rabbits), frogs, toads, small turtles, lizards and other snakes. Some subspecies are known to climb trees t

The Volunteers were hard at work at the Berm this Friday, September 19, 2025 when they noticed this Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillar. Battus philenor, the pipevine swallowtail or blue swallowtail, is a swallowtail butterfly found in North America. This butterfly is black with iridescent-blue hindwings. They are found   in many different habitats, but are most commonly found in forests. (Wikipedia

This Dusky-winged hover Fly is one of many at the Pollinator Berm these days.  As a hover fly, it is known for its ability to hover in flight and has a black body. In its larval stage, it is a predator of aphids, and the adult flies feed on nectar from flowers. (Wikipedia)

Gray Hairstreak butterflies are currently in good numbers at the Pollinator Berm.  The adult gray hairstreak has a wingspan of 0.79–1.26 in. The upper sides of the wings are gray with an orange  spot on the hind margin. These extensions twitch while at rest, and may imitate a separate head  to encourage predators  to go for the wings, potentially allowing the insect to survive. (Wikipedia) 

This Six-spotted Fishing Spider was found walking on the water at the pond in the Pollinator Berm. These spiders  are capable of capturing fish up to five times their body size, and they use venom to immobilize and kill prey. This species is diurnal. Potential prey include both aquatic insects, neuston organisms and terrestrial insects that have fallen into the water, tadpoles, frogs, and small fi