For 21 years, a Natrona Heights orchard has produced North America’s largest native fruit — the pawpaw. Now locals hope it plays a role in bringing back a long-displaced butterfly. www.publicsource.org/pawpaw-nativ...

Spicy spicebush swallowtail in Donora

A lovely surprise #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

I’ve been thinking about relationships. The world is built on relationships and the relationships I mean are those of the natural world. I had this thought yesterday which I will describe in the photo descriptions.

River rings on the lower lower Youghiogheny

Hawk being pestered by a mockingbird

#PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

A few things that make me happy

Grafted pawpaws in sterile patches. In theory, these will bear fruit in a few years which will help them grow and spread. There’s a mix of cultivars and wild stock from the vicinity #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

Some wonders that I saw yesterday

Mahatma Pawpaw! And more!

Hey butterflies! Come see me talk about butterflies! #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration #ukelele #banjolele maps.app.goo.gl/MuGbWCUYMxet...

Battus philenlor on Arisolochia serpentaria, Greene County, PA

Battus philenor, pipevine swallowtail climbs up, then flies. I’m not sure if this is a pattern but several showed this specific behavior while other species seem to just take off where they are. When I release insects I try to move them to a more natural setting before they are eager to go.

I love the flowers I love the millipedes

Battus philenor, hand reared last year from eggs collected in my yard. Their host plant is various species of pipevine, thus their common name pipevine swallowtail. They aren’t common in the Pittsburgh area but they aren’t rare either.

#ZebraSwallowtailTrails #pawpawpathways #pittsburghpawpawpathways #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

Here’s a song that I sing daily that is like a prayer #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration #ukelele www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8jmJ3tM/

here we go! #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

Some of the wonders that I saw at Enlow Fork

It’s happening! This is a very, very rare butterfly in Pittsburgh thank you @laughingmantis.bsky.social #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

My protest sign

Blurry blue butterfly Celestine Landon?

A big thank you to all who came to my fireside last night. There was no fire due to rain but I told the story inside #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration #ukelele

Drone recording during the golden hour

Hey Butterflies! Come sit by a fire, have some beer and hear the story of the zebra swallowtail & its history in Pgh and beyond 1130 S Braddock Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration #ukelele

Decompressing butterflies. This drawer holds butterflies collected about a hundred years ago. The tiling dampened them a little.

Ai isn’t all bad. I was at a function where I googled some people that I met and decided to google myself. Here’s an AI result. #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

Went on a walk with the Botanical Society of Western PA at Meeks Run. Saw some cool stuff

I wrote an article that is a valentine to NYC because I am writing a book about my work in Pittsburgh. Any ideas of publishers in the NYC area? #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration #NYCzebraswallowtail

Yesterday I encountered these creatures in Greene County, PA

Skunk cabbage pollination. King/Potter Nature Reserve

Here’s a few bees since i am starting to see them outside. Spring is near

Just some zebra swallowtails i posted to TikTok a while ago #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

Sunflower for Ukraine. PS: there’s nothing wrong with seed oil

I’m feeling a bit down today so I decided to post kittens. A few years ago we took in some from my street and it was an absolutely delightful experience. I only wish that I could have saved them all. A few remained feral and lived much shorter lives. I didn’t understand feral cats like I do now.

I have tended to search my photos at random for something interesting. Today’s word is BLACK

Pipevine swallowtail caterpillars. I love them. So much poop!

A young sycamore stipule. A stipule stays on young sycamore twigs. Sycamores are pioneer trees that I see growing in places where other trees will not take root. We need pioneer trees before understory trees like pawpaws can grow.

Do you like fire, beer and butterflies? Well I’ve got just the thing for you! #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration 3riversoutdoor.com/blogs/events...

I’ve slowly been building a list of Bsky accounts that post 3 or more actual photos of butterflies and moths. It’s one way to distract from the kleptocracy. bsky.app/profile/did:...

Barge drums. These are pretty amazing but I don’t know enough to explain them well.

Pittsburgh is a research hotbed, and uncertainty about federal funding for science is rattling local labs and teams. If your Pittsburgh-based research is threatened or on hold, @publicsource.org wants to interview you. DM me for contact options.

I few years ago I built a shed to house canoes and pawpaw seedlings. #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

A few highlights from yesterday. I wanted to see how the pawpaws that Oakmont got from me were doing. It’s been 11 months since they were planted. #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

Donald Trump is the most disgraceful and incompetent president in American history. Article by: Ryan Grenoble

The Monongahela a bit upstream of Pittsburgh. This is absolutely amazing! If you have a boat that you paddle, come here! #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

Did a search for bridges and picked a few at random. Bridges are very important and everywhere in the Pittsburgh area. See alt text for more info #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

Deidamia inscriptum, the lettered sphinx. I don’t know my species well but that’s what the auto identifier told me. One of their host plants are grapes which I have in my yard.