2024 Brandeis Bioliteracy Project's Journal

Skunk Cabbage, or Symplocarpus foetidus, is native to eastern North America. It can be found in wetland habitats, and is fairly abundant in Massachusetts. At Brandeis, Skunk Cabbage can be found in the Chapels wetlands and Sachar Woods. It can be identified by the skunky, foul odor that it emits when crushed or bruised.

Skunk Cabbage is a perennial plant, and starts blooming as early as February. It is able to do so because it has thermogenic properties that allow it to produce heat during respiration, which melts nearby snow and keeps the plant from freezing. The flowers emerge in a spathe (which looks like a pointy hood), and are purple or greenish in color.

The plants are pollinated by blowflies and other carrion-feeding insects that emerge early on in the season. The skunky odor that these plants produce helps attract these pollinators.

After pollination, the flowers grow into berry-like fruits, and are dispersed by animals and water. In the early spring, the Skunk Cabbages produce leaves that are up to 1 foot long, and by mid summer, the leaves die off, and the plant is left dormant. The root system contracts, and the plant is pulled into the ground until the next spring.

Skunk Cabbage is toxic to most animals, so it doesn’t experience much herbivory. However, preparing the roots and leaves by boiling them can eliminate the toxicity, and many different Native American tribes have used parts of the plant for medicinal purposes.

Garlic Mustard, also known as Alliaria petiolata, can be found in the herbaceous layer of Charles river wetlands, the Sachar Woods, and in just about every nook and cranny around campus. This invasive plant spreads quickly through wind spread seeds and sprouts early in the spring. Garlic mustard is also allelopathic, meaning it excretes chemicals that limit the growth of other species of plant and soil enriching ribosomal fungi. With no native herbivores to keep it in check, the fast spreading and fast growing garlic mustard can easily outcompete native herbaceous plants and take over New England forests.

Originally found in Europe and Western/Central Asia, this edible plant was brought to North America by European colonists for its use as a spice. The round, heart-shaped leaves can be cut and ground up to be included in a pesto. When collecting, it is better to pick younger leaves, as second year garlic mustard plants are more bitter. Happy harvesting!

The Great Blue Heron, also known as Ardea herodias, is one of the largest and most widespread species of herons and is commonly found in wetland areas in North America. At Brandeis, the Great Blue Heron can often times be found near the Charles River behind the Charles River Apartments and even in Massell Pond. The Great Blue Heron can easily be identified not only by its size, but also by its unique colors. They exhibit a bluish-gray color on their feathers, have a long orange beak, and black plumes on the top of their head.

(My iNaturalist observation of Great Blue Heron in Massell Pond)

The Great Blue Heron primarily feeds on fish, insects, and even other small birds. They are considered to be a partial migratory species, meaning that some individuals will stay in the Northeast and other colder climates throughout the winter, while others will migrate. Great Blue Herons usually start to appear during the beginning and middle of March. After this coming break, be on the lookout for the Great Blue Heron!