Articles written by Dr Barbara Gray
Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 56
By 
Antlions in Akwesasne
I have many fond memories of my childhood, and one of my favorites was the day my mom took my brother and me on an Antlion hunt. I do not remember...
Stinging nettle stings, but it’s also medicine and a very nutritious food
If the plant, stinging nettle, has ever stung you you know why it has its name. The stinging nettle is an herbaceous flowering plant found in Europe,...
The Leech A parasite, bait, and a medical miracle
Live and imitation leeches are one of the best all-round bait for freshwater game fish, including trout. Live leeches are also environmentally...
“The Marten Run” The Ermine aka the Stoat
The other day, while driving through Akwesasne, I saw a small animal in the middle of the road that had been run over and killed. Its beautiful brown...
Why did the turtle cross the road? The turtles of Akwesasne & the Northeast
Recently I observed a few turtles trying to cross the roads here in kwesasne. Sadly, the first one had been run over. Someone told me they saw the...
The beautiful all white Great Egret and Snowy Egret
The Great Egret (Ardea alba), like all egrets, is a member of the heron family, Ardeidae. They are traditionally classified with storks when in fact...
The fascinating, tiny Ruby-throated hummingbird, and a nectar recipe for feeding them
The Ruby-throated hummingbird is one of Mother Earth’s most fascinating birds. These tiny birds have a beautiful shimmering, iridescent plumage. T...
Cattails, Mother Earth’s grocery store
The cattail is a very important wild plant. It is readily found, and it has a variety of uses that can be used at different times of the year. A...
Butterfly trivia & their link to tornadoes
Butterflies are a very important part of Mother Earth. They pollinate plants more than any other insect on this planet other than bees. Butterflies...
Sunflowers & their connection to nature’s numbering system, a few facts, and trivia
In the scientific world, many experts felt that at least 4,000 to 5,000 years ago, Sunflowers were a cultivated food crop in what is now the eastern...
Cowslip aka Marsh Marigold
In early spring, if you are near any wet mucky areas, you may get to see the bright yellow flowers of the Cowslip aka Marsh Marigold. In most wildflow...
The Wild Canary in Akwesasne
When it is springtime, one of the things I look forward to seeing is the return of the locally called “Wild Canary” also known in the bird world as...
Before you light that trash, think about the children
The weather is finally to the point where we can open our windows and let some much needed fresh air into our homes without having to put on sweaters...
Pussy Willows Facts & how to propagate them
One of the earliest signs of spring is when you can see the grayish fur “pussies” that are the buds of the catkins of the American pussy willow. The...
Earth friendly ways to repel unwanted animals
This week I would like to share some effective and humane ways to keep animals away from your home and out of your vegetable and flower gardens....
Repelling insects like mosquitoes, fleas and more In a safe and Earth friendly way
I am anxiously awaiting the warm weather that is coming soon (I hope)! Unfortunately, the much-welcomed warm weather that brings us flowers, birds,...
Earth Day is in April Why not celebrate it every day?
In 1970, a man named John McConnell, who lived in the United States, started the first Earth Day. It was originally held on the day of the annual...
Trees Moon trees, trees that talk, and more
As I drove along St. Regis road and State Route 37 this past week I noticed that some of the trees are beginning to show some color on their...
Safe cleaning substitutions & Continuation from last week’s article
Here is the continuation from last week’s article followed by some of the things we can use to replace dangerous chemicals. Office areas typically have little or no windows. The following plants grow...
Toxins in our indoor air at: home, at work & in our children’s classrooms & Houseplants that can help
Today, dangerous chemicals are commonly found in our homes, our offices, and in our children’s classrooms. Hundreds of poisonous chemicals are released into the air we breath by, furniture, building m...
It is time to start your garden seeds indoors
It is now the time to start your seeds indoors. The rule of thumb is to start most seeds eight weeks before the last frost date. Most charts will...
Things you may or may not want to know about insects
The Department of Health and Human Services have standards that regulate how many insect parts food can contain. Yes, that is correct. These standards...
Animal trivia, a few quotations & cartoons
As long as I can remember, I have been interested in animal facts & trivia. For this week’s article I thought I would share some with you. During m...
The whistlepig
February is the month North America celebrates Groundhog Day, so I thought I would write about groundhogs for this week’s article. When I lived in t...
Our teacher, Mother Earth
Not only through reading, but also in my travels across the United States I found it amazingly interesting that the traditional people I met, many...
