Showy evening primrose on a lawn in Wolf Pen Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 23, 2026
 | 2127, Dartmouth Street, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
Shoot of hackberry in Wolf Pen Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 23, 2026
| Colgate Drive, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
Shoot of Mexican plum in Wolf Pen Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 23, 2026
| Holleman Drive East, Castle Rock Apartments, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
Flowers of Chinese Pistache (Pistacia chinensis) in Wolf Pen Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 23, 2026
| Holleman Drive East, Castle Rock Apartments, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
Blooming Chinese Pistache (Pistacia chinensis) in Wolf Pen Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 23, 2026
| Holleman Drive East, Castle Rock Apartments, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
Blooming mesquite bush (Prosopis) in Wolf Pen Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 23, 2026
| Holleman Drive East, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
a young, actively growing shoot of eastern poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) emerging from the shadows of a thicket. The image is dramatically lit, isolating the central stem and fresh leaves against a nearly pitch-black background, which brings the complex textures and colors of the plant into sharp relief. The lighting emphasizes the plant's characteristic "leaves of three" structure, making the distinct anatomy of the new spring growth unmistakably clear. Wolf Pen Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 23, 2026
| Holleman Drive East, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
A pair of fresh, newly emerged leaves from a rusty blackhaw viburnum (Viburnum rufidulum). The image was captured with strong backlighting against a completely black background, which effectively isolates the foliage and acts like an x-ray, illuminating the intricate internal structure of the plant. This bright, glowing green display highlights the vigorous seasonal flush typical of native Texas understory trees breaking dormancy in the spring. Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 25, 2026
| Iron Bridge Trail, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, United States |
Malaise trap, a specialized piece of entomological equipment designed to passively collect flying insects. Invented in the 1930s by Swedish entomologist René Malaise and later refined by American entomologist Henry Townes, it is primarily utilized by researchers to conduct biodiversity surveys. Scientists frequently set these traps up in natural environments like Lick Creek Park and leave them for days or weeks to continuously sample the local insect fauna, particularly flies, wasps, and bees. The trap functions as a flight interceptor by taking advantage of the natural instincts of insects. It is constructed from fine mesh netting and shaped much like a tent, featuring a central barrier wall and a sloped roof. When an insect flies into the central mesh wall, its instinctive reaction is not to drop to the ground, but rather to fly or crawl upward toward the light to bypass the obstacle. To encourage this behavior, modern designs often use dark-colored mesh for the lower walls so the insects do not see them as an exit, and white mesh for the roof to naturally draw the insects toward the top. As the insects move upward, the sloped ceiling funnels them toward the highest peak of the trap. At this apex, a small opening leads directly into a collection apparatus, which is the white plastic jar visible at the top of the structure in your photo. This container typically holds a liquid preservative, such as ethanol, which safely captures and preserves the specimens until researchers return to collect the samples for laboratory identification. Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 25, 2026
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A large, heavily rusted metal pipe spanning horizontally across a ravine. The thick cylindrical pipe, completely oxidized from long-term exposure to the elements, serves as a stark piece of man-made infrastructure cutting directly through the natural landscape. Its dark, weathered surface stretches across the frame, contrasting sharply with the lighter earthy tones of the surrounding environment. In the near foreground, the engineering used to secure the pipeline is clearly visible. The heavy steel pipe rests securely on a square, poured-concrete abutment built directly into the creek bank. Two bright, unweathered metal retaining straps wrap over the top of the pipe, firmly bolted into the solid concrete base. These shiny galvanized brackets anchor the structure to the ground, designed to prevent the heavy cylinder from shifting under internal pressure or environmental stress. Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 25, 2026
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Blooming dewberry (Rubus trivialis) in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 25, 2026
| Racoon Run Trail, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, United States |
Emerging flowers of mulberry in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 25, 2026
| Racoon Run Trail, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, United States |
Blooming mulberry in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 25, 2026
| Racoon Run Trail, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, United States |
Back lit leaves of river birch in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 25, 2026
| Racoon Run Trail, Brazos County, Texas, United States |
Early spring growth of Berchemia scandens, commonly known as Alabama supplejack or rattan vine. The backlit perspective isolates the young foliage against a dark background, highlighting the bright, translucent green of the newly emerged leaves. At this time of year, these native vines are actively putting out fresh growth as they begin their seasonal climb through the local understory. Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 25, 2026
| Racoon Run Trail, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, United States |
Philadelphia fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus) on Raccoon Run Trail in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 25, 2026
| Racoon Run Trail, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, United States |
Young leaves of black cherry in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 25, 2026
| Deer Run Trail, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, United States |
Buttercup flower (Ranunculus) in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 25, 2026
| Deer Run Trail, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, United States |
Flowers of dewberry in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 25, 2026
| Deer Run Trail, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, United States |
Young leaves of willow oak in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 25, 2026
| Deer Run Trail, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, United States |
Seed heads of rattle-box water primrose (bushy seedbox, Ludwigia alternifolia) in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 25, 2026
| Yaupon Loop Trail, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, United States |
Slender bush-clover (Lespedeza virginica) in Lick Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 25, 2026
| Yaupon Loop Trail, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, United States |
Galls on a leaf of mustang grape in Bee Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 26, 2026
| Anderson Street, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
Shoot of hackberry tree in Bee Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 26, 2026
| Anderson Street, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
Young leaves of hackberry tree. The deeply impressed venation creates a quilted, highly textured surface on the more mature, larger leaves at the top of the cluster. Looking closely at the leaf margins, particularly on the prominent leaf on the left, one can clearly see the asymmetric bases and the sharp, forward-pointing serrations along the edges, both classic field marks for this genus. Bee Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 26, 2026
| Anderson Street, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
Young leaves of elm tree in Bee Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 26, 2026
| Anderson Street, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
Blooming bush of Yaupon holly in Bee Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 26, 2026
| Anderson Street, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
Fresh, newly emerged foliage of Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) in Bee Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 26, 2026
| Anderson Street, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
Back lit unfolding leaves of Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) in Bee Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 26, 2026
| Anderson Street, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
Oak catkins in Bee Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 26, 2026
| Anderson Street, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
Fresh foliage of an oak tree in Bee Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 26, 2026
| Anderson Street, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
Wild lettuce (Lactuca floridana) in Bee Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 26, 2026
| 1898, Potomac Place, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
Seeds of green ash in Bee Creek Park. College Station, Texas, March 26, 2026
| Anderson Street, College Station, Brazos County, Texas, 77840, United States |
