Butte

The beauty and order of the earth's natural rhythm bring us once again to springseedtime-- and the promise of new life embedded within each seed.

Hello, spring! It's not "officially" spring until we see--and photograph--the spectacular Western tiger swallowtail, Papilio rutulus. One landed March 30 on an aromatic white lilac bush in Alamo Creek Park, Vacaville. It lingered long enough for a few photos and then fluttered away.

One of the amusements a garden can provide is watching the birds, bees, butterflies and other critters drawn to it. Most of us have seen honeybees flying from flower to flower, sipping nectar or collecting pollen to take back to their colony.

If you missed entomologist Robert Peterson's outstanding virtual seminar on "Tigers in Yellowstone National Park: Adaptations of Insects to Extreme Environments," presented March 31 to the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, not to worry. It's on YouTube at https://youtu.

Her named SRA in Los Angeles County Calvin Her joined UC Cooperative Extension in Los Angeles County as a staff research assistant in February. Her graduated with a BS in biology from Metropolitan State University in Minnesota and one day hopes to pursue a master's degree in Entomology.