EcoBlog

This past fall we lost one of the great naturalists of the Northeast, Carol Gracie.  Carol was not just a naturalist, but a botanist, photographer, lecturer, and author of four fantastic books:  Summer Wildflowers of the Northeast, Spring Wildflowers of the Northeast, Florapedia, and Wildflowers in the Field and Forest: A Field Guide to the Northeastern United States (co-authored with Steven Clements).

Carol’s books were incredibly well-researched and unusually informative. Her photography was truly exceptional, capturing minute details of both plants and pollinators. Here is just one example of the information Carol provided along with her exceptional photos:

Bee flies visit the flowers of Dutchman’s breeches to sip nectar with their long tongues.  They are probably not very effective pollinators because their long legs keep their hairy bodies far from the reproductive organs.

Call me a plant nerd and a pollinator geek, but I just love this kind of fascinating info!  If we hope to save our natural world, we need to understand it.  Carol’s books help us do just that.  Treat yourself and a loved one to Carol’s excellent books for the holidays.

I was fortunate to spend some time with Carol and interview her about her work, her passion for the natural world and her deep knowledge of plants.  These interviews were captured in videos, and I hope that you will enjoy seeing them as much as I did making them with Carol.

Videos with Carol Gracie:

Great Native Groundcovers with Carol Gracie

Jack-in-the-Pulpit with Carol Gracie

Marvelous Mayapple with Carol Gracie

Interview with Carol Gracie part 1 of 2

Interview with Carol Gracie part 2 of 2

Let’s toast to Carol Gracie – a true hero of the natural world!  We will miss her!