ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum

Hello ScienceWorks friends!

Your Bird of the Month for May is the Lesser Goldfinch. These bright and colorful little birds are very common and widespread throughout the western United States. I see and hear them every time I go to ScienceWorks, and just about everywhere else in the Rogue Valley.

These social birds fly in bounding flocks looking for seeds to eat. They are able to take advantage of both native and non-native plants year-round and are one of the most familiar resident birds of Southern Oregon.

The “Lesser” in their name comes from the fact that they are slightly smaller than the similar American Goldfinch. These cheerful and plucky little birds don’t seem too bothered about their humbler name and like to sing their long, complex songs from prominent perches, often mimicking other birds. They are not shy around humans and are common in suburban areas and parks.

Lesser Goldfinch males are distinctive, with black caps, green backs, bright yellow fronts, and white spots on their wings (noticeable in flight). Females have more subtle plumage, which helps them stay hidden while on the nest.

Females and non-breeding males can be distinguished from American Goldfinches by subtle differences in their plumage, such as the color of their undertail coverts (butt feathers). These are yellow in Lesser and Goldfinches and white in American Goldfinches.

Lesser Goldfinches are one of a few bird species I have confirmed nesting at ScienceWorks. I found this fledgling doing a wing-flapping display and begging for food. The dad dutifully obliged.

Every time of year offers something special for birding, but May is the most magnificent month for birds across most of the Northern Hemisphere. Breeding season is in full swing and migrants are still moving through in their millions. I highly recommend getting out early to a riverside, marsh, or lush woodland at least once this spring and simply basking in the glory of birdsong. You’ll hear goldfinches and many other colorful birds in their race to survive and breed for another year.

Happy Birding!

To read more of Nate's posts, visit ScienceWorksMuseum.org/Field-Notes

On May 20, 2017, the United Nations officially proclaimed World Bee Day following a proposal from Slovenia — a global reminder of just how essential bees are to life on Earth.

Bees are some of our most important pollinators, supporting biodiversity, strengthening food systems, and helping sustain ecosystems around the world. In fact, every third spoonful of food depends on pollination.

Today is a chance to pause and consider how we can protect these small but mighty creatures.

If you're inspired to take action, consider planting native plants in your yard or even in pots on a deck or patio. Pollinator Project Rogue Valley is a great local resource to help you learn more about our native flora.

For a dose of hope and inspiration, check out Homegrown National Park (homegrownnationalpark.org), a nationwide effort encouraging people to add native plants and remove invasive species everywhere we live, work, and play. Their interactive map allows individuals across the country to register their native-planted spaces — large or small. It is inspiring to see how many people are joining the effort to restore biodiversity and support pollinators.

This spring, we’ve been putting these ideas into action right here at ScienceWorks.

Thanks to generous support from our community, we’ve added a new round of native and pollinator-friendly plants around our plaza and Bear Garden. These spaces are now buzzing with life.

We are deeply grateful to Shooting Star Nursery and Ashland Greenhouses for their plant donations,
VH Contracting LLC for providing mulch, and to our executive director, Gaby, and our volunteer, Emily, for contributing additional plants and hands-on care.

Our new plantings feature a vibrant mix of mostly native species and their cultivars, including sages, yarrow, phlox, and other blooms that are especially loved by our local pollinators. We’ve also incorporated manzanitas, which provide important habitat for birds and support a healthy ecosystem beyond pollinators alone.

These plants were chosen not only for their ecological value, but also for their resilience. Once established, they are drought-tolerant and deer-resistant — a necessary approach to sustainable landscaping in our region.

Right now, many of these plants are in bloom, and the results are already visible. Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are hard at work, moving from flower to flower.

We invite you to stop by, take a closer look, and maybe even pause long enough to notice the hum of activity. What do you see? Which plants are the most popular with pollinators? What might you try planting at home?

Here’s to the tiny pollinators that make a big difference, and to the community effort it takes to support them.

Stay curious 🐝

Homegrown National Park page

Update from the ScienceWorks field — native flowers are blooming!

It’s been a long, slow process to restore our field over the past couple of years, but we’re starting to see signs that the work is paying off. Last year, we spread several pounds of native seeds, and this spring they’re beginning to return the favor.

If you look closely (we know it’s hard to see, these flowers aren't as showy as their commercial cultivar cousins), you’ll spot blooms from native lupines, poppies, red clover, and more.

This growing diversity does more than add color, it helps rebuild a healthy ecosystem. Native plants provide food and habitat for pollinators, support soil health, improve water retention, and create a more resilient landscape over time.

We’d love for you to come see it for yourself. Take a walk around the field, slow down, and notice what’s emerging. What do you see? Who’s visiting the flowers?

Small changes add up, and this is just the beginning.