Gabrielle Marsden

For 21 years, a Natrona Heights orchard has produced North America’s largest native fruit — the pawpaw. Now locals hope it plays a role in bringing back a long-displaced butterfly. www.publicsource.org/pawpaw-nativ...

Spicy spicebush swallowtail in Donora

A lovely surprise #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

I am canoeing on the Monongahela with someone from 3RiversWaterkeepers who started having free kayak outings to help people get their feet wet, quite literally, in the hopes that more people will think of recreation on our rivers. I have my own canoe with my co-pilot Todd. It is a bit monotonous actually hearing about all of the various current insults to our rivers plus most of the people who sign up are quite tardy, then we go over safety info for boating, including inspecting my PDF to assure that we are safe as well as everyone else. However, the majority of participants are very much novices. A number aren’t aware that when you go kayaking your feet will get wet. Eventually, we are on the river. I tend to feel like I’m a little obnoxious with imparting my knowledge of various things. Many of the people who work for the nonprofits know me and I’m a bit of an interloper. I’m not sure whether or not they appreciate that. One of the kayak people asks about the flora that existed and I share a bit of my knowledge on that front. I am learning that less is more and it helps that my knowledge is not comprehensive but it’s still easy to overwhelm people. It does surprise me when some folks that work for these folks have large gaps in their knowledge on these matters which is true of one of the kayak employees. Anyway, it is fortunate that one river plant, eelgrass (Vallisneria americana) is in bloom so I had something to show anyone who showed interest is a good number of people there. In writing this, I look up more details of this plant. Eelgrass has male and female flowers that cross pollinate via water. The female flowers are the ones that are visible as the males stay under water.

We meander upstream, not very far as there is a time limit, and between the tardiness and the lectures, not much time was left to paddle, at least not to my liking. I chat with, an employee of 3Rivers about her botanical knowledge though she knows a bit, she opines that fungi are more important to learn about than plants. I gently disagree as I see that all are important. I don’t say it there and then, but I later reflect on the river that it’s the relationships between the plants, fungi, and the land and water that they exist on that are more important to me and how human activity impacts them.

I worry a lot about my relationships with the various nonprofits that have more power to impact our neglected environments than I do as a single person. I actually signed up for this outing because I would like to organize outings similar to it. I want to take groups of people out on our rivers, especially rivers like the Monongahela that tend to scare people due to the massive insults that it has endured and still endures today. I honestly don’t care to do the heavy lifting in organizing an outing like this because at heart, I’m a bit lazy. I tried to organize an outing like this past year but failed, though I can use poor weather conditions partially as an excuse.

The facts are that any individual does have the power to have a positive impact on their environment, but it is limited. A lot of compromise is needed if one wants to get more done. It’s about building relationships that last which is what our natural world is built upon. I will eventually organize a boat outing. I am getting closer to finding a viable collaborator, but I’m not there yet. In the meantime I am watching. My cross pollination might be akin to flowing water, but I’m not really sure, and it is evolving.

I’ve been thinking about relationships. The world is built on relationships and the relationships I mean are those of the natural world. I had this thought yesterday which I will describe in the photo descriptions.

River rings on the lower lower Youghiogheny

I see your hawk and raise you a mockingbird bsky.app/profile/zswa...

Hawk being pestered by a mockingbird

#PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

A few things that make me happy

Grafted pawpaws in sterile patches. In theory, these will bear fruit in a few years which will help them grow and spread. There’s a mix of cultivars and wild stock from the vicinity #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

Some wonders that I saw yesterday

Mahatma Pawpaw! And more!

Hey butterflies! Come see me talk about butterflies! #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration
#ukelele
#banjolele maps.app.goo.gl/MuGbWCUYMxet...

Battus philenlor on Arisolochia serpentaria, Greene County, PA

Battus philenor, pipevine swallowtail climbs up, then flies. I’m not sure if this is a pattern but several showed this specific behavior while other species seem to just take off where they are. When I release insects I try to move them to a more natural setting before they are eager to go.

I love the flowers I love the millipedes

I am finding that wings are not 2 dimensional. Here we see rounded spoilers just above the tails. Zebra swallowtails have them too.

I love the shimmering dark blue that’s not only on the wings, but also the body

I had 2 today

The shimmery back

Battus philenor, hand reared last year from eggs collected in my yard. Their host plant is various species of pipevine, thus their common name pipevine swallowtail. They aren’t common in the Pittsburgh area but they aren’t rare either.

#ZebraSwallowtailTrails #pawpawpathways #pittsburghpawpawpathways #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

I’m, not dead, I should be in Pittsburgh #Frankblack #reidpaley #Pixies #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration #ukelele TikTok video by Gobbism

Here’s a song that I sing daily that is like a prayer #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration
#ukelele www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8jmJ3tM/

here we go! #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

My iPhone takes decent night photos

Blue eyed Mary, Collinsia verna. I forgot the name and called them blue blooded Mary. I kinda like my name!

Pawpaw blossoms getting ready to bloom. This is on Wheeling Creek and Wheeling West Virginia is the only place in Westsyvania where I have seen the zebra swallowtail in the wild. It is highly likely that it still flies in Enlow Fork

Devil’s Urn, Urnula craterium with some insects, springtails and something else

Some of the wonders that I saw at Enlow Fork

This butterfly is a result of a stray that came from somewhere close to Greensburg that landed in Greenfield.

It’s happening! This is a very, very rare butterfly in Pittsburgh thank you @laughingmantis.bsky.social #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration

My protest sign

Blurry blue butterfly Celestine Landon?

I saw some new faces there. I forgot to ask people what brought them there. Anyone come via Bluesky?

A big thank you to all who came to my fireside last night. There was no fire due to rain but I told the story inside #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration
#ukelele

Drone recording during the golden hour

Hey Butterflies! Come sit by a fire, have some beer and hear the story of the zebra swallowtail & its history in Pgh and beyond 1130 S Braddock Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15218 #PittsburghPawpawPathways #ZebraSwallowtailTrails #zebraswallowtail #pawpaw #asimina #pittsburgh #activerestoration #ukelele

Damaged, not dampened!

Not ideal conditions

Decompressing butterflies. This drawer holds butterflies collected about a hundred years ago. The tiling dampened them a little.