Paul Hetzler

Paul Hetzler is a Horticulture and Natural Resources Educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension, in Canton, NY. He is the author of "Shady Characters," and the website “Where the Wild Words Are."

40 posts

Good News about a Bad Word

The word is Vaccine: Yikes! Let’s get right down to it: a vaccine against poison ivy will soon be available, but only if you really, really, really want it. Promise.

Synthetic Photosynthesis!

Every so often, an obscure technical innovation really lights me up. In the fall of 2021, a team of German scientists published a report on their work injecting tadpole noggins with algae.

Water Wellness

Academic testing is like water testing in that a passing grade in one realm doesn’t apply to others. Just as an algebra exam won’t affect your history grade (or it shouldn’t) . . .

All That Glitters Isn’t Green

I never would have imagined that glitter could be a pollutant of concern. At my age, I need glasses to find a postage stamp – it’s a long shot that I could help pick up glitter.

The Mutants Have Landed

The marmorkreb, a.k.a. marbled crayfish, is a destructive new species that first appeared in aquariums in Germany. . . They are here now, and your help scouting for them is both invaluable and essential.

Lips and Walls: Digging into Tree Decay

Did you know that trees have an early-warning system? Apparently, they can signal one another about what type of pest has arrived on the scene . . .

All About Pumpkins!

In 1900, the world record was 400 pounds. By 1990, it was up to 816 lbs, but that wouldn’t even get you in the door these days – you need a 2,000-pound entry . . .

Anarchy Is Bad for Picnics . . . All About Wasps

All summer long, yellowjacket workers are busy with good deeds like pollinating flowers and killing deer flies, tent caterpillars, and beetle larvae to feed the colony. But once Queen Mum expires,

Gypsy Moths

If you missed last year’s gypsy moth performance, you have a better chance of catching it this season. Unfortunately.

An Occasional Nip Does Some Good

A friend who once worked nights in a resort bar was asked by a patron where to find “weed.”

Wooden You Know...

As a card-carrying, registered tree hugger, I have long touted the benefits of trees...but satellites, shoes, tape? Way beyond toilet paper!

Taking the Reins

It's official: Santa's reindeer are all girls - they are also in steep decline, with global reindeer numbers are down 40% in the past 25 years

Brumation Sweeps across Northern Latitudes

The consensus now is that any critter able to actively slow its metabolism is a hibernator. Actively slowing down sounds like an oxymoron, but let’s not resort to name-calling.