Mark W. LaSalle, Ph.D.

Damselflies – Ancient Dainty Flyers Summers are not complete without watching the aerial acrobatics of dragonflies as they chase down their prey on the wing. And it is always satisfying […]

Possum on the Half Shell – Armadillos The Nine-Banded Armadillo is an amazing creature. From their armor plates, ability to walk long distances, swim when they must, and varied diet, they […]

The Eyes on This Spider, Oh My! Most folks who know me, know that I love spiders…and some snakes (cue that song of old), but mostly spiders. And what’s not to love? Like the eyes of […]

Hawks Have to Eat Too – Including Your Backyard Birds I have lost track of the times I have been asked about ways to discourage hawks from feeding on backyard birds. My standard answer was and remains the […]

Ant Lions and Their Pits The ways that carnivorous animals hunt, capture, and devour their prey can be brutal. This is especially true for insects that have inspired many a […]

Rising Above the Piles – Moss Point’s Recovery Begins Juneteenth 2023 was a day of celebration until an E2 tornado made its way through the River City of Moss Point. As bad as that sounds, the good news […]

Sunbathing Birds Lots of animals, besides humans, sunbathe. In reality, humans are not that good at it, often causing more harm than good. But most birders and […]

Sharpshooters – What’s With the Name of These Leafhoppers? The etymology, or history behind the names of plants and animals has always been of interest to me, especially when the name reflects something […]

Sawgrass – Pretty from Afar, Scratchy Up Close Common names for many plants and animals reflect something about their physical appearances or key attributes. Sawgrass is certainly one of these, […]

Imani's Tree: 2022 vs. 2023 Imani Harper helped plant a tree in Moss Point when she was 12 years old. Now 13, this young lady is growing along with her tree, reaching for the sky […]

What Is a Watershed Anyway? The concept of a watershed can be overwhelming to comprehend. We may recognize pieces and parts, but the whole is often abstract in our minds. As with […]

Burrowing Wolf Spiders – Life Underground Something about the name burrowing wolf spider just doesn’t sound right, right? We know wolf spiders as creatures that actively pursue their prey – […]

Photosynthesis – The Superpower of Plants We all learned about the power of plants in elementary school when we studied photosynthesis. The word itself points out the basic concept – the p […]

An Earth Day Challenge – About Old Socks I get maximum use out of my socks – just ask my wife Mary. Holes in the toes do not bother me. In fact, finding a sock without a hole is a challenge i […]

Wax Myrtle – So Many Uses Wax Myrtle is one of my favorite plants. It is one of the most common shrubs across our landscape, able to grow in dry and wet soils, referred to as […]

A Cool Fish on Red Creek Fishing is always interesting because you never really know what may be lurking in the waters into which you cast your bait. Surprises are always fun, […]

Black Needlerush – a Well-Named Plant Tidal marshes of the northern Gulf of Mexico are dominated by one species of plant – Black Needlerush. If you pay any attention as you drive by or o […]

Green Arrow Arum – More Than Just a Pretty Plant So many native plants in our world have uses to humans besides their appearance. In our modern world we are largely focused on how they look in the […]

Blueberry Riches of South Mississippi Blueberries are a favorite fruit for so many of us, especially when in season and available from local orchards and markets. As with many common […]

A Community Helps Build Their Park Making a connection between people and a place is not complicated if you invite them to make it their own. That is the plan as the newest park in Moss […]