Nature
Animals
Hardy Pond supports a diverse ecosystem, and a patient and lucky observer can often spot some of its animal residents and visitors.
Click on any photo to see it large.
Birds of Hardy Pond
There have been over 155 different birds sighted on Hardy Pond over the last 40 years, some who are year-round residents, and others that live here or pass through seasonally. Fortunately, this area is on the Eastern Flyway Migration Route, so our avian visitors sometimes take a rest enroute to their breeding grounds north or to warmer climes south. Below are photos of the 10 of most common birds seen at Hardy Pond, click for larger images. And here is a list of 157 birds seen on and around the pond since 1981.
Plants
We see, hear, smell, touch — and sometimes taste — the plant life around us. It’s a sensory palette that many people regard as just an incidental background to enjoying nature. But look closer: the intricate leaves, the shapes and colors of flowers, the different places some plants prefer over others. It’s complicated! See below (or scroll through) some of the beautiful and diverse plants that you can find around Hardy Pond.
However, our natural world is being assaulted by invasive plants that have no place here and are aggressively pushing out native plants that support our ecosystem. They provide little food or benefit for all the wildlife dependent on what historically has evolved and belongs here. Read more and see examples of these plants.
