On your way out to see the wolves, don’t forget to check out all of the other events that are quickly unfolding on the spring landscape. Rather then write about it, I’m posting some photos of things that you might see on your way to the wolves in the next few days (most of you who visit the Journal only look at the pictures anyway).

The Wetlands is beginning to take of on the fresh clean look of spring.

The Black Willows (Salix nigra), the dominant tree of the Wetlands, are quickly leafing out.

This Eastern Cottonwood (Populus deltoides), one of only two such trees in the Wetlands, has both leaves and fruit. This tree is located next to the platform halfway down the boardwalk.

Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) was thought extinct until a small grove was discovered in 1944 China. Dawn Redwood can be found along the boardwalk and path throughout Explore the Wild.

A Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus) nectars on Leathterleaf Viburnum (Viburnum rhytidophyllum). This small green butterfly is closely associated with Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana). Note the butterfly's common name and the Latin name of the cedar.

The buttefly in the above photo was nectaring on the viburnum that grows next to the Red Wolf Exhibit. The blossoms on viburnum that grow throughout the Museum grounds are especially full this spring.

A Common Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) hangs on for dear life on a windy day in Explore the Wild. This little turtle was about four feet above the water.

Six Yellow-bellied Sliders (Trachemys scripta) line up on a small log in the Wetlands to catch some rays. Each warm day brings more of these turtles out of the water.

This Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris) was caught crossing the path in Catch the Wind.

Keep a sharp eye out for Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana), many of them are out and about readying for the breeding season.

The first migrant warbler of the spring was a Common Yellwthroat (Geothypis trichas), seen here foraging in a rose in the Wetlands.

Let's not forget our old friend the "balding" Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). Here, he partakes of the fruit of the elm tree.

Click here if you’re not familiar with our “balding” cardinal.

Never one to pass up a free meal, this Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) joins the cardinal (above) in the elm fruit feast.

I squeezed quite a few words into the captions, didn’t I. Sorry, hope it wasn’t too painful.

The first sign that honeysuckle is in bloom is the sight of Animal Keeper Erin with several of the blossoms projecting from her lips. She's obviously very happy!

An exotic species, and an invasive one, Japanese Honeysuckle is still a favorite of many people for both its fragrance and taste.

There's no doubt that Japanese Honeysuckle crowds out other native plants. Can we, or should we, try to weed it out?

People either love Japanese Honeysuckle or they hate it. Here’s just one paper on the subject.

Mulberry is ripening and many birds are gulping down the berries as soon as they do.

It's not uncommon to see a Gray Catbird with a mulberry in its bill at this time of year. If you have a mulberry nearby, there's sure to be a catbird in it.

What’s wrong with this picture?

Snow in the Carolina Piedmont, in May!

No, it’s not snow. It’s seed dispersal in action. Since the first of April, the Black Willows in the Wetlands have been putting off their seeds. The seeds are covered with silky fibers which help carry them far and wide on the wind to germinate elsewhere.

The silky seeds of Black Willow.

Visit Traveling Seeds in Catch the Wind to see how the seeds of various other trees disperse in the wind.

Mulberries are ripe, and Japanese Honeysuckle is in bloom. You can always tell when the honeysuckle’s blooming. Besides the scent given off by the flowers, it’s hard not to notice all the kids, parents, and at least one Animal Keeper here at the Museum walking around with little yellow and white flowers projecting from their lips.

The Museum’s Flowering Dogwoods came into their own the first week of this month, bursting open with all of their brilliant whiteness. The long thin branches of the Wetland’s Black Willows are covered with erect, yellow-green catkins. Although they’re easily overlooked, Wax Myrtles have flowers tucked in among their evergreen leaves.

Bluets, those tiny blue (usually blue) flowers that are everyone’s favorite (never heard anyone say they didn’t like bluets), are blooming. Carolina Jessamine’s yellow, tubular flowers are in bloom alongside the main entrance to Explore the Wild. Climbing high into the treetops before draping down over the trees like a cascading lavender waterfall, Wisteria can hardly be mistaken for anything else. Look for it as you gaze across the water from the main Wetlands Overlook.