I step outside; the air smells so fresh! I’m drawn to the woods, where, dressed in permethrin-treated clothing, I can sit and watch without thinking of ticks. I’m watching the pollinators in this rich hardwood understory of wild leeks and spring ephemerals. I’m always interested in those that pollinate red trillium and ground hugging, wild ginger flowers. The flowers of both are dark red with a smell of blood. Ginger flowers are at the base of the plant, and their scent and color may attract carrion flies or beetles, whereas trillium seems to draw various carrion-seeking long-legged flies, essential workers all, that keep the outside air of our planet fresh and sweet smelling!
