by Sid Baglini
Thursday, August 11, 8:45 pm
The Full Moon peaks this month at 9:36 pm, but since it will be visible earlier, our walk will begin at 8:45 so that we can watch it rise above the horizon.
This month’s full moon is called The Sturgeon Moon, named for the very large freshwater fish that historically were found in great numbers in our rivers. As dams have been removed along the lower reaches of our rivers and water quality has improved, these fish have slowly increased in number. We can thank our local watershed associations and environmental protection nonprofits for a resurgence of this threatened native species. Once home to millions of these fishy living fossils, the Delaware estuary is thought to now be home to about 12,000 individuals (that’s a thousand more than reported last year!). Long-lived, the female Sturgeon does not lay eggs until it is 20 years old.
Other names for the August moon are the Full Green Corn Moon, The Grain Moon, The Wheat Cut Moon, The Blueberry Moon, or just The Moon When All Things Ripen. Any of us who have gardens know that August is when the harvest begins in earnest. In honor of that, why not stop by the Malvern Farmers’ Market Saturday morning and celebrate the ripened harvest brought to our community every week.
As the birds wrap up their noisy breeding season, another chorus is swelling. Crickets, katydids and other nighttime serenaders are tuning up at day’s end. Just as the fireflies fade from fields and lawns, these hidden musical gems fill the void with sounds. Grab a flashlight and just try to locate one of them vocalizing from nearby. It’s harder than you think. And if you are very lucky, you will hear the fairy-like, soprano warble of an unidentified nocturnal soloist.
We hope you can join us at 8:45 on August 11th for a congenial summer walk under the Full Moon. We meet at the entrance to Malvern Arts by the Baptist Church parking lot at First and Channing Avenues.