Flora & Fauna: Celebrity goat; pest-resistant tomatoes; eye-popping foliage; grizzlies on the move; pawpaw popularity

Crisco hasn't let stardom go to his head. He enjoys hiking
and roaming just like not-famous goats. (Facebook photo)

For people needing novel bucket-list items, adding a visit to see Crisco, the roaming goat turned celebrity, might be an excursion. "For nearly a decade, Crisco, who escaped a roundup, has ruled the bluffs overlooking this reservoir straddling Arkansas and Missouri," reports Jim Carlton of The Wall Street Journal. "His legend exploded after a Facebook page began chronicling his exploits three years ago. Now some 14,000 followers eagerly await Crisco updates."

It may seem unbelievable, but after 30 years of lab work, "Researchers finally completed a new line of tomatoes, bred with natural pest-resistant qualities, reports Shea Swenson for Ambrook Research. "Plant breeder and geneticist Martha Mutschler-Chu is about to successfully hand off new lines of pest-resistant tomatoes to any interested seed company, where they can ultimately be bred for commercial sales. . . . As far as Mutschler-Chu’s tomato is concerned, the process of creating it is considered traditional cross-breeding, not genetic modification."

The Midwest is predicted to have 'electric' fall colors. (Adobe Stock photo)

Fall is leaf-viewing season, and the country's heartland is the place to gawk. "Some of the most colorful displays could be in the Midwest. AccuWeather, the commercial forecasting service, said in early September that it expects especially vibrant foliage in states such as Michigan and Illinois," reports Patrick Whittle of The Associated Press. "The service also said powerful, popping colors are expected in upstate New York and parts of Pennsylvania, while New England will follow a more typical color pattern."

Ambrook map, from ArcGIS data,
click to enlarge

Grizzly bears haven't lived on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island for 10,000 years, but that may be about to change. Brian Payton of Hakai magazine writes, "There they were. . . a grizzly sow and two cubs browsing in the grass. As the cubs rose onto their hind legs, Joyce Ellis raised her camera, capturing a portrait of a family poised to change the course of natural history."

Fall bird migrations are in full swing and while there are lots of ways to follow favorite feathered friends, Birdcast has some incredible tracking tools, including real-time predictions of bird migrations, a migration dashboard and local bird migration alerts. To show birds more love, CornellLab offers seven simple actions to help birds thrive.

The charming hoiho (A.S. photo)

Delightful, shy and a little bit stinky, the "hoiho," or yellow-eyed penguin won New Zealand's 2024 Bird of the Year election," reports The Associated Press. Although the country's avian elections are "fiercely fought," there's little talk of "interference scandals and cheating controversies of past polls," instead campaigners start "meme wars, seek celebrity endorsements and some even [get] tattoos to prove their loyalty. . . . Hoiho supporters hope that recognition from its victory might prompt a revival of the endangered bird."

The pawpaw’s green skin, and its 'custardy'
interior (Photo by Kat Arazawa, Civil Eats)

For farmers and fans, September means a delicious trip to the pawpaw patch. "Pawpaws are America’s largest edible native fruit, and their ineffable mystique will bring thousands of visitors to the farm’s annual pawpaw festival in late September," reports Ben Seal of Civil Eats. "Festivals in several states give people a chance to taste the fruit for the first time. . . a blend of banana, mango, and pineapple, so soft it’s eaten with a spoon. . . . Research and plant breeding efforts are underway to explore and expand its potential as a sustainable low-input, high-value crop that could figure into the future of small farms throughout the eastern U.S."