Located in the Laurel Highlands of Western Pennsylvania, the Brandywine’s Penguin Court Preserve boasts 923 acres of land that is largely forested and home to a wide variety of wildlife. As part of an ongoing research project, Duquesne University's Department of Biological Sciences has been studying and monitoring the high occurrence of bobcat sightings on the property.

In this Q&A session, we chatted with Matt Meyer, County Executive for New Castle County, Delaware. When Meyer first ran for public office in 2016, he was a sixth and seventh grade Math teacher. He defeated a heavily favored three-term incumbent in a grassroots campaign to serve as the Chief Executive of Delaware’s largest county. A key policy focus is his GreeNCC agenda, aimed at addressing climate change, preserving open space, creating bikeable walkable trails and promoting clean water.

If you have a vegetable or flower garden, you’re probably well aware of the common diseases that such plants are susceptible to: tomato blights, for example, or rose rust. Plants, like animals, must defend themselves against diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi, collectively called pathogens.

Groundhogs' pesky habits often overshadow the benefits they provide to both the ecosystem and humans—even farmers and gardeners. In celebration of Groundhog Day, let’s explore the ways in which groundhogs help make our world a better place.