Native pollinators have been in the news a lot lately and, for the most part, the reports have not been good. Powerful pesticides combined with a lack of suitable habitat and consecutive years of severe weather have taken their toll on these vital organisms. […]
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Whenever I hear the charming lilt of the house wren, I can’t help but think of Grandpa Atterberry. Save for a stint in the Army in World War I, my mom’s dad was a lifelong farmer in central Illinois, devoted to his country, his family…and house wrens. […]
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I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure St. Charles has laws preventing public intoxication. Yet there I was the other night, stumbling in the dark, head back, eyes squinty as I tottered from tree to tree. No doubt about it, I was drunk-entranced by the heady smell of basswood in bloom. […]
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Beauty, they say, is in the eye of the beholder (or beer holder, according to a plaque in my family room. But that’s another story.) And this time of year, we certainly have a lot of beauty to behold. But you know what’s really cool? Not all of it is the kind of beauty you see. Some is the kind you hear. […]
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I believe it was that little ol’ band from Texas, ZZ Top, that noted, “Every girl crazy ’bout a sharp-dressed man.” As I recall, the 1980-something song explains how things like a clean shirt and new shoes, a silk suit and other accoutrements practically guarantee success with the ladies. […]
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Ground bees, as we saw last week, are some of our area’s most beneficial insects. They provide spring flowers with the much-needed service of pollination. But plants aren’t the only organisms that benefit. Humans whose yards are home to ground bees are getting what they need too, whether they realize it or not. […]
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The other day I was at Langum Woods in St. Charles, getting ready to work with some wonderful volunteers from Elgin Community College’S Phi Theta Kappa honor society. The students were going to assist in the ongoing restoration of that woodland and I had about 30 minutes to get the tools ready and the site surveyed for safety. […]
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Maybe I’ve missed something over the past week, but somehow I think not. Nowhere amid all the rejoicing about spring finally being here, at least as far as I’ve seen, has anyone said anything about the snakes. […]
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They’ve been common sights over the past several weeks: Billowing plumes of smoke erupting above our local parks and preserves. But instead of destruction, these fast-disappearing clouds signal restoration and rebirth. Now that the weather *seems* to be moderating, you might consider taking a trip out to a nearby natural area that contains prairie or savanna habitat. […]
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