Good Natured | Hickory Knolls Discovery Center

Become a Naturalist!

I can remember every detail of the day I told my high school guidance counselor that I wanted to be a naturalist. First, there was the look on her face. A stern woman by nature, Mrs. Kobak pursed her lips and furrowed her brow–even more than usual–as she looked over the top of her glasses and stared a hole into my naïve, 16-year-old soul. […]

Flying Squirrels

Working as the park safety supervisor for the St. Charles Park District, patrolling our public lands late into the night, Tim Timberlake has had plenty of close encounters. But only recently did he come across a bona fide UFO. […]

Squirrels & Walnuts

We’ve all been there… That awkward moment when you realize there’s a poppy seed from your morning muffin wedged between your two front teeth. Or that you’re wearing a milk moustache from your lunchtime latte. Or when you find–as I have, more times than I care to count-that you have chocolate frosting […]

Turkey Vultures

Turkey vultures are the sorts of birds that command attention. For one, they’re VULTURES-dark-feathered and hunchbacked, they look vaguely creepy even under the best of circumstances. For another, they’re big-their 6-ft. wingspan rivals that of the bald eagle and makes them hard to miss […]

Young Redtail Hawks

Certain signs of fall are unmistakable. The changing colors of the leaves, the masses of migratory geese. And the persistent, almost petulant, calls of young red-tailed hawks being asked-more like told-to leave the family territory and strike out on their own. […]

Micrathena Spiders

Photo Caption:Micrathena gracilis typically spins its orb web across woodland paths at a height that more often than not corresponds to that of a human face. This particular spider, however, chose to anchor her web next to the fireplace in the picnic pavilion at Red Oak Nature Center in North Aurora. Good Natured: Micrathena Spiders […]

White Snakeroot

Usually when people write about wildflowers they use words like beautiful to describe the blossoms. Or terms like vigorous or conservative to describe the growth habits. But this past week, when I found a wildflower growing in my yard that I know I didn’t plant, only one word came to mind: Notorious.

Argiope Spiders

“Let me show you something hideous!” My friend Mrs. Janet was pretty emphatic as she pulled her phone from her purse. Knowing that Janet works with kids, and having heard some of her war stories of what can emit from those little bodies-especially […]

Cicada Killers

Photo Caption: Not a murder hornet! Yes they’re big and yes they’re wasps, but eastern cicada killers pose little threat to any creatures other than cicadas. These large, boldly marked insects are a natural part of our local ecology. Good Natured: Cicada Killers September 4, 2020 Full disclosure: This column originally ran in August 2012. […]

Grass Spiders

Aah, the joys of summer. Here in the midst of another hot spell, the signs of the season are undeniable. Cicadas are buzzing, prairies are blooming and spiders, bless their little cardiac marks, are everywhere. (Fun fact: A cardiac mark is a line near the base of a spider’s abdomen that lies right above its heart. Pretty neat, huh? But it gets even cooler. […]

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