Northern Shrike
Citizens of Kane, beware: The butcher birds are back! That’s right folks-Lanius excubitor has returned to our fair land. But instead of running for cover, you might instead want to gear up and go outside.. […]
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Good Natured
Circle of Life – Mystery Skull
The day began pretty much like any other. We opened the building, we began some ecological restoration tasks, we found a skull. It sounds a bit macabre, I know. But every day the circles of life play out around us, and more often than not they leave a trace-sometimes even a mound!-of evidence. […]
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Nature’s Leftovers
If you’ve ever hosted a holiday feast, you know that leftovers are part of the deal. Some go gracefully, packed up in containers and sent home with family or friends. Others take on new identities inside inventive casseroles. A select few might, with the best of intentions, get tossed in the freezer for “later,” a day that may or may not ever come. […]
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The Joys of a Heated Birdbath
It seemed like such a good idea at the time. For years I’ve touted the benefits of winter water sources for wildlife. And while we’ve got plenty at various locations throughout the St. Charles Park District, I personally had none. But that changed – make that started to change – in December 2016. […]
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Fox vs. Coyote
The snow swirled down in big, heavy flakes-like the kind you see in a snow globe, only real. As I walked through the Hickory Knolls Natural Area, I couldn’t help but become immersed in the tranquility of nature in winter. A stroll in the woods is one of the best ways I know to clear my head, and that particular day I surrendered to the free association of words that lilted through my tired brain. […]
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Hairy Woodpeckers
Although the word “hairy” isn’t itself inherently bad, it’s often used to describe something that is less than ideal. A hairy situation typically is one that’s turned treacherous. A hairy problem can be tricky to solve. And a hairy sink…well that’s just gross. A hairy woodpecker, on the other hand, is darn cool.[…]
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Kane County Certified Naturalists
When was the last time you looked-I mean realllllly looked-at the shape and size of a tree bud? Or paused to observe whether the tree’s branches were alternate or opposite? When you look at a prairie, do you wonder what’s going on in the soil below? Are you curious how the plants survive-thrive, even-following a prescribed burn? […]
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Winter Wrens
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never really thought of the TriCities, or even the greater Chicagoland region, as a hotbed for cave dwellers. But what do I know? Turns out I’ve actually seen three this year, so far. Each time the encounters were brief, so much so that I questioned whether I’d actually seen anything at all. […]
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Toads in Winter
We’ve all been there at one time or another: That awkward moment when you realize you’ve accidentally woken someone. Perhaps it was a phone call at an inopportune time. Or an unintended bump during an airline flight. Or, maybe, you hit them with a shovel. […]
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Hermit Thrush
Not long ago Hickory Knolls had the good fortune to host several hundred seventh graders from Thompson Middle School in St. Charles. Their objective was team-building, which they accomplished through a series of outdoor activities situated in the athletic fields of James O. Breen Park and throughout the Hickory Knolls Natural Area. […]
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