In these days of physical distancing and social isolation, the sight of a familiar face can bring immeasurable joy. Even, it turns out, if that face is brick red, with six eyes and two large fangs. (Okay, I suppose it helps if you’re a naturalist or spider fancier, or at the very least able to squelch the primal instinct […]
Read More
Okay folks, show of (thoroughly washed) hands… How many of you had your spring break plans dashed by the COVID-19 conflagration? Were your visions of cocktails on the lido deck replaced by jug wine swilled from juice glasses? Instead of lounging on the beach in a new swimsuit, are you lolling on the couch in PJs […]
Read More
Geneva, some of you might recall, has a bit of a history when it comes to owls. And no, I’m not talking about The Little Owl, may it Rest In Peace. As much as I’d love just one more Owl Burger, or fish fry, or Arbizzani lasagna, the legacy I’m referring to is that of Bubo virginianus, the great horned owl. […]
Read More
Maybe all this social distancing is starting to get to me. Or maybe I watched too much TV as a kid. But do you know what show has been on my mind these past few weeks? The Munsters. I know, weird, huh? It’s not like Herman, Lily and the gang are enjoying any sort of resurgence in popularity. […]
Read More
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and guess that your life has changed quite a bit over the past couple of weeks. I know mine has. Work days, once full of nature programming for a variety of audiences, now consist of creating social media posts and editing video footage of nature phenomena. And writing! […]
Read More
I can remember the date like it was yesterday. It was April 1, 2000-something. I’m gonna guess maybe 2001. It was late in the day, and I was sitting at the front desk at Red Oak Nature Center in North Aurora, my outdoor education alma mater. I’d like to say I was working at the computer, researching a program topic or answering emails. […]
Read More
Spring starts a week from today and with it comes the promise of warmer temperatures, as well as visits from a host of migrating birds–including yellow-bellied sapsuckers. Please enjoy this column, which first ran in April 2010. […]
Read More
Over the past several weeks, we’ve taken a Good Natured look at the tracks and signs of many of our area’s most common mammals, from the ubiquitous squirrels and raccoons to, last week, the elusive bobcat and its not-so-secretive cousin, Bob the Cat. […]
Read More
Several years ago we received an email from a St. Charles resident who had found the remains of a feline beneath a pine tree on her property. Her question was, Is this a bobcat, or Bob the Cat? […]
Read More
Several years ago, my friend Jessi and I went exploring at McKee Marsh–a small but wonderfully diverse parcel at the north end of the Blackwell Forest Preserve in DuPage County. The winter day was crisp, bordering on downright cold, but the sun shone brightly and the wind was calm. […]
Read More