Tracking – Rabbits & Squirrels
This week we continue our series on wildlife tracking with a look at two of our most common wildlife neighbors, rabbits and squirrels. But first,…
Read MoreThis week we continue our series on wildlife tracking with a look at two of our most common wildlife neighbors, rabbits and squirrels. But first,…
Read MoreWell, it’s almost February, the month of love. The greeting card and candy companies know it. The jewelry stores know it. And so, too, do…
Read MoreThis week we continue our series on winter wildlife tracks with a look at man’s best friend, Canis familiaris; its cousin, Canis latrans, the coyote;…
Read MoreWe all have ways of keeping up with current events. Some of us watch TV; some read the newspaper or online sources. Personally, I like…
Read MoreWhen it comes to tiny arachnids, there’s one individual that grabs a disproportionate amount of the glory. We all know her, and the song that…
Read MoreNow that we’ve entered that interstitial period between Christmas and New Years, you may find yourself with a little extra time on your hands. Time…
Read MoreNature on a train. I know, it sounds like an oxymoron. Or maybe the title of a toned-down Samuel L. Jackson movie. But it’s also…
Read MoreWith apologies to Edgar Allan Poe, I offer you the following recap of my Thanksgiving weekend: While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a…
Read MoreRemember The Far Side, those classic bits of natural history humor by cartoonist Gary Larson? One in particular showed three hawks in a tree. All…
Read MoreLast week we embarked on a story of Kane County squirrels-specifically black squirrels, which are a dark form of our common gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis-and…
Read MoreJosh Libman, naturalist with the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, describes an ecological process during a KCCN field trip to Johnson’s Mound Forest Preserve in Elburn. Good Natured: Kane County Certified Naturalists November 27, 2019 Well, it’s that time of year again. The temperatures have dropped, the leaves have fallen, and the long,
Read MoreThey say that lightning never strikes the same place twice. But I wonder, is the same true of cars? And what about squirrels? These questions…
Read MorePumpkins at this time of year usually look one of two ways: Plump and firm, or soft and saggy. At my house, I’ve got one…
Read MoreLast week as I strolled with my dogs Joey and Kit around our neighborhood in St. Charles, we came upon a honey locust tree and…
Read MoreEvery year, in early spring, someone notices an American robin, and people rejoice. “Spring is here!” they exclaim, even though we might still have temperatures…
Read MoreWahoo! Fall color is at its peak here in the TriCities! The leafy fireworks are a little later in arriving this year, perhaps due to…
Read MoreAs fall migration continues, it’s time once again to play that favorite game of birdwatchers and Sesame Street watchers alike: One of These Things (Is…
Read MoreWhen was the last time you got scolded? I can recall, as a kid, how pretty much every Great Idea my friends and I had…
Read MoreIt was an “Eek!” heard round the world. Or at least in every corner of our humble campus apartment. My college roommate Alisan, one of…
Read MoreEvery year when Mother’s Day rolls around, Hallmark reminds us just how many animals are great moms. We see cards with dogs and their puppies;…
Read MoreSome of you might be aware, I’ve been a naturalist my whole life. But it’s only been a career since the year 2000. Prior to…
Read MoreSome of you have noticed, and a few have even called to comment on the fact that my role at the St. Charles Park District…
Read MoreIt’s a nature fact we all learn pretty early in life: Oak trees produce acorns. Except…sometimes they don’t. Now by this I don’t mean they…
Read MoreJudging by the yields in the community garden plots at James O. Breen Community Park in St. Charles, 2019 is a big year for local…
Read MoreThe other night a large, mosquito-like insect was flying around the kitchen. I waited until it landed, then let it outside. Not five minutes later,…
Read MoreLast week we relayed the story of two young chimney swifts who found themselves in a spot of trouble, and the people who came to…
Read MoreThe other night around 8:30 my phone started blowing up with texts that, at that moment, were going to have to go unanswered. I was…
Read MoreThe heady aroma of fine cigars. The rise and fall of male voices, punctuated with deep, booming laughter. It didn’t take a girl popping out…
Read MoreLocation, location, location. It’s a cardinal rule for real estate, and for spider webs. Think about it. Where are the thickest, juiciest spiders? In webs…
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