Everybody loves a good story!

Discover the heart-warming tales of Hickory Knolls from Harley the hawk on a short hike through the natural area as he takes his friend, Greta the Grasshopper, on an exciting adventure.

Harley’s family has lived in the Fox Valley area for generations, and he has some great insight as to how the land and environment have changed over the years.

The walk begins on the trail across the road, west of the garden plots. Look for the Andrini Trail sign to find the start. The first story board is down the path. The entire story walk is an estimated 3/4-mile. Inner loop story walk is about 1/2-mile. Dress appropriately for the weather.

It’s best to read the story on site to acquire an actual sense and feel of the adventure while outside with all the elements, but for those who wish to view it online, click on the storyboard image.

Harley’s Story wHoo’s wHoo…

	Harley the Red-tailed hawk Like his family before him, Harley rules the skies over Hickory Knolls. His sharp eyesight lets him see a mouse from 100 feet in the air and his strong wings help him fly at speeds up to 40 mph. He and his mate can often be seen perching in the cottonwood trees near the first hill as you enter the natural area. Look for their large nest, made of sticks, as you hike the trails.
	Greta the grasshopper Greta is quite chatty in our story, but actually is a good listener too. Female grasshoppers have ears, not on their heads, but on the front part of their abdomen. They listen for the calls of the males of their species. The males can make sound either by rattling their wings in flight (crepitation), or by rubbing their legs against their wings (stridulation).
	Callie the caterpillar
	Aaron the American goldfinch
	Dottie the diurnal lightning bug
	Cora the coyote
	Sammy the squirrel
	Chucky the chipmunk
	Spencer the spring peeper
	Colin the chorus frog
	Norman the northern leopard frog
	Ginny the ground-nesting bee
	Callie the monarch butterfly

This entertaining story, for young and old, was inspired by the travels of a Park Board Commissioner and developed by the District’s Nature and Marketing Departments.