A black-throated blue warbler appeared outside the office window the other day, and it got me to thinking. My first thought went something like, “Hey, that’s a black-throated blue warbler!” And then the ol’ bean went silent. But just for a minute. A second thought soon bubbled to the surface, and this one is with
Bird, Crash, FlyPam’s Perspective Pam Otto is the Manager of Nature Programs and Interpretive Services for the St. Charles Park District I’ve been on vacation this past week, a vacation at home, and it’s given me time to get caught up on all sorts of things. I finally got around to pruning back the elderberries that had
Forum, Read, Sound Off
Pam’s Perspective Pam Otto is the Manager of Nature Programs and Interpretive Services for the St. Charles Park District I’ve been on vacation this past week, a vacation at home, and it’s given me time to get caught up on all sorts of things. I finally got around to pruning back the elderberries that had
Animal, CoyotesWhether we realize it or not, we all have hidden talents—a special skill or talent we trot out from time to time to amaze and amuse ourselves and others. My college roommate Alisan, an engineer by trade, can juggle just about anything you put in front of her. My friend Lisa can read—and comprehend—really, really
Hidden Talents, Skills, Wildlife
If our recent 90-dgree heat and 90-percent humidity levels have you lying around like a dog, you might be tempted to think that we’ve entered the dog days of summer. And, know what? You’d be right. But maybe not for the reasons you’d think. The dog days are named, not for anything you or your
Bug, Dog Day Cicada, Insect
One of the things I love most about being outdoors is that you never know what you might find. This time of year especially, the woods, fields and streams are full of curiosities, some annual in nature and some so rare you might see them only once in a lifetime. If you move slow enough,
Bat, Critter, FlyI’ve been asked a lot of questions this week. Some have been tough, like “What do you think the long-term ecological implications of the BP oil ‘spill’ will be?” Or, “Are these recent summer storms related to climate change?” But the one I’ve heard most often, and the one I just might be able to
Bug, Earwigs, Insect
My friend Kim emailed me the other day from Sedona, AZ, to tell of her 9-mile hike in the desert. She said the wildflowers are spectacular right now and, while she didn’t mention them specifically, I’m sure the cacti are too. Today I’m going to write her back and tell her about my own hike,
Cactus, Opuntia, Prickly Pear
Sometimes nature’s elements can be obvious, like when a skunk squirts and blankets an entire neighborhood with rich aroma. Or when a bur oak acorn leaves its mother tree and knocks you on the head. But other times nature is much more subtle. A gentle breeze. The sun’s warm rays. A snake’s shed skin draped
Flower, Garden, PlantYou’re probably familiar with the phrase “the best of intentions.” Maybe you heard it when your daughter tried backing the car out of the garage and scraped up the fender—I know my mom did. Or maybe you heard it when your niece tried to wash your giant glass serving bowl and cracked it in two—I
Fish, Mosquitofish