If you listen to the radio or watch TV much, you’ve probably noticed that tourism officials for the state of Michigan have picked 2009 as The Year to Spend A Lot on Advertising. You may even have noticed that they picked a famous resident to make the sales pitch—Tim Allen, of Home Improvement and Santa
Color, Fall, Season
-My friend who lived on a dairy farm had a coffee mug that depicted a peaceful pastoral scene: barn, pasture, trees, cattle. Beneath the cows, which I believe were smiling, was a memorable phrase that’s been on my mind a lot lately: “Some days you step in it, some days you don’t.” The other day,
Animal, Dog, Pet
It’s been said that the longest journeys start with a single step. But what I learned this week is that some journeys start with a single click. The adventure started innocently enough, on Labor Day, with a walk to Geneva Commons to meet my friend Lisa. Along the way I ran into friends Nanette and
Inkberry, Plant, Pokeweed
When was the last time you saw a little green man? For me, it was last Sunday. I was just going into the garage when something small and bright caught my eye. I looked down and there he was, all shiny and chartreuse: a freshly emerged cicada, clinging to his now-empty shell. Cicadas are reliable
Bug, Cicada, Insect
I’ll admit it. I’m a cookie-dough freak. Even though I know full well that baked cookies taste really good, I just can’t resist digging into the bowl with a spare spoon and letting a gooey glob, gritty with sugar, slide down my gullet. If the dough happens to contain chocolate chips, look out; the oven’s
Hickory Nut, Shagbark, Squirrel
“What is that?” Here in the naturalist department, it’s a phrase that’s repeated often. And, I’ve got to admit, it’s one I love to hear. Over the last few months, we’ve answered questions about and helped identify ticks (American dog as well as deer); skulls (mostly raccoon, with the occasional opossum and coyote); birds (Cooper’s
Clearwings, Insect, Moth
Regular readers of this space might recall that, last winter, a critter took up residence inside my vehicle. (If you were one of the many people who wrote or called in with a car critter solution, thank you! But the rodent had other plans; it moved on before I was able to put any of
Araneus, Barn Spider, Spider
If lately you’ve found yourself leaving no stone unturned, it could be that you’re a very thorough and exacting individual. Or maybe, like some of us here at the park district, you’ve just finished a week of Reptile and Amphibian Camp. Also known as Herp Camp, this program focuses on the scaly and smooth-skinned critters
Amphibian, Salamander, SalliesSomewhere, sometime, somewhere along the way, someone got the idea that naturalists should wake up early, in order to catch nature’s sunrise show. As our life-giving golden orb creeps above the eastern horizon, animals rise to greet the day. Flowers unfurl to soak up the sun, and dewdrops sparkle on silken spider webs until the
Evening