Good Natured

Red Foxes & Screech Owls – Part 1

I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not a Shakespeare scholar. In fact, in high school I had but one brush with the Bard (a…

Eagle Nest

From a distance it looked like a Volkswagen Beetle slung upside down in a tree. An old-style Bug, that is. Dark brown in color. Oh,…

Bird Tracking

Every year about this time, the Good Natured World Headquarters staff starts fielding questions about tracks in the snow. And every other year or so…

Coyote Territory Time

The other day as I was walking to work, taking in the sights and sounds of a warm-ish winter morning, I noticed that the neighborhood…

It’s snowy owl season once again. Look for this regal visitor from the north in farm country, atop fence posts and utility poles. Good Natured: Snowy Owls January 8, 2021 Not only do I remember where I saw my first white owl, I also remember when. I was four years old, poking around my

Eyeshine

Any way you look at them, our winter holidays really shine. Twinkling decorations shimmer in yards and windows; nights-some of them, anyway-are clear and starry;…

The Perfect DIY Gift for Nature-Lovers

Good news, Good-Natured procrastinators! Even though the holiday season is nigh, there’s still time to handcraft a gift for that special someone on your list.…

The Ohio Buckeye Mystery – Part 2

Last week’s Good Natured column ended with a cliffhanger… Who, or what, was destroying the Ohio buckeye tree at the Wildflower Sanctuary in Batavia? In…

The Ohio Buckeye Mystery – Part 1

The Wildflower Sanctuary in Batavia is just that-a peaceful place to commune with nature and bask in the tranquility of plants and animals living in…

Witch Hazel

Witch hazel and I have had an on-again, off-again relationship for more than 50 years. A wee bit accident prone, I’ve lost track of the…

Squirrel Dreys

There’s no place like home. Dorothy Gale said it as she clacked her ruby slippers together, and Perry Como and the Carpenters sang about it,…

Bald-Faced Hornets

What comes to mind when you think of a good neighbor? State Farm? The folks next door? Bald-faced hornets? Okay, that last one may sound…

Eruption or Irruption?

Generally speaking, eruptions attract a lot of attention. There’s no mistaking when a volcano blows, or a crowd expresses its views. Or when a facial…

Snakes in Fall

Blotchy and big-adults average over 4 ft. in length-nonvenomous fox snakes are our area’s longest native constrictors. This time of year, they are heading for hibernacula, areas that might include garages, crawlspaces and basements. Good Natured: Snakes in Fall November 6, 2020 We all have our dreams…a fancy house, a fast car, maybe fame

Become a Naturalist!

I can remember every detail of the day I told my high school guidance counselor that I wanted to be a naturalist. First, there was…

Flying Squirrels

Working as the park safety supervisor for the St. Charles Park District, patrolling our public lands late into the night, Tim Timberlake has had plenty…

Squirrels & Walnuts

We’ve all been there… That awkward moment when you realize there’s a poppy seed from your morning muffin wedged between your two front teeth. Or…

Turkey Vultures

Turkey vultures are the sorts of birds that command attention. For one, they’re VULTURES-dark-feathered and hunchbacked, they look vaguely creepy even under the best of…

Young Redtail Hawks

Certain signs of fall are unmistakable. The changing colors of the leaves, the masses of migratory geese. And the persistent, almost petulant, calls of young…

Micrathena Spiders

When was the last time you got a face-ful of spider web? If you live in northern Illinois, and have walked outside recently, particularly in…

White Snakeroot

Usually when people write about wildflowers they use words like beautiful to describe the blossoms. Or terms like vigorous or conservative to describe the growth…

Argiope Spiders

“Let me show you something hideous!” My friend Mrs. Janet was pretty emphatic as she pulled her phone from her purse. Knowing that Janet works…

Cicada Killers

Full disclosure: This column originally ran in August 2012. I’d intended to run it again last week, as it seemed like it was time to…

Grass Spiders

Aah, the joys of summer. Here in the midst of another hot spell, the signs of the season are undeniable. Cicadas are buzzing, prairies are…

Ahh-Choo! It’s Ragweed Season

Ahh-CHOO! *sniff* Yep, it’s that time of year again. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Your body’s immune…