Pam’s Perspective From the… Pam Otto is the Manager of Natural Programs and Interpretive Services for the St. Charles Park District July 6, 2012 I’ll admit, I’m not the most up-to-date person when it comes to pop culture. I don’t have a television, so I’d be hard pressed to name more than a handful of
Animal, Fox, Red Fox
April 6, 2012 Last weekend, the St. Charles Park District held its annual Easter Egg Hunt at Pottawatomie Park. Thousands of eggs, hundreds of kids…a good, albeit chilly, time was had by all. While that egg hunt is over, another one is just beginning. We’re on the verge of waterfowl nesting season, and ducks and
Animal, Critter, Mink
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, CoyotesSt. Charles Park District Nature News – January 22 I can still picture the old photograph that hung in my folks’ hallway when I was growing up. It dated to around 1870 and showed my mom’s Great Grandfather and Grandmother Heyen, along with their daughters Martha, Tildie, Katie and Rachel, decked out in somber black
Animal, Critter, Opossum
-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
Change is an undeniable part of life. Just ask Bob Dylan (“The Times They Are A-Changin’,” 1963) and David Bowie (“Changes,” 1971). Or Barack Obama and Joe Biden (“The Change We Need,” 2008). Or coyotes. Coyotes, despite humans’ best efforts to thwart them, have become masters at handling change. Their presence here in Illinois dates
Animal, Coyotes
As I got ready to head out for a walk Sunday evening, I made the usual preparations. Jacket? Check. Waterproof boots? Check. Hat? Of course. Bat detector? Huh? Not in a million years would I have thought to bring out, on March 2nd, the electronic gadget I use each summer to detect the presence of
Animal, Bats, Mammal
The snow that blankets the Tri-Cities these days has many stories written upon it. Like a good book they beckon—all you have to do is take the time to read them. Take the other day, for instance. A friend and I were walking through Norris Woods in St. Charles, admiring the many signs of winter
Animal, Hike, Tracking, Tracks