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…
Flying Squirrels
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…
Black Squirrels – Part 2
Last week we embarked on a story of Kane County squirrels-specifically black squirrels, which are a dark form of our common gray squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis-and…
Black Squirrels – Part 1
They say that lightning never strikes the same place twice. But I wonder, is the same true of cars? And what about squirrels? These questions…
Squirrel Scatter Hoarders
Years ago, as a rookie staff writer at a restaurant magazine, I had the pleasure of working with a tremendously talented senior editor named Audrey. Her wit and skill had earned her a spot near the top of the publishing food chain, yet she made herself accessible to us young cubs. If I needed a
Lined Ground Squirrels
Though sometimes maligned for its burrowing and seed-hoarding habits, the thirteen-lined ground squirrel fulfills an important ecological niche. May 23, 2014 Lined Ground Squirrel “That’s not a chipmunk.” The astute visitor, wise beyond his 4 ½ years, stubbornly stood by his resolution, while his companions (people who, I’m guessing, were Grandma and Grandpa) tried to
Squirrel Mating
Have you noticed what’s up with squirrels lately? Only a week or so back, they were hopping about in minimalist survival mode: foraging; keeping an eye out for predators; and in general trying to stay as warm and dry as their furry little bodies—and fluffy tail-that-doubles-as-a-blanket-and-umbrella—would let them. But, boy, things sure have changed these
Squirrels
St. Charles Park District Nature News – January 29 Have you noticed what’s up with squirrels lately? Only a week or so back, they were hopping about in minimalist survival mode: foraging; keeping an eye out for predators; and in general trying to stay as warm and dry as their furry little bodies—and fluffy tail-that-doubles-as-a-blanket-and-umbrella—would
Black Squirrel
Sometimes, when you write a nature column, you just don’t know when inspiration is going to strike. Ideas for columns have come while walking to work, while working in the yard and once, memorably, when I stepped in something icky. But this week was different. I wasn’t anywhere near the outdoors and, in fact, was
Shagbark
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