Doug Tallamy was surprised at how perfect the leaves looked on surrounding shrubs and herbaceous plants. As an entomologist he would have expected to see holes, chewed edges and other evidence of herbivorous insects feeding. It occurred to Tallamy that,…
Dale’s Column
Precaution … the better part of valor
by Dale Goodner • • 0 Comments
My parents’ modest turf and my grandmother’s extensive lawn were not enough. As a teen, interested in pocket change, I also mowed my uncle’s massive meadows. In the early 60’s, lawns had really come into vogue, and I did a…
400 PPM … Moment of (Inconvenient) Truth
by Dale Goodner • • 0 Comments
There was a cold wind-driven rain on May 11, but, like a football game, the nature hike we had planned (in Door Co. Wis) went on as scheduled. Participants showed up in rain coats and wore layers, but as rain…
May the Forest Be with You
by Dale Goodner • • 0 Comments
Elroy Limmer was in a pretty good position to help people see the forest as well as the trees. As Peoria’s City Arborist, he dealt with numerous questions and concerns regarding proper tree care. For example, a home owner once…
Felines, Both Friendly and Fiendish
by Dale Goodner • • 0 Comments
Elsie stood on my grandmother’s front porch one day looking not the least bit guilty. This was Gramma’s beloved “house” cat, and dangling from its mouth was a very dead purple finch. From that day on, the backyard was quiet.…
Mad as a March Hare
by Dale Goodner • • 0 Comments
In the middle of the night I occasionally notice a dark figure in my yard, hunkered over as if in prayer, lurking just beneath the bird feeder… chewing. If it notices me, moving inside the house, it will quickly disappear…
Science Highlights from 2012
by Dale Goodner • • 0 Comments
From the “God particle” to Jurassic fleas, 2012 has been an incredible year for science. A lot happened while the myopic media remained preoccupied with an overload of election year political blather and smear, and superpac prevarication. Here’s a tiny…
The Voice of the Turtle
by Dale Goodner • • 0 Comments
The oak didn’t look as large as I’d remembered. I came upon it while visiting some of my old haunts. This was one of the trees my brother and sister and I used to frequently climb when we were kids.…
Thanksgiving Thought Food
by Dale Goodner • • 0 Comments
A couple years ago I returned to my great grandparents’ farm after half a century, and barely recognized the place. The log barn was gone, the chicken coop gone, as was the machine shed. Pastures, garden, windmill … all gone.…
All Who Wander Are Not Lost
by Dale Goodner • • 0 Comments
It was a question I’d heard before. In August I was presenting a bird program when a lady asked, “Is it true that humming birds migrate south by hitching a ride on the backs of Canada geese?” This is a…