Each year, as March moves into April, spring tempts us with its erratic presence. One day is 70 degrees and the Cardinals and Song Sparrows are busy singing in the brush. The next day is blanketed with snow and the…
Nature Rambles
Nature Rambles | Ancient trees key to a land’s legacy
by Mike Miller • • 0 Comments
Way back in forestry class, I learned that a good forestry practice was to leave some old trees standing when harvesting timber. Our forestry professor, Dr. Jay Cravens, used to say, “Make sure you leave some of the old trees…
Nature Rambles | Bird counts can tally more than just what’s flying around
by Mike Miller • • 0 Comments
December and early January was Christmas Bird Count time in Central Illinois. The Peoria Audubon Society coordinates three counts in the region. One in Peoria, one near Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge, and another in Chillicothe. The Christmas Bird Count (CBC)…
Nature Rambles | Prescribed fires help preserve ancient oaks
by Mike Miller • • 0 Comments
The Peoria region is blessed with woodlands along the bluffs of the Illinois River. Many of these have been protected as conservation areas and nature preserves. Places like Forest Park, Detweiller Park, Robinson Park, Camp Wokanda and Singing Woods are…
Nature Rambles | Bell Bowl Prairie Update
by Mike Miller • • 0 Comments
Last month, I wrote about the impending destruction of a native prairie near the Rockford International Airport. This prairie, one of the few remaining habitats of its kind, was slated to be destroyed by airport expansion beginning Nov. 1. Since…
Nature Rambles | Bell Bowl, a Prairie in Peril
by Mike Miller • • 1 Comment
In Illinois, the prairie state, finding prairies can be a real challenge. Over 99.99% of Illinois native prairie has been destroyed. Most prairie has been converted to agriculture. The areas that were too hilly to plough or too dry or…
Nature Rambles | Food for Thought
by Mike Miller • • 0 Comments
Every year, a gloriously colored mushroom pops up at the base of an oak tree in one of our parks. It’s pumpkin colored top and other-worldly shape, makes it look like something that would be more at home on a…
Nature Rambles | Pink in the Prairie
by Mike Miller • • 0 Comments
August and early September is a time for pink to join the color palette of the Illinois Prairie. The yellows of several species of sunflower still dominate, but nature seems to know that an ocean of yellow would be overstated.…
Nature Rambles | Bumble Bee Summer
by Mike Miller • • 1 Comment
As June drought turned into July monsoon, we witness another strange year for weather in Central Illinois. The rains came just in time to spur the growth of native prairie flowers before they set bloom. The summer onset of blooming…
Nature Rambles | The Kinship of Thistle and Bison
by Mike Miller • • 2 Comments
Most people don’t think of a prickly thistle as being a rare and desired species. Roadsides are often lined with some type of thistle. Most of these are seen as noxious weeds that are invasive species brought from other continents.…