Each year, bird enthusiasts look forward to taking part in the longest running “Citizen Scientist” event in existence –– the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count. This last CBC marked the 119th year that birders have been involved in documenting…
Nature Rambles
Nature Rambles | Winter Butterflies
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Winter Butterflies
While January might seem a strange time to think about butterflies, it is actually a great time to look back at the past season and start the process for planning for next year. In past columns, we have touched on…
Nature Rambles | Nero fiddles
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Nero fiddles
As November snows fall on the quiet landscape of Central Illinois, an inferno of unprecedented magnitude blisters California. Wildfires rip through the foothills near Paradise, Chico and Malibu, whipped to a frenzy by dry Santa Ana winds. Fires are so…
Nature Rambles | A new invasive species
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | A new invasive species
It’s not everyday that I get stumped when I’m out in nature, but every once in a while, I see something that I have no idea what it is. A few weeks ago, Peoria Park District staff and volunteers were…
Nature Rambles | Autumn goldenrod ablaze
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Autumn goldenrod ablaze
It seems that autumn comes well before I’m ready to say goodbye to summer. Perhaps it’s because, as we get older, we long for the halcyon days of youth and green growth. The onset of autumn is a little too…
Nature Rambles | Low water level brings new life
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Low water level brings new life
If you have been out along the Illinois River this summer, you might have noticed that the water level has been low for several weeks. When this happens, mudflats become exposed and then something magical happens. Seeds that lie dormant…
Nature Rambles | ‘Nature in Progress’ at former golf course
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | ‘Nature in Progress’ at former golf course
A new sign stands at the entrance to what used to be the Detweiller Golf Course. It reads “Nature in Progress… Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.” It is an invitation to get out and explore an area…
Nature Rambles | Monitoring for declining pollinators
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Monitoring for declining pollinators
In 2015, the Pollinator Research Action Plan was released outlining the decline in pollinating insects and the challenges faced in stabilizing and enhancing populations of these beneficial insects. The findings and solutions outlined in this report have become known as…
Nature Rambles | Look and Listen
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Look and Listen
June is the month when several species of milkweed come into bloom. This is Butterfly Milkweed, above, with distinct orange flowers. Native milkweeds are important nectar sources for many species of insects. They are also crucial nurse species for Monarch…
Nature Rambles | April’s new beginning
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | April’s new beginning
It wouldn’t be spring without the flush of new, green growth that happens each year in our woods and prairies of Central Illinois. There is that magical time, before the trees have fully leafed out, when sunlight streams through the…