The fragile and mysterious Lady’s Slipper orchid is truly a treasure from heaven in every intrepid encounter
Nature Rambles: Quest for the golden moccasin
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles: Quest for the golden moccasin
Nature Rambles
Nature Rambles: Red-headed Woodpeckers are dangerously temperate-amental
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles: Red-headed Woodpeckers are dangerously temperate-amental
Central Illinois has long been a refuge for healthy populations of Red-headed Woodpeckers. Our plentiful oak woodlands and rich river valleys have long been home to this colorful species. With its bright red hood and black and white body, it…
Nature Rambles: Yes! Virginia Bluebells ring in serene sense of a paradise lost
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles: Yes! Virginia Bluebells ring in serene sense of a paradise lost
April is the month when the forest floor comes alive with new growth. In Illinois forests, the ground layer comes alive while the tree tops still slumber. The amount of daylight steadily increases throughout the month as spring takes over…
Nature Rambles: Skunk cabbage a stinky sign we are warming up for spring
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles: Skunk cabbage a stinky sign we are warming up for spring
March is one of those months that can seem to last forever. It can be a month where a waning winter reawakens, followed by a summer-like day of promise. From a weather perspective, it’s all over the place. The record…
Nature Rambles: Bald Eagle Marathon means more nests in central Illinois
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles: Bald Eagle Marathon means more nests in central Illinois
This year marks the 35th year that I have had the opportunity to be involved with annual winter Bald Eagle counts along the Illinois River. Surveys provide a snapshot of Bald Eagle numbers on a particular day across the state.…
Nature Rambles: Surf Scoter catching waves on Illinois
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles: Surf Scoter catching waves on Illinois
At 123 years old, the National Audubon Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is the longest running citizen science project in existence. Its roots date back to 1900, when ornithologist Frank Chapman suggested that people should go out at Christmas and count…
Nature Rambles: Our prairies need more Dawgs to look after them
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles: Our prairies need more Dawgs to look after them
The first time I can remember being exposed to the Illinois prairie was more than 40 years ago on a hike led by Hal Gardner at Jubilee College State Park. It was part of a “Prairie Day” event to build…
Nature Rambles | Stage set for sassy scenery: Sassafras leaves harbinger for spectacular fall
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Stage set for sassy scenery: Sassafras leaves harbinger for spectacular fall
Fall color has definitely been spectacular this year along the bluffs of the Illinois River. There is really never a year that has dreadful fall color. It is just some years stand out from others. This year, we…
Nature Rambles | Life of The Cicada Killer a natural horror story
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Life of The Cicada Killer a natural horror story
August is a great time for insect enthusiasts. Insect populations are reaching their peak, and the dog days of summer are upon us. During the day, flowers are abuzz and a-flutter with all types of bees, butterflies and other insects…
Nature Rambles | Lines of our landscape laid out long ago
by Mike Miller • • Comments Off on Nature Rambles | Lines of our landscape laid out long ago
In the cold winter of 1819, a crew of surveyors was crisscrossing the hills along the bluffs of the Illinois River. They were part of the General Land Office’s new initiative to deploy a square-grid geographic identification system. This process…