Exploring Nature by Sheila Newenham
One person’s problem is another’s pleasure. We are in the midst of the all-time wettest May on record in the Chicago area. And it’s only May 19th. The previous May precipitation record of 8.25″ set just last year. This is a symptom of our warming … Continue readingRecord Spring Rainfall
I often write about hidden gems – those wonderful things that have been right under our noses all along. That’s because when we make the time to stop and look, there is wonder all around us. A friend recently suggested a village park that has … Continue readingA Local Wonderland
Fred and Ethel* are back for their twelfth season. They are a pair of Canada geese who have been raising their families on my pond year after year. In the spring, when the flocks of geese begin to stopover on their trip north, Fred and … Continue readingBackyard Geese
Today was the first chance I’ve had this season to sit on my front porch and quietly observe the yard. I can’t sit on the back deck like this because all I see are weeds that need pulling, plants that need watering, feeders that need … Continue readingThe View from my Porch
I have several bird feeders in my back yard. Over the years I’ve seen new bird species come every year. It’s a source of pleasure for me, environmental enrichment for my indoor cats and a source of supplemental food for my Labrador, Tybee, who never … Continue readingUnder the Feeder at Night
Several years ago I got a camera trap (motion-activated outdoor camera) to learn more about who is around when I’m not. Over the years I’ve watched raccoons, opossums, skunks, coyotes, birds, a woodchuck, mice, deer, a nesting duck, the neighbor’s cat and my dogs in … Continue readingSquirrel Rock
I am fortunate to have a 4000-acre forest preserve out my back door. It is a respite from the chaos of the city of Chicago, 20 miles to the east, and the suburbs that surround it. From September through May I walk these woods several … Continue readingNew Treasures in Familiar Woods
This mild October afternoon with blue skies and bright sun, not the stark, blazing, eye-squinting, summer sun, but the warm, golden, cozy light of autumn, makes a perfect afternoon to explore a local, restored tallgrass prairie. It’s so close to home that I’m reluctant to … Continue readingAn Illinois Prairie Walk
I haven’t seen a junco since mid-April. It’s hard to mark the day they leave except to note when some has time gone by since I’d last noticed one. Here, they mark the beginning of winter and the promise of spring. As the juncos leave, … Continue readingChanging Seasons: Spring
Over the nine years that I’ve lived here, I’ve been gradually creating habitat and homes for native wildlife. It’s a slow, but rewarding, process. We’ve left the lawn immediately adjacent to the pond unmowed since we arrived. I’ve been planting native species and pulling weeds … Continue readingPond Life