Though many good sized fish inhabit small lakes and streams, when that’s the case, the big dudes are usually few and far between. It’s also true fish sized from tiny minnows up to those just panfish sized can be caught in waters of any size. But big waters mean big fish. In the ocean that may mean…
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Photo: Aphrodite butterflies on butterfly weed by Gus Nyberg My mailbox is starting to fill with seed catalogs. Even though it is only February, my mind is already dreaming of a well weeded garden, overflowing with the ripest of fruit and not a garden pest within 40 miles. Oh! And I just know that this year my landscaping of native flowers and shrubs will bloom all through the spring, summer and fall, with nary a weed to be found. Sigh…maybe someday. …
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It’s iffy whether or not you’ll see a wild turkey during a walk in the woods at this time of year. But it’s a surefire bet that you will see the striking, turkey tail fungus. For that, I’m always grateful. Turkey tail, Trametes versicolor, is one of the most common fungi growing on the sides of logs or trees. It is a stalkless mushroom, called a shelf fungus, which looks much like a fan with scalloped edges…
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Halloween decoration is in full swing. Ghosts, witches, and spiders are popping up everywhere. The prairies of Kankakee Sands seem decorated for the upcoming holiday too. All around are spider webs that glitter with the dew on these chilly fall mornings. The most common spider that I see at Kankakee Sands during the months of September and October is Argiope aurantia, otherwise known as yellow and black garden spider, corn spider, zipper spider, writing spider, or black and yellow argiope…
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On a lazy afternoon, I wandered down to Jeorse Park and Beach located on the shores of Lake Michigan in East Chicago. The City has been working diligently on a $15.5 million makeover to the Park and Marina and it’s absolutely amazing! I was greeted by colorful, painted murals lining the entrance to the Park, which sits next to Ameristar Casino…
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Photo credit: Tall coreopsis with an orange sulfur butterfly, taken by Jeanette Jaskula. Yellow does for September what orange does for October. It makes you feel that all is well and right, and that summer is coming to a close. The end-of-summer prairie is filled with many different hues of yellow. My favorite yellow is that of tall coreopsis ( Coreopsis tripteris ), now in bloom at Kankakee Sands…
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When I was a youngster, few things brought thoughts of wild lands and far off places into my head than hearing and seeing a Vee-shaped skein of Canada geese winging their way south in the fall or heading back to their summering area in the springtime. If I was lucky, I’d witness this majesty two or three times each year. Nowadays, seeing a Canada goose is almost as common as seeing robins in a yard or gulls along the lakefront…
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Sunday bike rides are a tradition in our family, especially during the summer months. There are quite a few trails around the northwest Indiana area and we love exploring them. So, as per tradition, this past Sunday my father and I smeared on the sunscreen, loaded up the bikes, and drove out to where the Oak Savannah Trail starts in the Oak Ridge Prairie County Park. Completed in 2015, this trail runs between Griffith and Hobart. It is about nine miles one way and connects with the Prairie Duneland Trail in Hobart. The trail ends at N. County Line Road…
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When I was little each summer we would always plan a fun family trip and more often than not, it would be a road trip. At the time, I was not the biggest fan of being in the car for hours, but today I appreciate the experience. I am excited to share the fun with my children! When we planned to visit Fort Wayne, Indiana this summer I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to plan some fun stops along the way…
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During the months of June, July and early August, the Kankakee Sands prairies are aflutter with the stunning regal fritillary butterfly (Speyeria idalia). Though commonly seen at Kankakee Sands, regals are very rare elsewhere in Indiana. Often referred to as “Flowers of the Sky”, these large, showy butterflies are easy to spot on the prairie. They are roughly the same size as monarch butterflies, four inches from wingtip to wingtip, and they’re strong fliers like monarchs, too. In fact, I’ve watched regals chase monarchs across the prairie, and watched monarchs chase regals. I’ve always wondered what would happen if they caught one another……
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