By: Samantha Kinsman, The Nature Conservancy When my sister and I were young, we used to take monarch caterpillars into our care and raise them to butterflies. It was a complicated project, usually headed by my sister, that involved finding and collecting teeny tiny monarch eggs on common milkweed plants, monitoring the eggs until they hatched, and getting the microscopic caterpillars situated on fresh milkweed leaves to eat and grow…
Read More
Photo from the Indiana Dunes National Park. Shallow streams, a great lake, a nationally recognized waterway, small lakes and ponds can all be found in the South Shore. We've put together a list of where to start your paddling adventures:…
Read More
Did you know that the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore turns 50 this year? Talk about a fine wine. Special events are occurring along the lakeshore to commemorate Indiana’s favorite national park. We’ve put together five ways for you to celebrate the wonder of Lake Michigan. From Century of Progress Tours to a festival inspired by Johnny Appleseed, you’ll find fun for the whole family…
Read More
By: Alyssa Nyberg, Efroymson Restoration at Kankakee Sands Rain soaked and exhausted, I stand at the edge of a wetland. My hair is plastered to my face, my shirt is askew, and my jeans are heavy with water and mud. At this moment, I am far from the epitome of "marsh grace". But the short green plant before me, Eleocharis obtusa, is exactly "marsh grace"…
Read More
By: Alyssa Nyberg, Efroymson Restoration at Kankakee Sands Here I sit beneath the shadecloth at the Kankakee Sands Nursery at four o'clock in the afternoon. I am just watching and waiting. Beside me are 200 small black pots of prairie fame flower (Phemeranthus rugospermus). Any moment now, the pots will be transformed from a mass of green succulent leaves to a floating sea of pink when the blossoms of the fame flower open. Then within an hour, they will close again. The whole process is absolutely mesmerizing, puzzling, and intriguing. That's why you'll find me here, again, this evening, watching and waiting for the floral show to begin…
Read More
By: Alyssa Nyberg, Efroymson Restoration at Kankakee Sands Oh those March showers have brought…
Read More
By: Samantha Kinsman, Efroymson Restoration at Kankakee Sands Photo credit to Kathy C. Malone I'd say if there is any bird that everyone knows, it is the crow. They're big, black, and noisy which makes them easy to spot and identify. Maybe that is why for as long as I can remember, they have been my favorite bird. Many find crows to be obnoxious or a nuisance, but once carefully observed, their intelligence and prominent role in nature is uncovered…
Read More
By: Alyssa Nyberg, Efroymson Restoration at Kankakee Sands When we go for a walk in our…
Read More
By: Alyssa Nyberg, Efroymson Restoration at Kankakee Sands But what will it sound like? I can…
Read More
Please note: The 2015 derby was cancelled due to lack of ice. A crisp clear dawn spent on a…
Read More