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| Hennepin Canal at Lock 19 near Wyanet |
I love traveling. Whether
it’s checking out unusual and breathtaking scenic areas or experiencing
different cultures, architecture styles, foods, museums, and other cool stuff
in a big city, traveling is an amazing experience. Wherever I travel to I try
to soak up as much local color as possible. Since we live in an area that isn’t
known or widely visited for its scenic beauty we oftentimes overlook it. But
there are so many local areas to explore, and once you start looking closely
the beauty shines through. |
| Eastern Tailed Blues at Nachusa Grasslands |
Because I’m constantly on
the lookout for new-to-me species to include in the children’s books I write,
I’ve been on the go a lot the past couple of years visiting natural areas to keep expanding not only my
photography collection to use in my books, but also to expand my knowledge of
the natural world. After all these years—more than 37—of working in and
studying nature, I still not only enjoy it, but am always learning something
new. In fact, I’ve decided that the more I know, the less I know.
For example, who knew there were so many fall asters? The more
species I come across, the harder it is to tell one from another. Even
individual plants within the same species may have color, size, and growth
variations, further complicating the identification process. Even though many
people probably don’t know or care about telling one aster apart from another,
it’s fun for me to run across ones I’ve never seen—or noticed—before.
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| Compass Plant at Munson Prairie near Cambridge |
Plus, there’s the fact that these late bloomers are a goldmine
for pollinators. During a recent trip to the Sandy Hollow Prairie area at Dixon
Waterfowl Refuge, I noted a dozen butterfly species within a few hundred feet
from the parking area. Most of them were attracted to Showy Goldenrods (and
yes, there are multiple native goldenrod species as well!). When I visited the
next week, the goldenrods were done blooming, and pollinators were feasting on
clumps of the remaining Aromatic Asters in bloom.
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| Shadows behind Prairie Dock at Dixon Waterfowl Refuge |
Another neat place I’ve discovered this year is Nachusa
Grasslands, east of Dixon. This huge area is composed of both remnant and
restored prairie, savanna, wetland, and forest habitats. I’ve lost track of the
new plants I’ve encountered when roaming over the thousands of acres (being
careful to avoid the roaming bison within their fenced in prairie pastures) of
this site.
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| Goats Rue at Nachusa Grasslands |
I’ve also “haunted” some local remnant prairie cemeteries this
year such as Munson Cemetery near Cambridge, Scotch Cemetery near Victoria, and
Hetzler Cemetery near LaMoille. These hidden gems are great places for those
who want to go back in time to experience both the historical aspect, plus the
natural aspect. Having never been plowed, these areas are a goldmine of high
quality native plant species. Some are well maintained with fire and weed
removal while others need some help, but there are still hidden treasures within
them, waiting to be discovered. I also visited McCune Sand Prairie north of
Mineral a few times during the summer. What an interesting and beautiful place
not far from home that’s full of Eastern prickly pear cactus and other neat
finds.
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| Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus at McCune Sand Prairie near Mineral |
With the onset of much awaited fall foliage comes a different
type of beauty. As I drive to and from work, my mouth gapes in wonder at the
lovely diversity of not only color, but also shapes, sizes, and textures of the
trees, especially my favorites, oak and hickory trees. When you see a hillside
dotted with trees, it’s like looking at a crayon box full of vivid yellows,
oranges, reds, greens, browns, and all colors between. During summer, the tree
foliage looks pretty similar, but once the days grow shorter and cooler, the
differences between the trees become more apparent. Finally, the late fall
winds and cooler temperatures bring about a starker beauty, and we are left
with the bark and branches.
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Rustic Corncrib in Putnam County
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While we may long for sandy white beaches, tall snowy mountains, or the thrill of a foreign and ancient city, we can still take a mini vacation without leaving the county. All we need are good observation skills, and you never know what is waiting to be discovered on our local backroads.
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| Spiderweb and Stiff Goldenrod at Munson Cemetery Prairie near Cambridge |
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| Rock Formations at Nachusa Grasslands -- Stone Barn Savanna |
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White Oaks at Mount Bloom Cemetery near Tiskilwa
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