Valerie Blaine
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That's not an umbrella, it's a May-appleApr 03, 2012 2:30 pm - If you've walked in the woods this week, you might think a beach party is about to begin. There are beach umbrellas popping up all over the forest floor. But unlike tho...
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With warm weather, lots of ‘firsts’ among animals, plantsMar 19, 2012 11:39 am - My email In-box is overflowing with reports of “first” sightings of animals and plants — all of which are early this year. People have written to share their enthusiasm ...
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The sights and sounds of March in the Fox ValleyMar 08, 2012 6:00 am - March is a dreary month. It's gray, it's muddy, it's cold. March, said storyteller Garrison Keillor, is the month that God made “to show people who don't drink what a ha...
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The ‘Bambi effect’: a look at deer culling and residents’ reactionsFeb 09, 2012 11:00 pm - “Man is in the forest.” So warned a worried mother to her son as a single gunshot rang through the trees. The mother, of course, was a doe and her somber portent was di...
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The effects of a delayed winterJan 12, 2012 11:00 pm - How will it affect plants and wildlife?
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Winter solstice marks the longest night of the yearDec 09, 2011 11:00 pm - The sun sets early these days, and mornings are cold and dark. The sun, it seems, has forsaken us and taken its warmth with it. Not to worry, that’s soon to change. At h...
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Nature hikes a perfect antidote to holiday frenzyNov 20, 2011 11:00 pm - The holidays are here, and the frenzy has begun. This is the time of year when rushing to and from places becomes a national obsession. It doesn't seem to matter where ...
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European buckthorn: a tenacious renegadeNov 05, 2011 12:00 am - Nonnative buckthorn takes over habitats
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Here’s how to process the black walnutOct 22, 2011 12:00 am - Emails bombarded my in-box last week like a barrage of walnuts on the driveway. More than a dozen readers contacted me to say that last week’s column about black walnuts...
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The many uses of black walnutsOct 15, 2011 12:00 am - Have you unfriended the black walnut tree in your yard? You’re not alone. Many disgruntled homeowners are grousing about black walnut trees this fall. The formerly brig...