Valerie Blaine
-
Reconnect with nature's healing powers for Earth DayApr 18, 2016 6:00 am - It's Earth Day season, and I'm frazzled. The pace is frenetic, the expectations high, and the to-do list impossible. This time of year is just as crazy for a naturalist ...
-
Get your hands dirty with seasonal work in the forest preserveMar 25, 2016 1:00 am - Summer is on the horizon, and for many college students, that means it's job search time. Poring over job descriptions online, students find that lots of jobs require ex...
-
Meet the jumping champions of the animal worldFeb 29, 2016 5:00 am - It's Leap Day! What better day to celebrate the jumping champions of the animal world? From kangaroos to fleas, lots of animals get around by jumping. There are land mam...
-
Seeking sunlight: How loss of light damages woodlandsJan 16, 2016 12:00 am - The phone lit up after last month's column on darkness. Lots of readers contacted me to say that they value dark, starry skies. Many feel a great loss as dark skies are ...
-
In defense of dark skies: How artificial lighting disrupts natural cyclesDec 20, 2015 12:00 am - Darkness is a tough sell, especially on the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. But a dark night sky is a good thing. Ask an owl, or a firefly, or a wise man...
-
How you can become a certified naturalistNov 29, 2015 10:00 pm - "Who knew?" If I had a nickel for every time I heard this in my job as a naturalist, I'd be as rich as a king. I hear it most often in the Kane County Certified Naturali...
-
Leaf music: Experiencing nature's autumn soundscapeNov 12, 2015 10:00 pm - Find stillness, serenity in the sounds of autumn
-
Head to the woods for spooky - and silly - storiesOct 27, 2015 11:00 pm - Things are getting spooky in the woods. On Friday night, Oct. 30, as the shroud of darkness falls over the forest, a flickering campfire will signal the annual Scary Sto...
-
Beyond butterflies: The many uses and benefits of milkweed plantsOct 20, 2015 11:00 pm - Thousands of seeds are floating across fields this month, like tiny paratroopers dangling from silky parachutes. They're milkweed seeds, launched from ripe seed pods. If...
-
Decline of the mighty oak: Help the forest preserve with restorations effortsSep 17, 2015 11:00 pm - Oak trees are rugged. They're strong. They're beautiful. And they're disappearing. The decline of oaks first caught the attention of ecologists throughout the Midwest, a...