Valerie Blaine
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Summer tomatoes are tasty, but their cousins can be toxicAug 27, 2015 1:00 am - Some plants are tasty. Some are just pretty. Some are downright dangerous. One plant family that has them all is the tomato family. Its plants can feed you, heal you, k...
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Spread the word … and the mulchAug 14, 2015 7:00 am - Volcanic activity is on the rise in Kane County. Volcanoes? Here? Yes, indeed, and they're killing trees in Kane County. The volcanoes are made of mulch instead of lava....
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Worth sneezing for: The importance of pollen and pollinatorsJun 13, 2015 7:00 am - Pollen is a tiny plant structure with a hugely important job. It's a plant's way of making more plants. Some plants can reproduce without pollination, but the result is...
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Owls: Rock stars of the avian worldMay 10, 2015 11:00 pm - Some animals have star power, some don't. Great horned owls definitely have it. They're superstars, and a pair of owlets at Fabyan Forest Preserve are bound to get Oscar...
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Reaping the physical and psychological benefits of gardeningApr 02, 2015 11:00 pm - Picture this: You're on your smartphone, checking the weather. An "icy mix" is coming your way. Great. An incoming text interrupts your weather search. School is cancel...
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Contempt or admiration? How suburbanites view the wolfMar 08, 2015 11:00 pm - The body of a large dog was found at the side of a road near Morris, Illinois, on Feb. 13. Dogs hit by cars don't usually make the news. But this dog looked an awful lot...
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Head outdoors to beat the winter blahsFeb 12, 2015 10:00 pm - Cabin fever? Outdoor programs help to beat winter blahs
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What's it like to work for the forest preserve district?Dec 11, 2014 10:00 pm - "I want your job!" said the twenty-something barista as I ordered my latte at the drive-up window. Not two hours earlier, a woman at the local farmers market had said, ...
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Love the outdoors? Become a Kane County Certified NaturalistNov 14, 2014 4:01 pm - Register now for certified naturalist program
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How bad will our winter be? A caterpillar can tell you.Oct 22, 2014 1:00 am - Memories of last year's icy winter are etched in our minds. Many are wondering what's in store this winter. Look no further than the woolly bear caterpillar. Like Punxsu...