Articles filed under Blaine, Valerie
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In order to save wildlife, healthy habitats need hunters
Dec 16, 2019 6:00 AM - Wildlife are in trouble. There are more than 150 animal species on the Threatened and Endangered Species List in Illinois, and many more on the federal Threatened and Endangered Species List. What they need is more hunters.
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November is courtship time for deer in forest preserves
Nov 18, 2019 6:00 AM - November is the rutting season of our state mammal, the white-tailed deer. Known also as "the rut," it's the breeding season when amorous bucks seek does with all the determination of shoppers on Black Friday.
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Fall colors: Mushrooms on forest floor blaze brightly with autumn hues
Oct 21, 2019 6:00 AM - Autumn color isn't found only on trees. This fall, turn your attention from the treetops to the forest floor, where mushrooms display a panoply of color.
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See grasses in all their glory at a suburban tallgrass prairie
Sep 16, 2019 6:00 AM - A tall-grass prairie in September is one of the best antidotes for screen fatigue that I know. Here, the grasses are in their glory, towering above all else and waving their flowers with abandon.
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How animals can go from pets to pests when released in the wild
Aug 19, 2019 6:26 AM - Naturalist Valerie Blaine takes a look at why releasing pets like snakes, turtles or even goldfish into the wild is not a good idea.
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A look at the intricate relationship between plants and pollinators
Jun 16, 2019 10:20 AM - Plants and animals have some crazy lifestyles, particularly when it comes to pollination.
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Don't brush it off: Why horsetail is an important -- and long-lived -- plant
May 22, 2019 10:20 AM - It's 350 million years old, and it's in our backyards, forest preserves and wetlands. Meet equisetum, the plant known as horsetail.
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What to do when you find 'abandoned' wildlife
Apr 19, 2019 12:48 PM - Daily Herald nature columnist Valerie Blaine explains why the baby bird you find on the ground is likely not abandoned -- and why you shouldn't "rescue" it.
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Baldfaced hornet nest: Nature's architectural marvel
Mar 15, 2019 12:09 PM - Valerie Blaine celebrates the architectural wonders of a baldfaced hornet nest.
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Here's a look at crazy world of critter courtship
Feb 12, 2019 1:59 PM - On Valentine's Day, we need look no farther than nature for romantic ideas and inspiration. Animals of all stripes and sizes have been perfecting the courtship game since the beginning of time.
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