On a cold, snowy day in November, I dropped my very excited children off at school. As soon as the car door opened, the carpool crew jumped out and began packing snowballs. Some children were on the ground making snow angels while others were rolling down the snow-covered hill. The walk back to my car […]

As a Brit, I didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving until I moved to America about 20 years ago and oh my goodness, what a holiday to miss out on! Our family dove headfirst into enjoying parades, pies and turkeys in the crisp fall air. We gave our thanks, made those hand turkey things, and even tried throwing […]

It is often the little things that we take for granted as we lead our busy lives, those day-to-day activities we can plod through without even thinking about because they seem so mundane. As I sat down to tell this story earlier today, I thought about my typical morning routine. With honking cars, bright headlights […]

One Sunday a month, shutter-happy people gather at a different Great Park to photograph whatever catches their eye. The program is open to everybody and every ability level. Phone, point-and-shoot and digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras are all welcome! Below are some photographs from participants. Enjoy! Who knows, you may even find a new favorite […]

We’re giving you tips to improve wildlife viewing at home and at parks.

Can nature, food, and ancestry connect us? My mother, born into a German household in southern Minnesota, grew up knowing and enjoying a plant called rhubarb. It is a cultivated plant in the genus Rheum in the family Polygonaceae. It is an herbaceous perennial growing from short, thick rhizomes. Upon further investigation, I discovered the […]

I have the rare privilege and opportunity to share significant experiences and information in the natural world through blogs. And in doing so, I never know the true impact. A few days ago, I received this special surprise email. Susan, I was riding my bicycle through the park behind my house this beautiful spring day […]

Frog crafts, calls, games, hikes, observations, catching and displays – all things frog took over Farbach-Werner Nature Preserve during the month of May. Staff and volunteers take this time to celebrate the changing of the seasons, as amphibians of all kinds make themselves known. This past month, more than 600 children visited this small patch […]