Have you ever sat in the garden or near a patch of flowering plants and been amazed at the buzz of activity going on around you? Well that “buzz” is presented to us by the task-oriented heroes of the insect world: the pollinators! Without pollinators, that cup of coffee you enjoy daily, that pumpkin pie […]

Every year throughout the spring, summer and fall, we see thousands of insects around us outdoors. The majority of these insects are not a problem for us. However, some are a problem for certain plants, and some are a problem for certain other insects. Aphids, which are sometimes referred to as “plant lice,” are among […]

It’s no secret that suburban development is a real and constantly growing threat to wildlife. But did you know there are things you can do in your own backyard to help? In his book, “Bringing Nature Home,” author and professor Dr. Doug Tallamy explains that, “It is now within the power of individual gardeners to […]

Craters on the moon’s surface? Prairie pothole wetlands seen from an airplane? Believe it or not, this is the bottom of one of the Park District’s fish culture ponds at Shaker Trace Nursery at Miami Whitewater Forest! This photo was taken after the fish were netted (and then stocked at one of the Park District […]