Category Archives: Outdoor

By Jessica Johnsrud, education coordinator A few weeks ago, I was walking outside just after dusk when I heard a loud series of hoots. It was the stereotypical owl song heard in the movies - the call ...

By Kennedy Zittel, naturalist It's that time of year again when the spotlight is on those once "extinct," gobbling, snood-covered birds. Wait - what? Wild turkeys. It was only recently that we could e...

Ripples from the Archives submitted by Nancy Nabak, communication coordinator This week's Ripples is an excerpt from the Winter 2003 Dunesletter Field Notes, written by Jim Knickelbine, then Director ...

Photos and article by Jim Knickelbine, Volunteer As we approach the date of the founding of Woodland Dunes 50 years ago, we also remember that bird research in what is now the preserve began a decade ...

Written by Jessica Johnsrud With Halloween around the corner, I am reminded of some of the creepy, crawly creatures that live in our homes. There is one critter that definitely looks scary, but turns ...

By Max Kornetzke, land manager Originally brought to North America as a quick growing hedgerow, common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) is one of the more menacing plants you will encounter invading nat...

Contributed by Nancy Nabak Dunesletter, September 1993, Volume 73 Woolly Bears are often seen crawling across roads in late summer. Where are they going in such a hurry? These hairy black and orange c...

Photos and article by Sue Crowley Have you ever set out on journey to explore a prairie or a forest and then just fell in love with a particular plant? Some plants just resonate with a person because ...

Written by Jessica Johnsrud, education coordinator A couple of weeks ago, I was walking along a Lake Michigan beach when I stopped in my tracks. There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of large dragonfl...

Written by Max Kornetzke By late August, I usually start to see the first hues of autumn. Gray dogwoods hold their wine-colored leaves the whole season, with contrasting porcelain fruits adorning thei...