Category Archives: Outdoor

By Ariana Zimney, summer intern "Leave No Trace" principles really can be a simple change while out exploring. Some people are not aware of its positive reinforcements to treating nature with kindness...

Written by Ben Schiltz Much of the work done at Woodland Dunes Nature Center and Preserve is focused on restoring and preserving the vital swale habitats near the lake Michigan shoreline. This include...

Ripples by Kellsey Grange, Summer Intern Springtime in the marsh calls for a lot of activity. From leaves budding to flowering marsh marigolds, there is plenty of beauty in the marsh. If you dare to g...

Ripples by Julia Beckner, summer intern Upon arriving at Woodland Dunes, I did not ever think I would be excited about anything bird related. I have never really been much of a bird person and was a b...

written by Ariana Zimney The forest, I was taught, is a beautiful place to come when you need space, want to learn something new, or when you can't help but move! More and more every year, I learn in-...

Ripples written by Megan Raddatz, Woodland Dunes intern As my tires rumble over the gravel driveway, I can hear birds chirping in the distance and it feels as though I have entered a nature lover's ut...

by Kennedy Zittel, Woodland Dunes Naturalist Tuesday, June 6th, was an amazing day. We spent the day working on one of my favorite parts of the preserve (though it is quite difficult to truly pick a f...

Spring seems to be a season of enticement and denial. Our expectations for warmth barely met, with better weather always around the corner. At least for activities involving relaxation- if exertion is...

The other week some of our staff went out to part of our preserve to spread some culver's root seeds in a prairie where the rusty-patched bumble bee has been spotted. It was a beautiful day, the sun w...

For nature lovers, the recent cool spring weather is a mixed blessing. Of course, we're all tired of windy 45 degree days, some sprinkled with rain. The earlier week of warm weather seemed to quickly ...