Winter Wonders

“January observation can be almost as simple and peaceful as snow, and almost as continuous as cold. There is time not only to see who has done what, but to speculate why.”—Aldo Leopold

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Ice. Slush. Mud. But that’s what boots and a trekking pole are for. Let’s go for a hike.

Lyman Woods, Downers Grove, IL.

Okay, maybe not that trail. How about this one?

Lyman Woods, Downers Grove, IL.

There. That’s better, isn’t it? You can always hike “the icy trail not traveled” on a warmer, sunnier day when it’s a little less treacherous.

Danada Forest Preserve, Wheaton, IL.

Now that you’ve found your trail, take a moment to look around. The thaw-fog makes everything dreamlike. Pixelated. A little grainy. Even bright colors seem muffled.

Eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) on shagbark hickory (Carya ovata) in the fog, Danada Forest Preserve, Wheaton, IL.

Listen. Some birds are quieter at this time of year, but others are chattering away. This is a great time to turn your Cornell Lab’s Merlin birds phone app to the “Sound ID” setting and find out what birds are calling around you. Then keep your eyes open.

Cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) on invasive multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), Danada Forest Preserve, Wheaton, IL.

Watch for flashes of unexpected color.

Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis), Danada Forest Preserve, Wheaton, IL.

Follow small movements in the trees and shrubs.

Cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedorum) and eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis), on invasive multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), Danada Forest Preserve, Wheaton, IL. Is that a catbird nest? Could be!

Look up.

White-breasted nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis), Danada Forest Preserve, Wheaton, IL.

Some of the wild things may be checking you out, too.

Red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) Danada Forest Preserve, Wheaton, IL.

Now, look down.

Lyman Woods, Downers Grove, IL.

There is a whole world waiting to be explored.

Leaves and fungi, Lyman Woods, Downers Grove, IL.

Lichen swirls.

Probably rosette or frost lichens (Physcia sp.), Lyman Woods, Downers Grove, IL.

Fungi whirls.

Fungi (the large disc is likely in the Trametes genus), lichens, and moss at Lyman Woods, Downers Grove, IL.

Strange surprises that show up in winter.

Fungi (including Giraffe Spots (Peniophora albobadia), mold, lichen, and moss at Lyman Woods, Downers Grove, IL.

You could spend a lifetime just learning the names, habits, and history of fungi, lichens, and moss.

Fungi, lichens, and moss at Lyman Woods, Downers Grove, IL.

There’s so much to discover, on a hike at the end of January.

Lyman Woods, Downers Grove, IL.

What are you waiting for? Pull those boots on. Who knows what you’ll see?

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The opening quote is by Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) from the chapter “January Thaw” in A Sand County Almanac: And Sketches Here and There (1949). This classic conservation collection—part ethics, part storytelling, part philosophy, part natural history observation—would go on to change the way we think about the natural world (and the laws that help govern it).

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Join Cindy for a program or class:

Monday, February 5, 7-8:30 p.m.—“The Tallgrass Prairie: Grocery Store, Apothecary, and Love Charm Shop”, hosted by the Naperville Community Gardeners. Free and open to the public! For registration information, check their website here. (In Person)

Saturday, February 10, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.– “Writing and Art Nature Retreat” — Hosted by The Morton Arboretum; the writing portion is co-taught by Cindy and naturalist Kristy Belton. Click here for registration and costs. (In Person)

February 13, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. —“Literary Gardens” — Hosted by Mt. Prospect Garden Club. Free and open to the public! For more information, visit their website here. (In Person)

February 15 — “Illinois Wild and Wonderful Early Bloomers,” —Middlerock Conservation Meeting, Oregon, IL. (Closed Event).

Sunday, February 18, 2-3:30 p.m. — “Bison Tales and Tallgrass Trails” — Hosted by West Cook Wild Ones. Free and open to the public! For more information on how to register, visit their website here. (Online)

Thursday, February 29, 7-8:30 p.m.—“Literary Gardens”— Hosted by the Downers Grove Public Library. Free and open to the public! For more information and to register, click here. (In Person)

Three Reasons to Hike the January Prairie

“But the mystery has captivated me, and under the spell of it, I have meandered, like the drifts of snow, across the wide prairies.”—Paul Gruchow

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Single digit temperatures. Wind chills that numb your fingers in a few minutes. Rain that turns to ice.

Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

January can be a challenging time to hike the tallgrass prairie. You set out on your walk with enthusiasm, only to encounter heavy, drifting snow on uncleared trails that burn more calories than you planned on.

Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Slick spills of ice lie across the path. No trees protect you from the biting wind.

Nachusa Grasslands, Franklin Grove, IL.

Yes, it can be difficult. But for those who do hike the January prairie, the rewards are worthwhile. Let’s take a look at three reasons to go for a prairie hike this month.

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The Joys of Following a Prairie Stream: You never know what you’ll see. Maybe you’ll delight in the water moving under the ice, then freezing in unexpected patterns.

Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, lisle, IL.

Or you’ll exult in the myriad ways the snow chooses to dust and feather the water.

Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Perhaps you’ll find pleasure in how the light catches the crystals at a turn of a drift along the shoreline.

Willoway Brook, Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Or the interplay between water and ice.

Belmont Prairie creek, Downers Grove, IL (2020).

The prairie stream is a journal of sorts, in which the prairie writes about each January day’s weather. It’s all there to read. If you show up.

Admire the delight of January’s blue shadows: There’s nothing like a wet, heavy blanket of snow a foot deep to make us think “nothing to see here, folks.” The prairie is erased, right? And yet.

Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

Native plants that still stand cast blue shadows across the snowfall, depending on the angle of the sun riding through the sky. When the light changes, and the shadows pool, you might be forgiven for trying to name all the possible colors for the snow shadows. Lavender blue? Periwinkle? Cornflower? Pale violet? The possibilities are endless. Stand for a while in the cold and admire the prairie wildflower silhouettes against the drifts.

Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

And if you look closely at those snow shadows, you might see the third reason to go out for a January hike.

Tracks and Traces: Does it look like someone stitched a seam across the snow? Maybe it’s a prairie mouse, out and about, looking for scattered prairie seeds.

Unknown tracks (probably a white-footed deermouse), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arborteum, Lisle, IL.

Some prints are orderly…

Unknown tracks (probably a white-footed deermouse), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

…and some are chaotic. Must have been a party here.

Unknown tracks (probably mice), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

And what are these mysterious tracks across the surface of the brook? Is the resident mink out and about in the winter snow?

Unknown tracks (possibly mink?) Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

It’s tough to be sure. But one thing is for certain. The life of the prairie goes on, no matter the weather, no matter the season.

And look! Everywhere are the tracks we leave behind us as we hike the trails.

Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

They remind us that there are other kindred spirits out and about.

Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.

We’re not alone in our love of the natural world.

Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL (2021).

We’re part of a community.

Schulenberg Prairie, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL. (2021)

Why not go out for a hike this week and see for yourself?

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The opening quote is by Paul Gruchow (1947-2004) from his essay “Winter” in Journal of a Prairie Year (1985). If you love good nature writing, also check out Gruchow’s Grass Roots: The Universe of Home (1995), Boundary Waters: The Grace of the Wild (1997), and The Necessity of Empty Places (1988). If you haven’t read his writing before, January is a great time to begin.

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Join Cindy for a program or class:

Monday, February 5, 7-8:30 p.m.—“The Tallgrass Prairie: Grocery Store, Apothecary, and Love Charm Shop”, hosted by the Naperville Community Gardeners. Free and open to the public! For registration information, check their website here. (In Person)

Saturday, February 10, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.– “Writing and Art Nature Retreat” — Hosted by The Morton Arboretum; the writing portion is co-taught by Cindy and naturalist Kristy Belton. Click here for registration and costs. (In Person)

February 13, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. —“Literary Gardens” — Hosted by Mt. Prospect Garden Club. Free and open to the public! For more information, visit their website here. (In Person)

February 15 — “Illinois Wild and Wonderful Early Bloomers,” —Middlerock Conservation Meeting, Cork & Tap, Oregon, IL. (More information coming soon!) (In Person)

Sunday, February 18, 2-3:30 p.m. — “Bison Tales and Tallgrass Trails” — Hosted by West Cook Wild Ones. Free and open to the public! For more information on how to register, visit their website here. (Online)

Thursday, February 29, 7-8:30 p.m.—“Literary Gardens”— Hosted by the Downers Grove Public Library. Free and open to the public! For more information and to register, click here. (In Person)

A Prairie Deep Freeze

“…Are we through discovering the world’s marvels? Only if we stop looking. The answer, I think, is to travel not farther but deeper…start with the ground beneath your feet.”—Doreen Pfost

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Brrrr. The Midwest is mired in a deep freeze.

Eastern coyote (Canis latrans), Schulenberg Prairie Savanna, Lisle, IL. (2015)

I head to the prairie for a hike. A wall of snow, scooped from the cleared parking lot, blocks the trail. As I contemplate scrambling over the barrier, my fingers throb with cold. The wind picks up. I turn back to the car.

Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.

“Wimp!” I scold myself. Ah, well. Sometimes, the prairie is best seen from a distance. At least on days when the wind chill is 30 below zero Fahrenheit.

Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.

Last Thursday, the sandhill cranes seemed to intuit that our deep freeze was on the way. As I sat in my car in the school pickup line, waiting on my grandchildren, waves of cranes flew south overhead.

I counted. And counted. And counted some more. By the time the bell rang to close the school day, more than 1,100 cranes had flown over. And those are just the ones I saw.

Sometimes, the ordinary is disrupted. What we think we know is turned upside down, inside out. Cranes moving south in January? I’ve not seen them moving south at this time of year before.

Sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis), Glen Ellyn, IL. (2020)

We live in a world full of wonders. It’s easy to forget this. In the opening quote that kicks off today’s post, naturalist and writer Doreen Pfost notes that there is virtually “no place on earth where someone else has not already been.” The prairies in my region, both planted and remnant, testify to this.

PrairiePond Walk & Dragonfly Landing, Lisle, IL.

Yet, she writes, that doesn’t mean we’re through discovering the world’s marvels. Instead of going farther, we go deeper, she says.

Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.

Deeper? Yes. A matter of realizing that our familiar places have more secrets to tell us. If we pay attention.

Purple hyssop (Agastache scrophulariifolia) and gray-headed coneflowers (Ratibida pinnata), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

All we have to do is open our eyes to what is around us, even if it is just the view from a prairie parking lot or the kitchen window.

Crosby’s backyard prairie patch, Glen Ellyn, IL.

It might mean taking an extra moment to look around, even when getting outside is only a quick trip to fill the bird feeders.

House finch (Haemorhous mexicanus), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

We show up. Even if the temperatures mean we only spend a few minutes observing our backyards, warmly gloved, booted, and swathed in scarves.

Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

And sometimes, on days like the ones we’ve had this week, we can only peer through the frosted windows and take in the view outside from indoors.

Sundog and sun halo, Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

There are marvels all around us, even in the deep freeze. Perhaps especially in the deep freeze.

They are waiting for us to notice.

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Doreen Pfost (1958-) is the author of the lovely book, This River Beneath the Sky: A Year on the Platte from University of Nebraska Press (2016). She is a volunteer naturalist who guides visitors to observation blinds at Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary during the spring sandhill crane migration. Pfost also collects data for the Breeding Bird Atlas project. She lives in Wisconsin

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Join Cindy for a class or a program online in January!

1/17/24–-“Winter Prairie Wonders: Online” 7-8:30 p.m. hosted by the Bensenville Public Library, Bensenville, IL. Free and open to the public! For more information, visit their website here.

1/18/24–“Winter Prairie Wonders: Online” 7-8:30 p.m. hosted by the Wild Ones of Greater DuPage, IL. For more information, visit their website here.

1/22/24–-“Literary Gardens: Online” 7-8:30 p.m. with the Arlington Heights Memorial Public Library and Arlington Heights Garden Club, Arlington Heights, IL. Free and open to the public! Watch Party will be at the library, or see it in real time online (Cindy will be virtual). Visit the library’s website for more information here.

A Prairie Snowfall

“Even now, with the natural world in so much trouble…radiant things are bursting forth in the darkest places… .” —Margaret Renkl

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As I type this, the hype is underway. Weather advisory! Winter storm. Three inches of snow predicted. Make that five inches! Maybe eight.

Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.

‘Tis the season. So far this year, we’ve only received an inch or two of snow.

Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), PrairieWalk Pond & Dragonfly Landing, Lisle, IL.

The snow turned around a rather gloomy start to the New Year into something magical.

Indian hemp (sometimes called common dogbane) (Apocynum cannabinum), PrairieWalk Pond & Dragonfly Landing, Lisle, IL.

Do you love the idea of lots of snow, as I do?

PrairieWalk Pond & Dragonfly Landing, Lisle, IL.

Does the very possibility send you into non-stop motion? I know I check my weather app every five minutes…

Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida), Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.

…as Jeff unearths the snow shovels from the back of the shed, where they’ve been since the spring.

Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.

We topped off the half-empty bucket of ice melt salts at the hardware store pre-storm, resolving to use less of the salt this season…

Probably tall ironweed (Vernonia gigantea), PrairieWalk Pond & Dragonfly Landing , Lisle, IL.

…then made a quick trip to the grocery store and library to be sure we have critical supplies laid in for the winter storm. Coffee. Bread. Books.

Prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata), PrairieWalk Pond & Dragonfly Landing, Lisle, IL.

Do you rush to refill your bird feeders as we do, knowing that a heavy snowfall means hunger for some creatures?

Downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

While other critters seem to be as fat and sassy as ever, no matter what the weather.

Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

In January, the sky usually speaks snow. It’s a necessary rhythm of Midwest life. Plants juggle snowballs.

PrairieWalk Pond & Dragonfly Landing, Lisle, IL.

Studies in botanical architecture are all around.

Great angelica (Angelica atropurpurea), Crosby’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

Dragonfly nymphs dream under the ice…

Little Free Library, PrairieWalk Pond & Dragonfly Landing, Lisle, IL.

…while prairies welcome the layer of white stuff that insulates and refreshes.

Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.

The snowmelt will eventually percolate through the deep prairie roots, invigorating the plants for the year ahead.

Rough blazing star (Liatris aspera), Crosby’s front yard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

Love it or hate it, snow is on the way.

PrairieWalk Pond & Dragonfly Landing, Lisle, IL.

Will we get an avalanche’s worth this week? Or just a smidge that kisses the plants?

Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.

It’s a coin toss.

Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis), PrairieWalk Pond & Dragonfly Landing, Lisle, IL.

Whatever comes, it will be enchanting. Yes, really. Snow gives us reflected light from every surface. A little sparkle and glow amid the gray skies.

Common mountain mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) and butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Crosby’s front yard, Glen Ellyn, IL.

In these darker days, we need any light and brightness available.

Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.

Go ahead, January. Bring on the snow.

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The opening quote is from Margaret Renkl’s (1961-) beautiful book of essays, “The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year,” a through the seasons book of observations mostly from her home in Nashville, Tennessee. Renkl is a contributing opinion writer to the New York Times, and the author of “Late Migrations” (2019).

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Join Cindy in January for a class or program!

1/10/24 –“Literary Gardens: Online” 1-2:30 p.m. with the Oak Park/River Forest Garden Club. (Closed Event for Members). For information on the organization, or to inquire about becoming a member, visit here.

1/11/24–“A Brief History of Trees in America” In Person 9:30-11 a.m. with the Hilltop Gardeners Garden Club, Oswego Public Library, Oswego, IL. Free and open to the public! For more information, visit their Facebook page here.

1/15/24 — (Program TBA) — 7-8:30 p.m., Suburban Garden Club, Indian Head Park, IL. More information coming soon.

1/17/24–“Winter Prairie Wonders: Online” 7-8:30 p.m. with the Bensenville Public Library, Bensenville, IL. Free and open to the public! For more information, visit their website here.

1/18/24-“Winter Prairie Wonders: Online” 7-8:30 p.m. with the Wild Ones of Greater DuPage, IL. For more information, visit their website here.

1/22/24–“Literary Gardens: Online” 7-8:30 p.m. with the Arlington Heights Memorial Public Library and Arlington Heights Garden Club, Arlington Heights, IL. Free and open to the public! Watch Party will be at the library, or see it in real time online. Visit their website for more information here.

More classes and programs are at www.cindycrosby.com.

A Different Kind of Prairie

“It is a river of grass.”–Marjory Stoneman Douglas

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Just call today’s post, “Tuesdays in the Sawgrass.”

Everglades National Park, FL.

Last week, I found myself in various places in south Florida, taking a break from winter in the Midwest. The Florida Everglades are not a tallgrass prairie, but when the wind ripples through the sawgrass…

Everglades National Park, FL.

…I felt a similar thrill.

Similar. But also, different.

American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), Everglades National Park, Florida.

Seeing creatures like these remind me of the endless diversity of the natural world.

Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) and raccoon (Procyon lotor), J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, FL.

Dropping into a different geographical place gives me a chance to pay attention in new ways.

Water cowbane (Tiedemannia filiformis), Everglades National Park, Homestead, FL.

To re-discover the incredible range of what nature is capable of.

Polka-Dot Wasp Moth (Syntomeida epilais), Captiva Island, FL.

To see connections between my little corner of the planet and others when I see a critter I can name.

Great blue heron (Ardea herodias), Everglades National Park, FL.

And then, to renew my appreciation for what I have—and sometimes, for what I don’t have—at home.

American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), Everglades National Park, FL. (Telephoto lens!)

The world is full of wonders.

Wood stork (Mycteria americana) and roaseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, FL.

As we kick off a new year, I celebrate nature’s colors…

Purple Gallinule (Porphyrula martinica), Everglades National Park, FL. (A life bird for me!)

…oddities…

Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga), J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, J.N. “Ding” Darling Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, FL.

…majesty…

Red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus), J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, FL.

…enchanting fierceness…

American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), Everglades National Park, FL.

…and endless variation.

Tri-colored heron (Egretta tricolor), J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, FL.

To experience these kind of delights, I don’t have to be in the 2,000-plus square miles of the Florida Everglades, or walking along the Gulf Coast…

Captiva Island, FL.

…with its spectacular sunrises and sunsets.

Captiva Island, FL.

There is so much to see right under my nose at home, as well as in the places I travel.

Low tide at J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, FL.

In 2024, one of my New Year’s resolutions is to pay closer attention to all the places I find myself, from travels to far-flung locations, to the dramas taking place right here in my Midwestern backyard…

…and to the creatures…

Boat-tailed grackle (Quiscalus major), Everglades National Park, FL.

…and plants…

Suriname stickpea (Calliandra surinamensis), Captiva Island, FL.

…that call the Earth home.

From left to right: Little blue heron (Egretta caerulea), raccoon (Procyon lotor), white ibis (Eudocimus albus), and roseate spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja), J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, FL.

Thanks for joining me for another year of exploring the natural world. I can’t wait to see what we’ll find together.

*****

The opening quote is by Marjory Stoneman Douglas (1890-1998), an American journalist and conservation advocate. The full quote reads “The miracle of light pours over the green and brown expanse of saw grass and water, shining and slowly moving, the grass and water that is the central fact of the Everglades. It is a river of grass.” Her 1947 bestselling book, “The Everglades: River of Grass”, introduced many to the wonders of south Florida and helped preserve the Everglades as a National Park and the “largest designated sub-tropical wilderness reserve on the North American continent” (Unesco World Heritage Center). Upon her death at 108 years old, then-President Bill Clinton said “Long before there was an Earth Day, Mrs. Douglas was a passionate steward of our nation’s natural resources, and particularly her Florida Everglades.” Thank you, Marjory! What an inspiration you are.

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Join Cindy in January for a class or program!

1/10/24 –“Literary Gardens: Online” 1-2:30 p.m. with the Oak Park/River Forest Garden Club. (Closed Event for Members). For information on the organization, or to inquire about becoming a member, visit here.

1/11/24–“A Brief History of Trees in America” In Person 9:30-11 a.m. with the Hilltop Gardeners Garden Club, Oswego Public Library, Oswego, IL. Free and open to the public! For more information, visit their Facebook page here.

1/15/24 — (Program TBA) — 7-8:30 p.m., Suburban Garden Club, Indian Head Park, IL. More information coming soon!

1/17/24–“Winter Prairie Wonders: Online” 7-8:30 p.m. with the Bensenville Public Library, Bensenville, IL. Free and open to the public! For more information, visit their website here.

1/18/24-“Winter Prairie Wonders: Online” 7-8:30 p.m. with the Wild Ones of Greater DuPage, IL. For more information, visit their website here.

1/22/24–“Literary Gardens: Online” 7-8:30 p.m. with the Arlington Heights Memorial Public Library and Arlington Heights Garden Club, Arlington Heights, IL. Free and open to the public! Watch Party will be held at the library, or see it in real time online. Visit their website for more information here.

More classes and programs are at www.cindycrosby.com.