“Ah summer! What power you have to make us suffer and like it.” — Russell Baker
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Happy Summer Solstice! The longest day of the year.
Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.
And hello, first day of summer, astronomically speaking. We’re on track for one of the hottest days in the Chicago Region this year. Our local WGN weather bureau forecasts a high of 99 degrees and a heat index in the triple digits. Whew! Not a record, but close enough to make a little shade sound good.
Bumblebees work the white wild indigo as the air hums with humidity.
Black and gold bumblebee (Bombus auricomus) on white wild indigo (Baptisia alba), Schulenberg Prairie, Lisle, IL.
Ants explore goat rue.
Unknown ant on goat rue (Tephrosia virginiana), Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN.
There are so many insects associated with these prairie wildflowers! So many insects unfamiliar to me. The more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know.
Lance-leaved (sand) coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) with unknown insects, Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN.
I pause to admire a dragonfly, performing his balancing act.
Twelve-spotted skimmer dragonfly (Libellula pulchella), Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.
I love the male twelve-spotted skimmer; one of the easiest dragonflies to remember. It looks just as you’d expect from the name. As I get older, and my recall is less reliable, I’ll take any low hanging fruit I can get.
And don’t get me started on the juvenile birds…
Immature Dickcissel (Spiza americana), Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN.
…which may look different than their parents.
Dickcissel (Spiza americana), Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN.
I spot my first buckeye butterfly of the season. Those rich colors!
Buckeye butterfly (Junonia coenia), Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN.
Then I puzzle over some wildflowers whose name I struggle to remember. I snap a photo with iNaturalist, my phone app.
Wild four o’clocks (Mirabilis nyctaginea), Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN.
Wild four o’clocks! A non-native in Illinois. And this one?
I have to look it up with my app, then revisit Gerould Wilhelm and Laura Rericha’s Flora of the Chicago Region when I return home. Venus’ looking glass is a weedy native, but no less pretty for that.
Well, at least I can identify these mammals without an app. No problem with the scientific name, either.
Bison (Bison bison), Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN.
I love the juxtaposition of the bison against the semis on the highway. A reminder of the power of restoration.
All these wonders under June skies.
Half moon, Schulenberg Prairie, Lisle, IL.
So much waiting to be discovered.
Kankakee Sands, Morocco, IN.
Hello, summer. Welcome back!
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Russell Baker (1925-2019) was a columnist for the New York Times who won the Pulitzer Prize for his book, Growing Up. He also followed Alistair Cooke as the host of Masterpiece Theater.
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Join Cindy for a Class or Program this Month
Wednesdays,June 22 and June 29: “100 Years Around the Morton Arboretum” –with Cindy and Library Collections Manager and Historian Rita Hassert at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL. Enjoy stories of the past that commemorate this very special centennial. Join us in person June 22 from 6:30-8:30 pm (special exhibits on view for 30 minutes before the talk) by registering here (only a few spots left!); join us on Zoom June 29, 7-8:30 p.m. by registering here. Masks required for the in-person presentation.
“…I looked on the natural world, and I felt joy.” — Michael McCarthy
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This is the season of hot chocolate and electric blankets; library books and naps. And yet. When I spend too much time insulated at home, I find myself fretting over the latest newspaper headlines, or worrying about getting sick. Covid has left few of our families untouched.
Thimbleweed (Anemone cylindrica), Belmont Prairie Nature Preserve, Downers Grove, IL.
What’s the solution? I can’t solve Covid, but I can keep my worries from circling around and around in an endless loop.
Snow on Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
A hike outdoors goes a long way to restoring my spirits. Cold has settled into the Chicago region. A fine layer of snow has covered the grime along the roads and left everything shimmering white. The air smells like clean laundry. The ice has become manageable under a few days of concentrated sunlight.
Prairie pond at Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
It’s beautiful outside! Despite the chill. Consider these three reasons to brave the cold and go for a prairie hike this week.
Shadows and Shapes
Snow backdrops prairie plants and transforms them.
Unknown vine; East Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
It backlights the tallgrass; silhouetting wildflowers and grasses.
Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Familiar plants cast blue-gray shadows, giving them a different dimension.
East Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Even if you’ve seen a plant a hundred times before…
Common milkweed (Asclepia syriaca), Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
…it takes on a winter persona, and seems new.
Pale purple coneflower (Echinacea pallida), Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.
Snow shadows lend the prairie a sense of mystery.
Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
The spark and glaze of ice turn your hike into something magical.
Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Breathe in. The cold air numbs the worry. Breathe out. Feel the terrors of the day fade away.
For now. A moment of peace.
Winter Traffic
During these pandemic times its comforting to know we live in community. Small prairie creatures—usually invisible— are made visible by their tracks.
Busy intersection, Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Tunnels are evidence of more life humming under the snow.
Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
I leave my tracks alongside theirs. It’s a reminder that we all share the world, even when we don’t see each other.
Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Prairie Skies
Winter has a way of changing the prairie sky from moment to moment. It might be brilliant blue one day, or crowded with puffy cumulus clouds the next.
Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.
Wild geese fly by, their bowling pin silhouettes humorous when directly overhead; the clamor raucous even in the distance as they fly from prairie to soccer field to golf course.
Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Skies might be soft with sheep shapes on one day…
Belmont Prairie, Downers Grove, IL.
Or blindingly bright on the next stroll through.
East Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
The prairie gives us the advantage of a 360-degree view of the sky. Its immensity reminds us of how very small….so small…. our worries are in the great span of time and space.
East Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
As we hike, our sense of wonder is rekindled.
Russell R. Kirt Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Our fear disappears. Or at least, it lessens.
East Prairie, College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Our mind rests. The well of contentment, seriously depleted, begins to fill. And then, we feel it again.
Joy.
*****
The opening quote is from the book The Moth Snowstorm: Nature and Joy by Michael McCarthy (1947-), a long-time British environmental editor for The Independent and writer for The Times. You can listen to his interview with Krista Tippett for “On Being” here.
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Join Cindy for a program this winter!
“100 Years Around the Morton Arboretum” — Wednesday, January 26, 6:30pm-8:30 pm. Watch history come to life in this special centennial-themed lecture about The Morton Arboretum. Celebrating 100 years, The Morton Arboretum has a fascinating past. Two of the Arboretum’s most knowledgeable historians, author Cindy Crosby and the ever-amazing library collections manager Rita Hassert, will share stories of the Mortons, the Arboretum, and the trees that make this place such a treasure. Join us via Zoom from the comfort of your home. (Now all online). Register here.
February 8-March 1 (Three evenings, 6:30-9pm): The Foundations of Nature Writing Online —Learn the nuts and bolts of excellent nature writing and improve your wordsmithing skills in this online course from The Morton Arboretum. Over the course of four weeks, you will complete three self-paced e-learning modules and attend weekly scheduled Zoom sessions with your instructor and classmates. Whether you’re a blogger, a novelist, a poet, or simply enjoy keeping a personal journal, writing is a fun and meaningful way to deepen your connection to the natural world. February 8, noon Central time: Access self-paced materials online. February 15, 22, and March 1, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Central time: Attend live. Register here.
March 3–Tallgrass Prairie Ecology Online –online class with assignments over 60 days; one live Zoom together. Digitally explore the intricacies of the tallgrass prairie landscape and learn how to restore these signature American ecosystems. Look at the history of this particular type of grassland from the descent of glaciers over the Midwest millions of years ago to the introduction of John Deere’s famous plow to where we are today. We will examine different types of prairie, explore the plant and animal communities of the prairie, and discuss strategies specific to restoring prairies in this engaging online course. Come away with a better understanding of prairies and key insights into how to restore their beauty. You will have 60 days to access the materials. Register here.
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Also — check out this free program offered by Wild Ones! (Not one of Cindy’s but she’s attending!)
The Flora and Fauna of Bell Bowl PrairieFebruary 17, 7-8:30 p.m. Join other prairie lovers to learn about the flora and fauna of Bell Bowl Prairie, slated for destruction by the Chicago-Rockford International Airport this spring. It’s free, but you must register. More information here. Scroll down to “Upcoming Events” and you’ll see the February 17 Webinar with the always-awesome Rock Valley Wild Ones native plants group. Watch for the Zoom link coming soon on their site! Or contact Wild Ones Rock River Valley Chapter here. Be sure and visit http://www.savebellbowlprairie.org to see how you can help.
“For if there is one constant in a prairie winter, it is inconstancy.” — John Madson
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The winter storm is past, leaving magic in its wake.
Walking to the prairie, Lyman Woods, Downers Grove, IL.
So much snow, on top of the previous week’s white stuff! An old yardstick gives the final tally.
Snowfall measured, Glen Ellyn, IL.
The day after the storm, the sky is “bravo blue”—so bright it makes me want to applaud. Wind-driven cumulus puffs drift over the neighbor’s trees behind my backyard prairie patch.
View from the prairie patch, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Sunshine lasers its beams on the new-fallen snow and attempts a melt intervention.
Stream snowmelt, Lyman Woods, Downers Grove, IL.
The temperature hovers just at freezing. Blue shadows stretch across the backyard.
Raised beds and blue shadows, Cindy’s backyard, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Our two stone frogs are barely above snowline.
Stone froggies, Cindy’s prairie pond, Glen Ellyn, IL.
Years ago, they were half-buried in my grandma’s garden by lilies and roses. Now that she’s gone, I think of her and smile when I see them by my small pond, blanketed by snow.
Snow slides into the blown-out butterfly weed pods.
Trail to the prairie, Lyman Woods, Downers Grove, IL.
Why not go for a hike and see?
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John Madson (1923-1995) is the author of Where the Sky Began (1982), one of the most influential books about the tallgrass prairie. Madson, a graduate of Iowa State in wildlife biology and a World War II Veteran, became a journalist and conservation advocate. An Iowa native, he eventually moved to Godfrey, Illinois. There, he planted a prairie.
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Join Cindy in 2021 for an online class! See http://www.cindycrosby.com for a complete list of virtual offerings. All classes and programs with Cindy this winter and spring are offered online only. Join me from your computer anywhere in the world.
Begins Monday, February 8 OR just added —February 15 (Two options): Tallgrass Prairie Ecology Online (Section A or B)--Digitally explore the intricacies of the tallgrass prairie landscape and learn how to restore these signature American ecosystems as you work through online curriculum. Look at the history of this unique type of grassland from the descent of glaciers over the Midwest millions of years ago, to the introduction of John Deere’s famous plow, to where we are today. We will examine different types of prairie, explore the plant and animal communities of the prairie and discuss strategies specific to restoring prairies in this engaging online course. Come away with a better understanding of the tallgrass prairies, and key insights into how to restore their beauty. All curriculum is online, with an hour-long in-person group Zoom during the course. You have 60 days to complete the curriculum! Join me–Registration information here. (Call the Morton Arboretum for information on the February 15 class, which is not yet posted).
February 24, 7-8:30 p.m. CST: The Prairie in Art and Literature Online. The tallgrass prairie is usually thought of for its diverse community of plants, animals, and insects. Yet, it is also an inspiration for a creative community! In this interactive online talk, natural history author and prairie steward Cindy Crosby will explore historical and contemporary writers and artists, musicians, and other creatives working in the prairie genre: from Neil Young to Willa Cather to graphic comic artists , quilters, and jewelers expressing the prairie through their work. See the prairie in a new light! Come away inspired to appreciate and express your love of the tallgrass as you enjoy learning about this prairie “community.” Offered by The Morton Arboretum: Register here.
Cindy Crosby is the author, compiler, or contributor to more than 20 books. Her most recent is "Chasing Dragonflies: A Natural, Cultural, and Personal History" (Northwestern University Press, 2020). She teaches prairie ecology, nature writing, and natural history classes, and is a prairie steward who has volunteered countless hours in prairie restoration. See Cindy's upcoming online speaking events and classes at www.cindycrosby.com.
Tuesdays in the Tallgrass 