Village Voice
BURNING YARD DETRITUS – BURNING vs ROTTING
Question: Over the winter, a lot of downed branches accumulated on my property. In the past I’ve burned them. It’s the cheap solution, and my neighbors haven’t yet complained about the smoke. But now with all the news about global warming I’m wondering whether...
PRESCRIBED BURNING – ANOTHER TECHNIQUE IN WOODLAND RESTORATION
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is one of many voices in our region that recognizes the impact humans can have, for good or ill, on our natural environment: “Whether you own one acre or one thousand, the decisions you make and the actions you take...
Spring Means More Birds Are Back In Riverwoods
Spring in Riverwoods is an exciting time for nature enthusiasts, especially bird watchers. Under still leaden skies with a threat of snow, you hear him, “Kon Kree….Kon Kree.” Overnight he has arrived! Snow cover and cold has not deterred the male red-winged...
Plants That Attract Butterflies
Approximately 150 species of butterflies can be found in Illinois. Unfortunately, they are declining in numbers, mainly due to the loss of wetlands and prairies. Planting butterfly gardens will help support their populations and, as a bonus, give us the pleasure of...
Our Wild Neighbors
As human expansion has consumed or fragmented so much natural habitat, we occasionally may find ourselves a little closer to some of our animal neighbors than we might wish. A few precautions, and some common sense, can help keep the...
Bees And Colony Collapse Disorder
A significant portion of our food supply depends on pollination by honey bees. But these bees suddsenly started disappearing due to something scientists called Colony Collapse Disorder. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) occurs when the majority of worker bees in a colony...
Should We Still Worry About The Emerald Ash Borer?
In 2002 the Emerald Ash Borer was first discovered near Detroit, probably arriving accidentally in the U.S. on packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes arriving from Asia. As of June 2018 this woodboring beetle was found in 33...
CANOPY THINNING – REFORESTATION 101
As the glaciers receded from our region over 12,000 years ago, Native Americans moved into the landscape and began shaping it with fire. They burned the woodlands, savannas, wetlands, and prairies regularly to promote the growth of food plants and to attract game...
GARLIC MUSTARD – A SPRING PROJECT
Garlic mustard flowers in early spring and then broadcasts its seeds. This is the time to remove it.Each garlic mustard plant produces thousands of seeds that are believed to be dispersed by the fur of animals such as deer and squirrels and by people. The plant...
Woodland Animals In The Winter
Animal species have two general approaches to winter: migration and adaptation. Migration. Many birds migrate by flying south. Some mammals and fish migrate to warmer climates. Even insects migrate. Some butterflies and moths fly great distances. Other insects, such...