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by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
To be, or not to be, that is the question. The viceroy butterfly is commonly mistaken for a monarch. Known as Mullerian mimics, the toxic monarch a...
Posted in
Animals,
backyard habitat,
BackyardHabitat,
Butterfly,
caterpillar,
Declining Species,
Farmland,
Flora,
grassland,
habitat,
Habitat Management,
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illinois,
iowa,
michigan,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
minnesota,
missouri,
Monarch,
Native Plant,
Natural Areas,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Plants,
Pollinators,
prairie,
Predators,
Wetlands,
wilderness,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography,
wisconsin
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
It's a great time to look for dragonflies & damselflies, collectively called odonates! Each species has a certain flight season when adults pe...
Posted in
Animals,
backyard habitat,
BackyardHabitat,
Damselfly,
Dragonfly,
Exploration,
habitat,
Habitat Management,
Habitat Restoration,
Hiking,
illinois,
iowa,
michigan,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
Migration,
minnesota,
missouri,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Odonata,
Odonate,
prairie,
Predators,
RemnantHabitat,
Sand Prairie,
Streams,
VernalPools,
Water Quality,
Wetlands,
wilderness,
wildflower,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography,
wisconsin
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
The American buffalo is a critical keystone prairie species. Grazing by roaming buffalo herds keeps aggressive grass species in check and creates a...
Posted in
Animals,
Bison,
Buffalo,
Declining Species,
Flora,
grassland,
Grazing,
habitat,
Habitat Management,
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illinois,
iowa,
Mammals,
michigan,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
minnesota,
missouri,
Native Plant,
Natural Areas,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Plants,
prairie,
RemnantHabitat,
wilderness,
wildflower,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography,
wisconsin
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
Take a virtual walk through the Munson Township Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve while a naturalist identifies plants, birds, and shares additional...
Posted in
Bird Calls,
Bird Sound ID,
Bird Sound Identification,
birdfeeding,
birding,
Birds,
Birdwatching,
Declining Species,
Flora,
grassland,
habitat,
Habitat Management,
Habitat Restoration,
Hiking,
illinois,
Introduced Species,
iowa,
michigan,
Midland Shooting Star,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
minnesota,
missouri,
Munson Township Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve,
Native Plant,
Natural Areas,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Plants,
Pollinators,
prairie,
Prairie Cemetery,
RemnantHabitat,
wilderness,
wildflower,
wisconsin
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
Many oak woodlands in the Midwest were historically open and savanna-like. These habitats were filled to the brim with species diversity due to th...
Posted in
Flora,
Forest,
habitat,
Habitat Management,
Habitat Restoration,
illinois,
Introduced Species,
iowa,
michigan,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
minnesota,
missouri,
Native Plant,
Natural Areas,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Oak Savanna,
Plants,
RemnantHabitat,
Trees,
wilderness,
wildflower,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography,
wisconsin
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
How many different types of frogs do you hear? Scroll to the bottom of this page for the answer.
#midwestmoment #naturephoto #wildernesscul...
Posted in
Amphibians,
Animals,
Anuran,
backyard habitat,
BackyardHabitat,
Declining Species,
Forest,
Frog,
grassland,
habitat,
Habitat Management,
Habitat Restoration,
Herpetiles,
Herpetofauna,
Herpetology,
illinois,
iowa,
michigan,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
minnesota,
missouri,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
prairie,
Sand Prairie,
VernalPools,
Wetlands,
wilderness,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography,
wisconsin
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
The word "raccoon" stems from the Powhatan term meaning, "animal that scratches with its hands."
#midwestmoment #naturephoto #midwestwil...
Posted in
Animals,
backyard habitat,
BackyardHabitat,
illinois,
iowa,
Mammals,
michigan,
midwest,
minnesota,
missouri,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Raccoon,
wilderness,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography,
wisconsin
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
Monarch butterflies require milkweed (Asclepias spp.) as a larval food source. Just as important are nectar food plants to power adult monar...
Posted in
Animals,
backyard habitat,
BackyardHabitat,
Butterfly,
caterpillar,
Declining Species,
Farmland,
Flora,
grassland,
habitat,
Habitat Management,
Habitat Restoration,
illinois,
iowa,
michigan,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
Migration,
minnesota,
missouri,
Native Plant,
Natural Areas,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Plants,
Pollinators,
prairie,
Prairie Cemetery,
RemnantHabitat,
Sand Prairie,
Wetlands,
wilderness,
wildflower,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography,
wisconsin
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
In the Upper Midwest, the ornate box turtle inhabits open sand prairies. Their habitat is disappearing due to land development as well as a lack o...
Posted in
Animals,
Declining Species,
grassland,
habitat,
Habitat Management,
Habitat Restoration,
Herpetiles,
Herpetofauna,
Herpetology,
illinois,
iowa,
michigan,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
minnesota,
missouri,
Natural Areas,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Nesting,
Ornate Box Turtle,
prairie,
Predators,
RemnantHabitat,
Reptiles,
Sand Prairie,
Turtles,
wilderness,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography,
wisconsin
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
Take a virtual walk through the Pellsville Cemetery Prairie for a Memorial Day view of native spring wildflowers. The cemetery, established in ...
Posted in
Bird Calls,
Bird Sound ID,
birding,
Birds,
Birdwatching,
Declining Species,
Exploration,
Flora,
grassland,
habitat,
Habitat Management,
Habitat Restoration,
Hiking,
illinois,
iowa,
michigan,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
minnesota,
missouri,
Native Plant,
Natural Areas,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Pellsville Cemetery Prairie,
Plants,
Pollinators,
prairie,
Prairie Cemetery,
RemnantHabitat,
wilderness,
wildflower,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography,
wisconsin
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
The eastern gray squirrel is a common occurrence in forests as well as treed backyards and parks. This species plays an important role in the eco...
Posted in
Animals,
backyard habitat,
Forest,
habitat,
HomerLakeForestPreserve,
illinois,
iowa,
Mammals,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
minnesota,
missouri,
Natural Areas,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Squirrel,
Trees,
wilderness,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography,
wisconsin
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
On the tallgrass prairie, prior to European settlement, large swaths of the landscape were free from shrubs or trees. Prairie songbirds often per...
Posted in
Animals,
birding,
Birds,
Birdwatching,
compassplant,
Flora,
grassland,
habitat,
Habitat Management,
illinois,
iowa,
michigan,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
minnesota,
missouri,
Natural Areas,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Nesting,
Plants,
prairie,
Predators,
RemnantHabitat,
Trees,
wilderness,
wildflower,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography
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