-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
It's katydid season! Katydids sing at night by rubbing their wings together. While it can be hard to spot a well camouflaged katydid, hearing...
Posted in
Animals,
backyard habitat,
BackyardHabitat,
iowa,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
wilderness,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
On hot, sunny days, dragonflies tilt their abdomen up in the air to reduce sun exposure and overheating. The perched blue dasher is partaking in t...
Posted in
Animals,
Damselfly,
Dragonfly,
iowa,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Odonata,
Odonate,
wilderness,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
You don't have to roam far and wide to see interesting wildlife. We have a pollinator-safe yard and bare soil areas where our playful dogs have di...
Posted in
Animals,
backyard habitat,
BackyardHabitat,
habitat,
Habitat Management,
Habitat Restoration,
illinois,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Nesting,
Pollinators,
wilderness,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
Appendaged Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum appendiculatum) is found in woodlands with moist soil that is high in organic matter. Note the ants visiting the...
Posted in
Ants,
Flora,
Forest,
habitat,
iowa,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
Native Plant,
Natural Areas,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Plant and Animal Interactions,
Plants,
RemnantHabitat,
wilderness,
wildflower,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
On hot, sunny days, dragonflies tilt their abdomen up in the air to reduce sun exposure and overheating. The perched blue dasher is partaking in t...
Posted in
Animals,
Dragonfly,
iowa,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Odonata,
Odonate,
wilderness,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
Join Midwest Wilderness Connections on a virtual tour of a remnant prairie along a railroad right-of-way in Champaign County, Illinois. The main go...
Posted in
Animals,
backyard habitat,
BackyardHabitat,
Bird Calls,
Bird Sound ID,
Bird Sound Identification,
birding,
Birds,
Birdwatching,
Butterfly,
caterpillar,
compassplant,
Declining Species,
Endangered Species,
Exploration,
Flora,
grassland,
habitat,
Habitat Management,
Habitat Restoration,
Hiking,
illinois,
Introduced Species,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
Monarch,
Native Plant,
Natural Areas,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Plants,
Pollinators,
prairie,
RemnantHabitat,
Right of Way Prairie Remnants,
silphiumlaciniatum,
wilderness,
wildflower,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography
-
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,
Habitat Restoration,
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,
Habitat Restoration,
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
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
Due to habitat loss, red-shouldered hawk populations are declining in the Upper Midwest. A breeding pair requires over 250 acres of contiguous ...
Posted in
Animals,
birding,
Birds,
Birdwatching,
Declining Species,
Endangered Species,
Forest,
habitat,
Habitat Management,
Habitat Restoration,
Hawk,
illinois,
iowa,
michigan,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
minnesota,
MississippiRiver,
Natural Areas,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Nesting,
Predators,
Raptor,
RemnantHabitat,
Trees,
Wetlands,
wilderness,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography,
wisconsin
-
by Jennifer Anderson-Cruz
Have you ever been on a ride with a naturalist who hits the breaks to partake in impromptu remnant prairie ramblings while fiddling with new equipm...
Posted in
compassplant,
Declining Species,
Exploration,
Farmland,
Flora,
grassland,
habitat,
Habitat Management,
Habitat Restoration,
illinois,
Introduced Species,
iowa,
michigan,
midwest,
MidwestWildernessConnections,
minnesota,
Native Plant,
Natural Areas,
nature,
NaturePhotography,
Plants,
Pollinators,
prairie,
RemnantHabitat,
Right of Way Prairie Remnants,
silphiumlaciniatum,
wilderness,
wildflower,
wildlife,
Wildlife Photography,
wisconsin
Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device