Excited for this one! #nativeplants #prairie

It's Tuesday! Let's go for a virtual hike on the prairie together; discover "January Prairie Adventures" tuesdaysinthetallgrass.wordpress.com/2026/01/13/j... #prairie #nativeplants #naturewriting

It's Tuesday! Let's go for a virtual hike on the prairie together; discover "January Prairie Reflections" tuesdaysinthetallgrass.wordpress.com/2026/01/06/j... #nature #writing #illinois #naturephotography #nativeplants #hiking #birding

This year’s winter sowing contestants. Some of these are for our home garden, but most will be transplanted at our land (wet-mesic prairie restoration in progress). #nativeplants

Inspiring!

This waterfall, and the hike to it, is one of my favorite memories from this trip. 📍Livingston, MT (2023) #waterfallwednesday #waterfall #montana

My Christmas hams! 🥰 #bernesemountaindog #dogsofbluesky #berner

A bumblebee taking a break to clean up on a Swamp Rose Mallow last summer for #magentamonday. #fallbackflowers #fallback to June 22. #bees #nativeplants

#FireFriday Looking forward to the Spring burn season! This was from a prescribed burn I was on at Nachusa Grasslands last spring. I believe this particular burn was a little over 200 acres. Our prairies, wetlands, and woodlands depend on fire for their health! #rxfire #nativeplants #conservation

Winter officially begins in 3 days, but it feels like it's been here for a month already in IL. While I love living somewhere with 4 distinct seasons, I am anxiously awaiting pollinator season! Here is a Monarch perched on native Ironweed in my garden last summer. #nativeplants #bugsky #butterfly

#Throwback to last Spring when I captured this teneral dragonfly emergence. We were vacationing at a lakeside cabin in Minnesota and had spent the morning on the dock watching the loons. We were heading back to the cabin when I spotted this guy on the bank. #bugsky #dragonfly #invert #insectthursday

Last year we did winter sowing of native plants in milk jugs and had a moderate success rate. Learned from our mistakes and hoping we do better this time around. Getting ready to do another batch of jugs this weekend! 🤞 #nativeplants #gardening

It's Tuesday! Let's go for a virtual hike on the prairie together, discover: "A Tallgrass Prairie Deep Freeze" tuesdaysinthetallgrass.wordpress.com/2025/12/16/a... #nativeplants #nature #writing #prairie

It's Tuesday! Let's go for a virtual hike on the prairie together; discover "December Prairie Joys" tuesdaysinthetallgrass.wordpress.com/2025/12/09/d... #nativeplants #midwest #snow #nature #photography #gardening

First snow here in Northern Illinois #nativeplants #gardening

Dragonfly workshop with the amazing @phrelanzer.bsky.social today! #nachusagrasslands #odonata

We had a big group today for seed collection! We harvested little bluestem, thimbleweed, and lead plant to be used in restoration plantings. #nachusagrasslands #prairie #nativeplants

It's Tuesday! Let's go for a virtual hike on the prairie together, discover "The Glory of Prairie Grasses" tuesdaysinthetallgrass.wordpress.com/2025/10/21/t... #prairie #nature #photography #writing

Goldfinches have been enjoying the Rattlesnake Master that has gone to seed in the garden 🪶 #gardening #nativeplants #birds

It's Tuesday! Let's go for a virtual hike on the prairie together; discover "Highway Prairie Happiness" tuesdaysinthetallgrass.wordpress.com/2025/10/14/h... #prairie #nativeplants #nature #writing #midwest

The Goldfinches are loving the Echinacea seeds in the garden 🪶 #nativeplants #birds #gardening

Beautiful, crisp morning at the Franklin Creek Natural Area #prairie #nativeplants

“This is absolutely the perfect spot to hide this and I definitely won’t forget I put it here” - 🐿️ #gardening #nativeplants #fallisforsquirrels

It was a beautiful morning for a seed harvest! Today our volunteer group harvested rough blazing star, little bluestem, pinweed, and spotted bee balm, among others. These will be used in a planting in a newly acquired parcel. #nativeplants #nachusagrasslands #prairie

Traffic jam 🦬 #nachusagrasslands #prairie #bison

Native Eastern Prickly Pear bearing fruit 📍Nachusa Grasslands #nativeplants #prairie

A very good article about nectar properties! #nativeplants #pollinators #gardening growitbuildit.com/reasons-to-n...

A beautiful Differential Grasshopper hanging out on native Switchgrass in the garden #invertebrates #insects #nativeplants

Bought lots of new natives this morning at the plant sale. We barely got the car unloaded and a bumble found the Short’s Aster plugs. They’re all for you, buddy! 🐝 #nativeplants #gardening #pollinators

“Nature and Nachusa” exhibit at The Next Picture Show Gallery. Showcasing artwork inspired by Nachusa Grasslands and Northern Illinois nature. I just started playing with hobby photography about 6 months ago, so it was fun to submit a few of my snaps to this show. #prairie #naturephotography

It's finally FlyDay! The days are getting shorter and the work weeks are feeling longer, but we made it! #flyday #eastcoastkin #insects

Where do bumble bees build their homes? Where do they spend the winter? And how do you protect bumble bees if their nests * overwintering sites are almost impossible to find? Join us to get all the answers! 🐝 🗓️Oct 2 at 10am PT / 1pm ET 🔗Register for this free event: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Attention Northern Illinois People! This is one of my favorite Native Plant suppliers for plugs - fall plant sale this weekend. 🌿 #nativeplants #gardening

A walk in the prairie usually does the trick for me when things feel heavy. #pollinators #butterfly #nativeplants #prairie

I've been hearing lots of cicadas, but haven't photographed any this year. So here are a few from last spring during the dual emergence. I was lucky enough to visit the arborteum at peak cicada time - the trees were vibrating with them. 📍Morton Arborteum. Lisle, IL #insects #invertebrates #cicadas

Come if you can! Learn more about Nachusa Grassland's wild bison herd here: www.nachusagrasslands.org/bison.html #thenatureconservancy #conservation

Found another angle in my camera roll. From underneath he looks like he just has stellar core strength 😍

Banded Tussock Moth caterpillar, president of the clean plate (leaf) club 🐛 #caterpillar #invertebrate #insects #pollinatorstobe

Gratuitous Red Squirrel picture, because Thursdays are rough 📍Voyageurs National Park #squirrel #nature #hiking

Abstract art in the native garden this morning #gardening #nativeplants

Northern Flicker 📍Tilson Bay Trail. Island View, MN #birds #minnesota #birding🪶

A cormorant dries it's wings in the sun 📍Rainy Lake, MN #birds #minnesota #birdphotography 🪶

Tri-Colored Bumblebee (Bombus ternarius) drying out after a rain on native Aster. Spotted in Voyageurs National Park a few weeks ago. I was so excited to see this new-to-me bumble! 🐝 #bumblebees #bees #insects #invertebrates #minnesota

Illinois/Iowa/Wisconsin Nature Lovers: Join us for the Nachusa Grasslands Fall Festival this Saturday in Franklin Grove, IL! This event celebrates the season with a full day of nature, learning, and fun. #prairie #conservation #hiking www.nachusagrasslands.org/aotp-2025.html

It's Tuesday! Let's go for a virtual hike on the prairie together; discover "A Tallgrass Prairie Day" tuesdaysinthetallgrass.wordpress.com/2025/09/16/a... #illinois #midwest #prairie #nature #writing #photography #hiking #adventures

Shadow Darner.. taken after it landed right in front of me in the lake. It was either injured or perhaps just at the end of it's life cycle, making a lot of ripples with it's thrashing. Immediately after I clicked the shutter, a fish came up and completed it's life cycle for it. #dragonfly #nature

A few snaps from today’s hike around a local conservation area. #fungi #butterfly #insects #illinois #nativeplants

A beautiful Yellow-Collared Scape Moth feeding on Giant Sunflower #moths #pollinators #nativeplants #insects

Monarch Tagging with JDCF today! Lots of little ones attended the event - great way for kids to learn about the #Monarch life cycle and how we can help this endangered species thrive. This is minimally invasive and results in a lot of important migration data. #butterflies #conservation #prairie

I don’t always have a photo for #birdoftheday, but when Alan said it was #birdbutt day, I knew I had one to share. Here is a sassy house finch visiting the feeder in my garden this past spring #birds 🪶