By Alyssa Nyberg, Preserve Coordinator & Ecologist at Kankakee Sands Magic has returned to the prairie! For many people, December is the most magical time of the year – holidays, foods, families, long-starry nights and beautiful snow-covered landscapes. How fitting that this is also the point in the year when the merlins return to KankakeeContinue reading “The Magic is Back!”
Author Archives: friendsofthesands
Who’s in Charge?
By Alyssa Nyberg, Preserve Coordinator & Ecologist at Kankakee Sands When you look out over the Kankakee Sands bison pasture and spot a six-foot tall male bull bison weighting more than 1500 pounds, you might think to yourself, “Now there’s a fella that makes decisions!” And that bull bison certainly does make decisions… for himself.Continue reading “Who’s in Charge?”
A Prairie Workout: Chasing the Autumn Yellow-Winged Grasshopper
By Alyssa Nyberg, Preserve Coordinator & Ecologist at Kankakee Sands “How hard can that be?” That’s what I thought when the Student Conservation Interns and I were asked to join a researcher who was hoping to catch a particular species of grasshopper on the Kankakee Sands prairie. I figured that with several years of nettingContinue reading “A Prairie Workout: Chasing the Autumn Yellow-Winged Grasshopper”
When the Bzzzzz turns to Zzzzzz
Nighttime Sounds By Alyssa Nyberg, Ecologist at Kankakee Sands Out here in the rural parts of Newton County, the cool temperatures of September nights make for comfortable windows-open sleeping weather. Through those open windows often come a wild variety of animal and insect sounds and buzzes which will either keep you awake all night, orContinue reading “When the Bzzzzz turns to Zzzzzz”
Whose tail is that?
By Alyssa Nyberg, Ecologist at Kankakee Sands Our August skies are aflutter with butterflies over the Kankakee Sands prairie. The nectar-rich flowers of the blazing stars, milkweeds and bonesets are decorated by the wings of a variety of butterflies, including the swallowtails. A fun (and sometimes challenging) part of being among so many butterflies isContinue reading “Whose tail is that?”
Summertime is Swimmin’ Time!
By Alyssa Nyberg, Ecologist at Kankakee Sands Summertime is swimming time in Indiana. Perhaps you enjoy swimming in an outdoor pool, creek or in one of our many Indiana lakes. Image swimming in a 36,000-acre lake! That was Beaver Lake, once the largest lake in Indiana. It was part of the 1-million-acre Grand Kankakee Marsh,Continue reading “Summertime is Swimmin’ Time!”
The Very Real Wilson’s Snipe
Indiana Nature Notes by Alyssa Nyberg, Ecologist at Kankakee Sands I grew up in rural Ohio and in my family, when a kid needed to get outside for some fresh air and sunshine, and to burn off some energy, they would be told to go outside for a ‘snipe hunt’ to search for snipe. OurContinue reading “The Very Real Wilson’s Snipe”
The Flying Checkerboard and Fire
By Alyssa Nyberg, Restoration Ecologist at Kankakee Sands Conrad Station Savanna Nature Preserve, located on the north end of Kankakee Sands, is an ideal place for a springtime walk. Not only will you be delighted by spring wildflowers, you will likely also get to see a flying checkerboard! Though many birds migrate back to IndianaContinue reading “The Flying Checkerboard and Fire”
That’s Golden
By Alyssa Nyberg, Restoration Ecologist at Kankakee Sands A golden eagle (Aquila chysaetos) was recently spotted soaring over the Kankakee Sands prairie, to which we say, “That’s Golden!” It’s awesome news because it reaffirms everything that we want Kankakee Sands to be – a home for those species who spend their whole lives here onContinue reading “That’s Golden”
Heading South for the Spring
By Alyssa Nyberg, Restoration Ecologist at Kankakee Sands Now that it’s February, we will be moving the Kankakee Sands bison herd from the north grazing pasture to the southern grazing pasture. At approximately 400 acres, the northern pasture provides adequate forage for several months, and then it is time to move them to our bisonContinue reading “Heading South for the Spring”
Friends of the Sands 