Prairie Dock 2011

Three years ago I planted a small Prairie Dock seedling in the front yard.  It spent the first two years putting down roots.  Prairie Dock roots go very deep, reaching depths of 12 feet, making it a very drought resistance plant.  Finally, this spring it sent forth several huge spade-shaped basal leaves and a single stalk.  I knew this would be the year to watch the Prairie Dock grow above ground! 

In late June the stalk started to shoot up into the air.  It grew a foot over the course of a single week.  As of early August, it measured 10.5 feet from the ground to the tallest point!! 

It has survived several very strong windstorms, and the flowers are starting to open.

Great Spangled Fritillary 2011

Don't butterflies have some great names?  This Great Spangled Fritillary was feeding at a Butterfly Milkweed plant.  The name "fritillary" refers to the black spots on top of the wings and the silver spots on the bottom.  Great Spangled Fritillary can be distinguished from other fritillaries by the dark zone near on the wings near the body.  The most common "fritillary" in the eastern U.S., it lays eggs on or near violets, which is why I try to leave my violets in tact even after they have finished blooming.

I&M Canal Boat Ride 2011

As part of my Christmas gift to my parents, I took them for a tour of the Illinois and Michigan Canal, which is part of the first National Heritage Corridor.  We took advantage of the canal boat tours out of LaSalle, Illinois.  Larry the Mule pulled the boat for a relaxing float back in time.  Here's a video postcard from the tour.

From 1848-1933, the I&M Canal connected the Illinois River at LaSalle with Lake Michigan, which effectively made Chicago the transportation hub of the nation by connecting the Mississippi River and the Atlantic Ocean.  Abraham Lincoln lobbied hard for federal funding for this project, arguing that this 96-mile canal would create a water passage for people and products that would benefit the entire United States.

The song I used for the video is from Gallimaufry's Dig Me A Ditch, a compilation of canal-related music.  When I called for a copy of the album, I was so sad to hear that Christine Gaylord, the driving force behind the group, had passed, but her husband Joe was very helpful in sending me a recording of his wife's legacy.  The whole album is full of superb folk songs, including many specific to Illinois.

Nachusa Sand Boil 2011

One of the fun natural features at the Nachusa Grasslands is a sand boil.  Sand deposits from the Wisconsin era of the Ice Age are evident in many places at Nachusa, such as the sandstone outcroppings. 

The sand boil at Nachusa occurs at a natural spring.  It is caused when water under pressure pushes up through a bed of sand.  This sand boil is active in every season, even winter!

Animal-eating Plants!

During a trip to Pokagon State Park (Indiana), I learned about a carnivorous plant called Common Bladderwort.  It's a small, innocent-looking plant that you could easily miss. 

Apparently, the deadly part is underwater -- "little bags" or bladders that trap aquatic organism. Tiny swimming animals touch trigger hairs around the mouth of a bladder. A trap door opens and the bladder expands, sucking the prey inside. 

Common Bladderwort is found in bogs and marshes throughout North America, so watch out!