The Upper Mississippi River National Fish and Wildlife Refuge stretches for 261 river miles from Cordova, Illinois to the mouth of Wisconsin’s Chippewa River. Dozens of bird species can be […]
Tag: Michael Jeffords
Exploring Illinois: Ayers Sand Prairie
Ayers Sand Prairie in Carroll County was once the western edge of the Wisconsin Glacier. Among the small dunes explorers can spy plants and animals friendly to the dry growing […]
Exploring Illinois: Kickapoo State Park
The middle fork of the Vermilion River runs through Kickapoo State Park. Just a short walk from Middle Fork Woods Nature Preserve, explorers will find forest-lined bluffs and a a […]
Exploring Illinois: Henry N. Barkhausen Wetlands Center
Henry N. Barkhausen Wetlands Center is the perfect starting point for exploring the Cache River ecosystem. From the visitor center window one can spy muskrat, river otter hummingbirds and various […]
Exploring Illinois: Matthiessen State Park
Matthiessen State Park in LaSalle County is a feast for the eyes in all seasons. With greenery and wildflowers in the spring and summer, colorful foliage in the fall, and […]
Exploring Illinois: Ballard Nature Center
The Ballard Nature Center is a glimpse into what Illinois was like before the landscape gave way to cultivation for corn and soybeans. Located between Altamont and Effingham, just off […]
Exploring Illinois: Little Black Slough Nature Preserve
On the very the southern tip of Illinois, in the Cache River State Natural Area, you’ll find Little Black Slough Nature Preserve. Well known for its cypress-tupelo swamp, Little Black […]
Exploring Illinois: Garden of the Gods
The Garden of the Gods Recreation Area in the Shawnee Hills is a treat for anyone with a taste for geology. The sandstone bluffs and huge boulders at Garden of […]
Exploring Illinois: Robert Allerton Park
Robert Allerton Park in Piatt county hosts over 1,090 species of plants and sixty species of breeding birds. The Sangamon river floodplain is the perfect environment for a variety of […]
Exploring Illinois: Apple River Canyon
Apple River Canyon State Park in northern Illinois provides the kind of topography that much of the state would seemingly lack. This Jo Daviess County nature site is featured in […]
Exploring Illinois: Mermet Lake Conservation Area
In Exploring Nature in Illinois: A Field Guide to the Prairie State, naturalists Michael Jeffords and Susan Post invite you to discover fifty preserves, forests, restoration areas, and parks in the […]
Exploring Illinois photos on exhibit
Michael Jeffords and Susan Post, authors of Exploring Nature in Illinois, are celebrating both the release of their new book and an exhibit of nature photography in May and June. […]