As spring quickly approaches it brings with it beautiful rain storms, warm air breezes, and longer sunny days we will be shedding out thick winter coats and emerging from our dens to properly enjoy this fairer weather. Humans aren’t the only organisms that are taking advantage of the change in seasons. Springtime is a great time of growth in rebirth as plants begin to germinate and sprout out of the ground and animals return to the area to give birth. Thus turning the midwestern forests and prairies from drab, cold doldrums into verdant wonderlands ripe for endless outdoor adventures.  However, not all of this growth is desirable since Illinois is unfortunately home to several 100 species of exotic and invasive plants, animals, and fungi. We, humans, are to blame for this as our desire to spread across the planet and to experience things from around the world has resulted either directly or indirectly in the spread of a wide variety of species from their native homelands to new areas. Just the appearance of an ‘alien’ species in a habitat is not innate, it's when these species begin to spread and become successful; resulting in economic or ecological harm to the native species, crops, and livestock through competition, predation and in rare cases, hybridization.

Come on a journey through the woods and prairies in search of wildflowers!

As much as we love seeing spring ephemerals pop up early, the startlingly warm temperatures so far this year come with another, less welcome, spring staple: ticks. This year’s mild winter and early spring are laying the groundwork for a thriving tick population, which is not necessarily good news for hikers. Luckily, researchers have found a way to keep tick numbers in check by doing something that many of our local land managers are already doing!

March Madness is finally here, and we’ve decided to host a little tournament of our own to get into the competitive spirit! For the rest of March, you can visit our Instagram and Facebook pages to vote for your favorite Severson critter. Who will be the ultimate winner? Only time will tell!

As winter comes to a close you will begin to see the world around us come back to life as the snow and ice gives way to all of the colors of nature. Coupled with thawing of the winter ice you will begin to see a wide variety of faces return to the area, namely the various water birds who are following the resurgence of liquid water and the ever-northward forging warm air currents. These include most of our ducks, geese, loons, rails, cranes, gulls, and shorebirds. This is especially important as Illinois sits on the Mississippi Flyway which acts as a superhighway for a plethora of species moving from their overwintering grounds in the Southern States and the Caribbean to their breeding grounds in Canada. For the avid or aspiring birder, the best place to start looking for the ephemeral beauties would be any of your bodies of water such as the Illinois and rock rivers or any large standing bodies, especially those near agricultural fields.

Having lived in the Midwest for my entire life, I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about the ocean. Sure, I appreciate the beauty of the coral reefs and kelp forests as much as the next person, but I have never felt a strong connection to marine environments. What I do feel a strong connection with, however, is the climate crisis and the future of our ecosystems. I’ve recently been ‘diving’ (pun intended) more into the role our oceans play in regulating the climate, and it has spurred a new appreciation in me for the world’s waters.

Do you want to turn “I’m boreeeeed…what do you mean go explore outside, there isn’t anything to DO outside” into “Can we turn this tablet off and go explore at Severson Dells with an Adventure Backpack?” in one simple step*?

Love, in its myriad forms, is perhaps the most remarkable force in the universe. From the tethering familial love found in the relationship of a parent and child, the intense, passionate and all consuming nature of romantic love, to the unbreakable bond between lifelong friends and companions, love manifests itself in countless ways. As Valentine's Day approaches, it's a perfect time to celebrate the extraordinary diversity of love found in nature. Whether it's the playful courtship dances of birds, the intricate displays of devotion among mammals, or the symbiotic relationships that thrive in even the most unexpected habitats, the love intertwined throughout the animal world is nothing short of awe-inspiring. I love love, so in the spirit of one of my favorite holidays, here are some animals in love:

Nonprofit organizations rely on donor dollars, most of the time from individual or business donors, to help sustain the organization’s mission. Nonprofits, like Severson Dells Nature Center, have an engaged community looking to support an idea, a group of individuals, or nature education, in our case.

Salutations Everybody! My name is Bryce Messer and I am happy to be serving Severson Dells, for the first time, as an AmeriCorps Environmental Educator. I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia but moved to Illinois a little over 1 year ago, so I am excited to learn everything I can about the natural wonders of the area. I graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Biology with minors in Geology and History of Science. Then I received my master’s degree from Southern Illinois University majoring in Zoology. As a requirement for graduation, I developed a habitat management plan for the American Pronghorn across a 140,000-acre ranch in New Mexico. 

Defining Seasons Now that winter has arrived in full force, I’m sure many people are wondering when warmer temperatures will be gracing us with their presence again. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of fun outdoor activities to enjoy in the winter like sledding, skiing, and winter hiking, but when temperatures are as cold as they have been, I can’t help but look forward to spring. That led me to wonder: When does spring officially start? After doing some research, I realized that the answer is not as straightforward as it might seem.