Ripples from the Dunes is a weekly nature article series written by staff and guest writers that has been published for over 50 years.
banding bees berries birding birds chickadees Christmas Bird Count Citizen Science climate change cold courtship crepuscular decline fall forest frogs fungi Great Horned Owl Habitat honeysuckle insects Invasive invasives kids marsh migration native nature nest nesting osprey pollinators restoration seeds singing snow spring Tracks trees warblers water Wetland wildlife winter woodcock
Ripples 8/14/25
By Summer Intern, Natalie McNeely This summer, one of my favorite experiences at Woodland Dunes has been conducting bee surveys. As someone who has always loved observing wildlife, it’s been exciting to continue that work here. This year, we’ve documented six species of bumble bees on the preserve, and we’re still surveying! My interest in…
Ripples 8/7/25
Written by Summer Intern, Cielo Gutierrez Kuhaupt I distinctly remember my first thought about wetlands. It was during one of my father’s soccer games at the local county park. Normally he played on a field that was too far for my mother to watch both the game and my older brothers and me, who wanted…
Ripples 7/31/25
Written by Max Kornetzke Mid-July through early August is a great time to take a walk down our Willow Trail here at Woodland Dunes. As you walk back you will encounter a section of prairie that is buzzing with pollinators and different shades of yellow, purple, white and orange. One of the most notable plants…
Ripples 7/24/25
Written by Kennedy Zittel, Naturalist In honor of it being National Moth Week (the last week in July), I wanted to write about one of my favorite moth species – the White-lined Sphinx Moth! The White-lined Sphinx, Hyles lineata, is one of the more common hawk moths to see around here. They are very widespread,…
Ripples 7/17/25
Written by summer intern Maria Kraynek, Photo by Jessica Johnsrud Growing up, I was always fascinated by trees. Their strong yet overlooked presence in our world continues to amaze me as they work as wildlife habitats, air filters, and so much more. With an estimated 60,065 tree species globally, pine trees make up only a…
Ripples 7/10/25
Written by summer intern Natalie McNeely and photo taken by summer intern Cielo Gutierrez Kuhaupt Growing up, I enjoyed spending time outside, and often the highlight of my summers growing up was visiting my local state parks and nature centers. My favorite aspect of working at Woodland Dunes this summer has been witnessing how much…
Ripples 7/3/25
Written by: Cielo Gutierrez Kuhaupt, summer intern Red symbolizes warning, and I wonder if the red-winged blackbirds were a partial reason for this connotation. Being one of the most abundant birds in North America, it is nearly impossible to not encounter their highly protective nature- especially since they spend more than a quarter of daylight…
Ripples 6/26/25
Written by Sydnee Jerome, Summer Intern Growing up, I disliked springs in New York. The unpredictable weather associated with the end of a long, cold winter always bogged down my mood in anticipation of the warm days of late spring. Needless to say, I was not a child who liked getting muddy or being outside…
Ripples 6/19/25
Written by Jordyn Ginestra, summer intern The Great Blue Heron. A species so tied to my childhood I never had to learn how to recognize it, and its name is one I never had to learn. I grew up in the floodplains of the Mississippi river. My grandfather and I would sit in the middle…
Ripples 6/12/25
By Jess Johnsrud, education coordinator I enjoy gentle spring thunderstorms. The sound of distant thunder and the pattering of the rain on the roof feel like an invitation to snuggle up with a good book. I also welcome the earthy, dewy smell that comes with those first few thunderstorms of the year. That wonderful spring…
Ripples 6/5/25
By Sue Crowley, executive director I must admit I do not know much about fish or other cool aquatic organisms living their best life in our local waterways. In the summertime, playing or exploring along or in a stream always seemed like a great activity when I was growing up. I did not care what…
Ripples 5/29/25
By Kennedy Zittel, naturalist If you plan on visiting the nature center anytime soon, right before you walk through the front doors, take a glance up. Nestled atop one of the beams may be a small, tan- colored head with large black eyes staring down at you (or perhaps a white butt and long tail).…
Ripples 5/22/25
By Nancy Nabak, communication coordinator Movement that was not mine nor any other legged creature stilled me in place. It was from a thing that didn’t have wings, nor fins, nor blinking eyes. It approached as I watched the horizon from Black Cherry Trail – the May fog rolling in. There’s a still, Van Morrison-esque…
Ripples 5/15/25
By Max Kornetzke, land manager During the winter months of 2024, I worked on clearing a large thicket of invasive glossy buckthorn along our Willow Trail. The previous summer, I had the help of a few interns, and we mowed back the rapid regrowth with brush cutters. A month later, it had bounced back once…
Ripples 5/8/25
I often feel as though spring completes the ecological circle in terms of habitat restoration. I live on land that was purchased by my grandfather 80 years ago. Grandpa talked a lot about loving nature- he considered the forest his cathedral. Although he appreciated it to some extent, he was a “practical” man and drove…
Ripples 5/1/25
By Kennedy Zittel, naturalistBird eggs come in all sorts of colors and patterns, from brilliant blues to muted browns, from plain to polka dots! We may be familiar with bright blue robin’s eggs – but there are many other species such as Eastern Bluebirds, Gray Catbirds, and even Starlings that also lay blue-green eggs. Red-winged…
Ripples 4/17/25
by Jim Knickelbine, volunteer In the 1970’s, when I was a student at Roncalli, I was formally introduced to bird watching by my wonderful biology teacher, Sister Verna Osterhout. I grew up in the country and was familiar with the birds on the hobby farm where we lived. My mom always had a bird feeder…
Ripples 4/10/25
by Nancy Nabak, communication & development coordinator Inedible but cool, concentric cool. That’s what I discovered on a hike last Saturday morning. The “it thing” was a specimen of Daldinia concentrica, an inedible but purposeful fungus. It was a tiny little thing, like four centimeters tiny, but once in my sights, I needed to create…
Ripples 4/3/25
By Jessica Johnsrud, assistant director and education coordinator I have said this before, but it bears repeating: one of the best parts of my job is spending time with children. I feel so lucky to be able to teach them about nature and introduce them to the beauty that is right here in their backyard.…
Ripples 3/27/25
Ripples by Max Kornetzke, land manager The canopies of American Elms (Ulmus americana) once draped their graceful branches over many of America’s urban streets and boulevards. As I drive between work and home every day, I admire the beauty of the remaining specimens along Memorial Drive, which at one time was covered with at least…