Tourism

Some Kane County communities have established new Trick or Treating hours this year.

Trick or Treating Hours in Kane County

​Kane County communities are gearing up for Halloween, and some have c...
Tasked with hunting aquatic prey yet lacking water-repellent feathers, cormorants spend a significant amount of time drying off after feeding.  Adults are brown-black while immature birds are lighter in color with a pale neck and breast.

Good Natured: The Cormorant Family

“They're creepy and they're kooky,Mysterious and spooky,They're altoge...
It's apple picking time in Kane County!

Apple Orchards Abound in Kane County

​It's prime apple picking time in Illinois so dust off those apple rec...
The mourning cloak butterfly's common name refers to its dark coloration, but provides few clues to its unique survival strategy.

Good Natured: Mourning Cloak Butterfly

​I bumped into an old friend the other day, in a most unexpected spot...
WIth daylight fading, a young red-tailed hawk watches and waits for a meal that never came.

Good Natured: Young Birds Leave the Nest

​There's no denying it: Summer is winding down...
Kane County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) Mobile Command Center

Kane County National Preparedness Month Touch-A-Truck Event

​Kane County is celebrating National Preparedness Month in September w...
Although they lack chlorophyll, ghost pipes are bona-fide plants.  Their roots draw nourishment from nearby fungi in the soil and their nodding flowers are pollinated by bees, flies and ants.

Good Natured: Ghost Pipes

​A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to head north, to the forested ...
Rather than round, the wheel formation of these mating damselflies is nearly heart shaped.

Good Natured: Dragonfly and Damselfly Mating Rituals

​It's been said, by more than one starry-eyed romantic, on more than o...
Just like human babies, insect babies-- also known as larvae- sometimes bear little resemblance to the adults they become.

Good Natured: Insect Babies

​Have you ever tried to match a picture of a baby to what s/he looks l...
The translucent 'balloons' on this sprig of bladderwort take in nutrients in the form of tiny arthropods.  The other animals in the picture, such as the aquatic sowbug (right) and the beetle (below) are too large for the carnivourous plant to capture.

Good Natured: Carnivorous Bladderwort

​Mention the word carnivore and folks tend to picture creatures known ...
Doesn't this milkshake look good!

Community Scoop: Kane County Shares Favorite Ice Cream Spots

​This summer, Kane County Connects invited residents to share their fa...
Perched atop a small hackberry tree, a male red-winged blackbird eyes a curious naturalist walking along the Fox River Trail in Geneva.

Good Natured: Red-Winged Blackbird Season

​Every year about this time, certain wild neighbors start making headl...