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With big claws and an attitude to match, the rusty crayfish was brought to Illinois intentionally for use as fishing bait. It then hitched around in bait buckets throughout the Upper Midwest, displacing native species along the way.

Good Natured: Infamous Hitchhiking Species

Back in the day when hitchhikers were a thing, they were hard to miss...

$Having hitchhiked a ride to Illinois from California, and despite a fractured shell, this snail is now living comfortably in a terrarium in DeKalb County. Photo by Peggy Anesi$

Good Natured: Esther Duncan the Hitchhiking Snail

Growing up we had the best neighbors a kid could hope for: Harry ...

Marcescence not only is a great word, but also an interesting phenomemon to observe in the winter landscape.

Good Natured: Marcescent Trees

Don't you just love a good word...

Never shy about helping themselves to free food, European starlings have made themselves at home in every one of the lower 48 states as well as southern Alaska and Canada.

Good Natured: Andrini Starling

Depending on how your holiday season played out, you may have, in the...

If you've got a naturalist on your gift list, there's still time to track down some of these tried-and-true favorites, including pants with pockets, lip balm and multitools.

Good Natured: Gift Ideas for the Naturalist

With the ho-ho-holiday gift-giving deadline just around the corner, I...

The "fluff" in this photo is milkweed floss, carried up to a vacated bird nest by an industrious mouse. Buoyant, soft and water resistant, milkweed floss is a material with many desirable characteristics.

Good Natured: Milkweed Floss

Let's take a moment, shall we, during this festive time of year, to c...

There are several unique places for Christmas trees in Kane County.

Christmas Tree Cheer in Kane County

There are several unique places to find a holiday tree in Kane C...

Round galls on the stems of goldenrod are the work of the goldenrod gall fly, Eurosta Solidaginis, while elliptical galls are created by a moth, Gnorimoschema gallaesolidaginis.

Good Natured: Goldenrod Galls Host a Diversity of Life

Last week we took a look into the life and times of little Eurosta so...

Inside this gumball-sized sphere, a goldenrod gall fly larva will spend the winter in diapause- insects' version of hibernation. Photo by Chris Gingrich

Good Natured: Goldenrod Galls

Longtime Good Natured readers might recall an old column (a 6-year-ol...

Mature Cooper's hawks are blue-gray above with orangish bars across the breast and a prominent 'Cooper's cap' of darker feathers on top of the head. Photo by Larry Lenard.

Good Natured: Cooper's Hawk

If you're sitting down to a turkey dinner this week, count yourself i...

Timing is everything! This unique photo depicts a red-tailed hawk's nictitating membrane, or third eyelid, as it passes horizontally across the eye. Credit: R Lolli Morrow

Good Natured: Nictitating Membranes A.KA. Third Eyelids

Maybe you can relate...

The Kane County Certified Naturalist program attracts adult learners from all walks of life.

Good Natured: Kane County Certified Naturalist Program

We couldn't believe our eyes...

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