“Populations” and “communities” are ecological terms describing scientific premises, but the large groups of waterfowl resting on Lake DePue, chattering among themselves, seem to imply community in its human sense — that of homes and the relationship of one being to another. The lake sits just above the point where the Illinois River turns to […]
Jeanne Townsend Handy
Jeanne Townsend Handy is an environmental writer covering topics such as habitat restoration, threatened species, and the successes of individuals and groups who continue to make a positive difference.
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A day at Bison Beach
The e-mailed invitation from Alan Harn, archaeologist at the Dickson Mounds Museum, is succinct and inviting: “Temperature and weather tomorrow look good for a day of bison snooping on the beach.” No question, this site on the Illinois River south of Peoria is generating major excitement, and the discoveries being unearthed there are big news […]
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Bird’s-eye view
Sunrise over the Merwin Preserve at Spunky Bottoms wetland is breathtaking. The water is aglow and alive with vegetation rising from its shallow depths. Great numbers of waterfowl are here as well, but, for the moment, the sky is empty as they rest on the water. Suddenly a group of ducks springs up, as if […]
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The reawakening
“There can be no purpose more inspiriting than to begin the age of restoration, reweaving the wondrous diversity of life that still surrounds us.” Ñ Edward O. Wilson, The Diversity of Life After traveling north on Route 97 near the town of Havana, I see the Nature Conservancy’s sign for the Emiquon Preserve, the only […]
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The song of Jens Jensen
I arrived at the Lincoln Memorial Garden with the intention of finding music in the trees. In the past I have spent the Illinois winters tucked resolutely indoors, delving into literature and jazz in the hope that such elevated pursuits, like an electric blanket set on high, would keep my spirits from freezing. However, I […]
