Alex Palmer's Natural History Notes and Thoughts

This blog post consists of my lecture notes from Wetlands: Definitions, Classification, and Conservation, presented by Kim Blaszak, a resource technician with the Forest Preserves of Cook County.  The lecture took place on July 29, 2015 at Sand Ridge Nature Center in South Holland, Illinois.   What once was:  Chicago's Vast Wetlands Chicago was incorporated as a town in 1833.  The word 'chicago' refers to wild onions ( Alium spp .).  Chicago was originally a small town surrounded by wetlands (figure 1).   Figure 1:  Map of the city of Chicago, circa 1833.   Early inhabitants despised the wetlands due to the high volume of mosquitoes and frequent flooding.  This distaste for Chicago's swampy conditions led to several pieces of legislation that sought to resolve Chicago's wetland "problem."  The Flood Control Act of 1944 was one of the first major pieces of legislation that negatively impacted wetlands.  The development of Federal Crop Insur

One thing I love about my profession as an interpretive naturalist is that I never stop learning new things. And it's often the visitors of the nature center where I work that ask the most interesting questions.  Below is my answer to a question a recent visitor asked.  Question:   Can people own falcons as pets, and if so, what is the legal process for that? Falcons and other raptors   such as hawks and eagles are protected under the International Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) which forbids the taking of and possession of falcons from the wild unless it is done so in compliance with MBTA regulations (Verhey, 2008).  Up until 2008, the federal government, via the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, regulated the permitting process for falconry.   Falconry is the ownership of wild falcons as pets by an individual in an attempt to train them (17 ILL ADM Code, 2014).  In 2008 the federal government passed on the permitting duties to state and tribal  governments , and falconry is l

One thing I love about my profession as an interpretive naturalist is that I never stop learning new things.  And it's often the visitors of the nature center where I work that ask the most interesting questions.  Below is my answer to a question a recent visitor asked.  Question:   What regulations are in place for keeping venomous snakes as pets? This is a difficult question to answer because there are no clearly listed laws forbidding the possession of venomous snakes.  Different states, counties, and municipalities have their own laws and regulations regarding the ownership of hazardous animals as pets.  For example, the city of Aurora, Illinois includes bylaws that forbid the possession of any reptiles that could cause injury to a person (2015).  Also, the possession of endangered species, as specified in the federal Endangered Species Act , forbids the possession or sale of any endangered animal without an interstate commerce permit or some other authorized permit (U.S. F

One thing I love about my profession as an interpretive naturalist is that I never stop learning new things.  And it's often the visitors of the nature center where I work that ask the most interesting questions.  Below is my answer to a question a recent visitor asked.  Question:   What would the early pioneers in Illinois have needed to make their own metal tools? Figure 1:  Replica of a typical covered wagon used by early Illinois pioneers. Photo credits:  Jacob Huffman/Forest Preserves of Cook County.   The earliest European Pioneers to settle in Northern Illinois were most often Frenchman who were interested in the beaver pelt trade as well as immigrants from the eastern United States.   American Beavers ( Castor canadensis ) were popular game animals, whose fur and castor oil (from the beaver's scent glands) were in high demand for stylish hats and for waterproofing clothing, respectively.  Also, the idea of nearly unlimited land in the "Great West" insp

One thing I love about my profession as an interpretive naturalist is that I never stop learning new things.  And it's often the visitors of the nature center where I work that ask the most interesting questions.  Below is my answer to a question a recent visitor asked.  Question:  Why do snakes swallow their food whole instead of chewing? Snakes lack  incisor teeth , which are teeth that are modified for chewing and which are usually found on the jaws of mammals, including humans.  The teeth on most species of snakes in the northern United States are meant for gripping their prey as well as for self defense.  The long, tube-like shape of snakes allows for plenty of room to consume a rodent or other small animal.  A snake's lower jaw is actually divided into two plates that can move separately allow the snake to draw its prey into its mouth.  For larger prey items, snakes can actually pop their jaw, allowing their mouths to open wider.   Figure 1:  Myself holding a Bull

One thing I love about my profession as an interpretive naturalist is that I never stop learning new things.  And it's often the visitors of the nature center where I work that ask the most interesting questions.  Below is my answer to a question a recent visitor asked. Question:  Why do some trees and plants have different colored leaves? The majority of plants have leaves that are green during the summer months.  This is because the green pigment of  chlorophyll, a plant fluid that aids in photosynthesis (food production), has a strong green pigment that often overpowers other colors within the plant. Sometimes certain species or cultivates of plants produce leaves of varying colors during the growing season. Usually this is due to the fact that certain pigments in some species of plants can overpower the green pigment from chlorophyll.   For example, Japanese Red Maples ( Acer palmatum ) consistently have  dark red leaves, making this hardy tree a popular ornamental plant

"Dude, why did you want to move to Chicago?  Why don't you want to be like out in Glacier National Park or the Grand Canyon?" my roommate asks as I am telling him about work.  I am an interpretive naturalist in a Chicago-area forest preserve system that spans one of the most populated regions in the country.  'Urban' is an understatement for this giant metropolis.  Large concrete highways tower over a tight grid of houses, apartments, and high rises. Horns blare off and on along the Dan Ryan Expressway, as a train rushes to gather downtown-bound passengers anxiously waiting at the station.   The Chicago area is the last place you would think a naturalist would want to live and work in, let alone that there is a large forest preserve system nearby! While the Forest Preserves of Cook County are no match to the almighty Grand Canyon or the roar of waterfalls along the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon, I still enjoy the peaceful respite from the rush of traffic and c