Journey With Nature

Caves across Indiana have temporarily closed, but why? Blame it on the White-nosed Syndrome - an affliction killing off bats at an alarming rate.

Despite its name, the Blazing Star isn't something celestial. It is, however, a striking prairie flower that blooms in the hot, Indiana summer months.

The piping plover is a small shorebird that breeds in North America in only three geographic regions: the Atlantic Coast, the Northern Great Plains and the Great Lakes. Its decline in population over the years has many researchers and scientists concerned, including those in Indiana.

Sinkholes, springs and caves - oh my! Southern Indiana is dotted with these interesting karst features, through nothing is more fascinating than the sinking stream known as the Lost River.

Sometimes it's the smallest animals that are the most surprising. Take the least weasel for example. Though only inches long and weight in mere ounces, its surprising to learn that Indiana's smallest carnivore is one of our fiercest hunters.

High above the trees is a creature you're not likely to see. It's the Cerulean warbler, a beautiful little bird in need of great big trees and the luch canopies they provide.

Ober Sand Savanna in Starke County is a beatiful preserve that features an exceptionally high quality black oak sand savanna and a diverse mix of wildflowers and grasses.

The mute swan is an exotic specie found throughout Indiana in the warm summer months. Despite its name, this swan causes quite a commotion.

The hardiest cacti in North America is Indiana's only cactus. The Easter Prickly Pear is a tough native perennial with a delicate bloom.

There's a place in Southern Indiana where the shooting stars are at your feet, not over your head. Shooting Star Cliffs is one of Indiana's most spectacular natural areas.

Here at Journey with Nature, we can't mention enough the negative impact invasive species have on our natural, recreational and agricultural lands. With nearly 140 billion dollars spent to fight invasive species in the Unities States every year, its an issue that can't be ignored.

A field of pretty purple flowers isn't always a great find, especially when its a monoculture of purple loosestrife slowly strangling our wetlands.

Sometimes you don't have to go very far to get away from it all. Nature-lovers, especially backpackers, are willingly travel across state and country borders just to walk miles through scenic landscapes.

Botanist, conservationist, author and collector of one of the largest private herbariums in Indiana - Charles C. Deam was all of this and did much more for our great state.

An insect known as the Gypsy moth is one of the country's most devastating forest pests. The Gypsy moth has defoliated nearly one million acres of forest every year within the United States, including Indiana.

The Wabash River is a wild and beautiful river found meandering in the heartland of our state. Beginning near Ft. Recovery, Ohio as a small stream, the Wabash flows east, then west, then south as it journeys over 475 miles to its confluence with the Ohio River below Mount Vernon, Indiana.

The Timber Rattlesnake once roamed the entire southern half of Indiana. Today, only a few isolated populations are found in the Brown County Hills region south to the Ohio River.

Beeches, oaks, hickories and ashes dot our landscape with their lush canopies, but none do so as grandly as the Liriodendron tulipifera, or the Tulip Tree - Indiana's official state tree.

April 22, 2009 will mark the 39th anniversary of the first Earth Day. For almost forty years, people around the world have used this day to celebrate our planet and to rally together in support of issues that impact our environment.

Fire Pink is one, if not the most, brilliant red wildflower in Indiana. Though a short-lived perennial, it leaves a lasting impression to those that look forward to catching a glimpse of it during the warm summer months.