Kim Mikus

3 days ago | dailyherald.com | Kim Mikus

Editor’s note: Environmental Communications Specialist Brett Peto wrote this article, which originally appeared in Horizons magazine. A drake shows off his vivid feathers, meant to impress females. Adult wood ducks search formates in the fall. Courtesy of Andy Raupp Daredevil duckling One day after birth, a baby wood duck is ready to take a remarkable leap of faith. The fluffy chick climbs to the narrow opening of its nest and peeks over the edge. Its mother paddles in a sluggish river below.

2 months ago | dailyherald.com | Brett Peto |Kim Mikus

Lake County’s legacy and future of ice The glacial kame at Grassy Lake Forest Preserve near Lake Barrington rises gradually from the Fox River’s shoreline. Courtesy of Lake County Forest Preserves Ice seems temporary. It melts in a glass. It disappears at a sunbeam’s touch. It ebbs with the first relief of spring. But some ice leaves deeper marks than a cold drink. On the banks of the Fox River in the southwestern corner of Lake County, you can see back through time.

Nov 18, 2024 | dailyherald.com | Kim Mikus

Ecologists joined forces with top researchers to find an experimental treatment that appears tobe helping protect endangered Blanding’s turtles from a dangerous, potentially fatal fungaldisease. Courtesy of the Lake County Forest Preserves Ecologists from the Lake County Forest Preserves are testing an experimental treatment to protect Blanding’s turtles from a dangerous, potentially fatal fungal disease.

Sep 26, 2024 | dailyherald.com | Kim Mikus

Jonathan Glenner, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, has found peace and serenity during his daily walks in the Lake County Forest Preserves. Courtesy of the Glenner family Jonathan Glenner, a retired financial adviser, husband and father of three, found the ups and downs of the economic sector often didn’t mix well with his mental well-being. For about 30 years, he grappled with severe mood swings, from energetic mania to profound depression.

Jul 10, 2024 | dailyherald.com | Kim Mikus

"Adult Cicada Sideview" by Samantha Gallagher. Courtesy of Kim Mikus When Samantha Gallagher was in first grade, she vividly remembers a bee flying into her classroom, which sent her classmates into a frenzy. She calmed them with the words her mom always told her: "Stay calm and the bee won't bother you." They listened to her advice. That afternoon, the class wrote journal entries on a topic of their choice. "Everyone wrote about the bee," Gallagher recalled.