December 2025 – Discover-Nature

It is the start of another winter here at the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum, and outside activities are slowing down, making this an excellent time to catch up on the exploration of natural history from the comfort of an easy chair. Let’s take a look at books that have been recently published plus a variety of blog sites, that provide information and activities.

Close To Home, by Thor Hanson, provides a look into the neighborhoods that the author lives in and walks through every day. He says we miss seeing many of nature’s aspects each time we leave our homes because it is all so familiar or not immediately visible to us. This book reminded me of how exciting it is to lose track of time and simply explore.

In our second selection, How Can I Help? by Douglas Tallamy, another backyard naturalist, he answers a series of questions to help us use our nature observations to take better care of our own environments. Tallamy advocates that each of us can contribute to a healthier worldwide natural environment by understanding more about our everyday actions.

The Everyday Naturalist by Rebecca Lexa focuses on how we can develop our identification skills for plants and animals. It is not a field guide, but rather a tool to help us recognize many different aspects of our observations and how to use that information along with specific id guides to identify plants and animals.

Night Magic by Leigh Ann Henion focuses on the species and happenings in the natural world after dark, a time with which most of us are not familiar. With our attention focused on improving our observational skills, we can learn to see and hear many of the wonders of nature in the night.

Everyday Environment, a blog/podcast from the University of Illinois Extension features a variety of environmental topics covering species identification, unique traits of Illinois wildlife, locations to explore and what to look for in each, and opportunities for interaction with your environment.

The website for Homegrown National Park offers information on using native plants, opportunities to get involved in conservation, a blog with entries about sustaining the natural environment in your backyard, and a blog/podcast section of environmental topics just for kids. Consider adding the native plant areas you have an impact on to their Biodiversity Map.

Several websites offer information about getting to know our wildlife species, but two of my favorites are Bug Guide and The Orianne Society. Bug Guide concentrates on insects and spiders and related species. The site offers a field guide section, an opportunity to post pictures to be identified, and a forum covering several discussion topics from naturalists throughout North America. The Orianne Society is a worldwide conservation organization concerned with reptiles and amphibians and their habitats. Lots of great photography and information accompany articles on various species. A blog and newsletter are available that cover diverse scientific topics for specific species and their homes.

Check out these resources over the coming cold months and fill in some downtime with a learning opportunity. Consider a visit to the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum or a nature center near you to learn more about your own environment or one of the many other nature topics available.

Books can be found at most local libraries or bookstores. Blogs and websites are located at:

University of Illinois Everyday Environment https://extension.illinois.edu/podcasts/everyday-environment-podcast

Homegrown National Park https://homegrownnationalpark.org/

Bug Guide https://bugguide.net/node/view/15740

The Orianne Society https://www.oriannesociety.org/?v=f69b47f43ce4

Shorelines of oceans, seas, and large bodies of water around the world are habitats for plants and animals that thrive in challenging conditions. Tides occur twice each day when water levels rise over a six hour period to cover large areas before receding to leave those same areas open to the air until the next tide starts to move inland again.

^{Nearshore habitat zones by King County, WA;} ^{Littoral Zones by US Government}

Shoreline habitat has been classified into zones often known by many different names. The intertidal zone is the area affected by changing temperature and salinity conditions as water moves in and out with each tide. The subtidal zone is the lowest and is exposed to air only during extreme spring tides or storms. The backshore zone is the highest and is exposed to water only during extreme spring tides or storms.

^{Starfish & anemone in tidal pool by Jonathan Levy}

^{Sea urchin in tidal pool, Bahia de Banderas by Jim Hoffman, Mar 2017}

Many species of animals live in each zone and are adapted to living completely submerged as well as completely uncovered by water for several hours each day. They handle the change in temperature and salinity with exposure to air or water. Tidal pools may keep some animals submerged for far longer periods. Temperature, dissolved oxygen, and salinity change far less for these organisms.

Bryozoans by John Turnbull, Sep 2021; Sea anemone by Barb Ignatius; Squat lobster, Glathea rostrata, by FWC Fish & Wildlife Research Institute, Aug 2013

Some species can be found in every zone in the ecosystem, but many are anchored to rocks or dug into the bottom. Species may prefer one zone, but get washed into another zone by wave action. Many organisms have tough outer surfaces to put up with battering waves and exposure to sun and wind. All of the occupants are subject to a wide range of predators from those that move on dry land to underwater hunters. Let’s take a look at a few of the creatures able to live in these ever-changing conditions.

The sea anemone clings to rocks and protects itself by drawing in its tentacles to become a jelly-like blob. The squat lobster can be found under stones along the shoreline. Its tail is fan-shaped and facilitates quick escapes when the animal is threatened by pulling the lobster through the water with powerful strokes. Bryozoans are small filter feeding organisms protected by a hard exoskeleton that the animal can withdraw into for protection.

^{Dog whelk, Nassarius livescens, by Budak, Dec 2016}

A mollusk called a dog whelk is a stealth predator often found on rocky surfaces. It uses its tongue to drill through the shells of other mollusks, where it squirts a digestive juice into the prey’s shell which kills and partially digests the prey. The dog whelk then uses its tongue to suck up the soupy meal. The starfish is another fierce predator. It wraps its arms around a shellfish and pulls it apart. Upon opening the shell, the starfish pushes its stomach out of itself and into the prey’s open shell where it empties its digestive juices inside, and similar to the dog whelk, creates a tasty, soupy, meal.

Sea urchins can be found clinging to hard surfaces where they feed on algae and other small, encrusted animals. Fan worms look like a leathery tube among underwater rocky crags. Several feathery tentacles fan out into the water to filter out microorganisms flowing by.

Shorelines create a habitat that is constantly changing with tides moving in and out, inconsistent weather conditions, and a large variety of flora and fauna coming and going. Learn more about this fascinating habitat at the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum or a natural history museum near you.

^{Botanical beach at Port Renfrew by James Wheeler; Feather Boa kelp in the surf by Kqedquest, May 2007; Rocky intertidal zone in Oregon by Minustide, May 2015}

Month: December 2025

Books & Blogs

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