Bugs and beautiful flowers

Here are a few reasons why heading to the nature preserve, or even the backyard, can be thrilling summer outings for kids, at least here in the Midwest.

Here's our favorite summer songstress — the cicada. Do you know, these bugs are eaten in some part of the world?


A monarch butterfly enjoying some lovely goldenrod. This scene was one of many from our recent nature walk.

Speaking of butterflies, here's some pretty butterfly weed. I think its color makes butterfly weed (it's not actually a weed, fyi) the most beautiful of the prairie wildflowers. I think many people consider wildflowers weeds, but what makes these plants less beautiful than a peony or a marigold?

I think these are black-eyed susans. They were among some of the plentiful, and colorful, varieties of wildflowers in bloom this time of year. I once spoke to a horticulturist who noted wildflowers are big, to-be-noticed kind of plants, something that scares away many timid gardeners. But these plant, native to the prairie, are familiar with the climate, don't need a lot of tending to and really are quite beautiful.