Northern Illinois Weekender - 121220

Weekender NORTHERN

ILLINOIS

YOUR GUIDE TO ARTS & LEISURE IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2020 • ShawLocal.com

CHRIS KRINGLE MARKET

Artisan gifts meet festive food and drink at this socially distanced event / 3

GIFTS OF KNOWLEDGE

Ten books to give or read this month / 6

MERRY & BRIGHT

12 outdoor and drive-thru holiday light shows in northern Illinois / 4

UNCORKED

SHAW MEDIA

An expert taster shares favorite finds to consider adding to your own wine racks.

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, December 12, 2020

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By JAMES NOKES

Pinot noir encouraged to embrace dark side

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yler Eck can see the Pacific Ocean from Bassi Vineyard.

While motorists on Highway 1 speed past Bassi unaware, anyone headed to Avila Beach or Valley might take notice but move along to their destination. Which is exactly what Eck had done until he started to scout locations with his wife, Rachel, for Dunites.

There weren’t any single-vineyard bottlings he knew of from Bassi or Spanish Springs; when he saw what he said are “exceptional plantings,” he signed a contract without doing a tasting.

“We are extremely coastal,” said Eck, who added that Bassi is protected from the first coastal range, yet frost and cold winters let vine dormancy settle in. “There’s lots of marine influence. We get morning fog and afternoon winds. It’s a typical day in the Central Coast where northwest winds blow over ocean. But due to our proximity, these sites stay foggy longer and typically have cooler air temperatures. We have marine-derived, low-nutrient soils. We are on the edge.”

Pinot noir from California and Oregon is on the cusp of greatness. A new wave of farmers and winemakers is pushing the envelope closer and closer to the limits of sites that can be farmed. They’re dialing in their farming, discovering new sites that long have been overlooked, or simply are making amazing wines from storied properties.

Every pinot in this report was tasted in the last 30 days.

From a vineyard 1.6 miles from the Pacific Ocean comes Dunites Bassi Pinot Noir 2018 ($38), on the San Luis Obispo coast. There are pine needles and eucalyptus on the nose and fresh raspberry flavors.

“The vineyard is on a south-facing hillside that’s lined by chaparral bushes and a lot of sage, too,” Eck said. “There’s a series of eucalyptus trees on the property boundaries. The rolling hills and eucalyptus remind me of southern Australia. There are big sycamore trees and creek running through the property, there are live oaks on the hillsides, all the soil is sandstone from the ancient marine seafloor that’s been uplifted. It’s very Central Coast in style, and it’s hidden in plain sight.”

It’s an ambitious project with a portfolio that is even more dynamic, refreshing and impressive than this offering. The envelope for where pinot

TASTING NOTES ■■ Holocene Apocrypha Pinot Noir

Photo provided

Rachel and Tyler Eck are the couple who together craft Dunites wines. can be grown, farmed and marketed is being pushed across California and Oregon, which makes it an exciting time to be a fan of the varietal.

With Cattleya, Colombian-born winemaker Bibiana González Rave captured the finest features of Russian River Valley pinot noir.

“I’m a big fan of the Russian River Valley,” she said. “If I ever had a chance to purchase land and develop it, it would be there.”

wine from the Sta. Rita Hills.

“As a winemaker, you can have sandpaper in one hand and chisel in the other; you can either round the wine out, or hammer it to what you want,” said Dees in a Zoom tasting last week. “We chose the former. We don’t do a lot in the cellar, if we don’t have to. We’ve got a tremendous vineyard, we love it, adore it and treat it with respect, so we don’t need all the bells and whistles in the cellar.”

With The Hilt Estate Pinot Noir 2018 Cattleya Pinot Noir Cuvee #1 2018 ($55) is a bold pinot with the Russian ($45), Dees perfectly captured the tenRiver Valley’s trademark lush mouth- sion between red fruit and dark fruit. feel. González Rave walks the fine line There’s tannins and acidity that are at play, and the list of flavors that swirl between the red fruit of strawberry through the glass [is] endless. and raspberry and dips into some “We look for the dark side, the hint darker fruit flavors of blackberry and of corruption that all great pinots plum. have, you can always stick nose in “Purity and power are two importglass and wonder what that was,” Dees ant markers to me,” González Rave said. “Whether it’s mushroom, roasted said. “I love texture and tannins and meat or it’s funky. All those things [am] not afraid of them.”

The Alma de Cattleya label featured make pinot a sensuous thrill ride. [It’s] easy to forget, pinot isn’t just sugar a 2018 Sonoma County Pinot Noir ($29) that’s loaded with pretty red fruit and and spice and all things nice.”

“There’s an herbaceous, smoky great fresh acidity. quality, a gamey saltiness and ev“It’s a fun, beautiful wine that can be enjoyed every day to show people erything I love about pinot. The way how the varietal should taste from our vineyards play together is so fun.

Sonoma County,” González Rave said. There’s black fruit, black pepper, “I wanted to make a great wine with round, sweet cherry, blood orange, great acidity and pair it with great and the feral fruit becomes tannic and food and be very enjoyable.” black, yet the red fruit is round and Matt Dees isn’t into carpentry or supple in texture.” masonry.

Farmed on the edge of the Sta. Rita But as the winemaker at The Hilt, Hills, the Radian and Bentrock vinethe Kansas City native who now calls yards are “edgy and nervous,” Dees California home has built an exciting said. The wine is spectacular, and as

2018 ($59): Flavors of cherry, strawberry, thyme and blood orange ride on acid-driven pinot from Willamette Valley, Oregon.

■■ Holocene Memorialis Pinot Noir 2018 ($59): Dramatically different than its counterpart, lighter in body, driven by terroir. There’s a truffle, mushroom, wet leaves theme interrupted by red fruit flavors. A welcome diversion from the status quo in pinot.

■■ Lucia Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018 ($70): The top site in the Santa Lucia Highlands has beautifully come of age with cherry, plum, tobacco and earth notes with a lush, supple mouthfeel.

■■ Lucia Soberanes Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018 ($70): Wrapped up tighter than [the] Garys’, clove, tobacco and black cherry flavors complemented by soft tannins and pulled together by an herbal, wet earth note.

■■ Timbre Super Group Pinot Noir 2016 ($29): A top value sourced from two vineyards, Bien Nacido, an American Grand Cru vineyard if such a classification existed, and Presqu’ile. Perfectly tense as black fruit, wet earth and thyme duel for attention with a collection of other flavors – cranberry, sweet tobacco, plum preserve all draped over a cracking line of acidity.

■■ Waits-Mast Deer Meadows Pinot Noir 2016 ($52): Raspberry, eucalyptus and a series of baking spices; clove, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice all present themselves on an Anderson Valley pinot softened by a little bottle age.

Dees continues to map out the blocks of Rancho Salsipuedes, expect The Hilt to continue on an extraordinary trajectory.

Which is the exact same path pinot noir is on in the New World – it’s an exciting time to be a fan of the varietal, because the possibilities for fun, exciting wines are endless.

• James Nokes has been tasting, touring and collecting in the wine world for several years. Email him at jamesnokes25@yahoo.com.

STARVED ROCK COUNTRY

3 SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, December 12, 2020

Dedicated to growing the awareness of everything the Starved Rock area has to offer

Scott Anderson photos - sanderson@shawmedia.com

The Chris Kringle Market features shopping and refreshments at open-air, artisan huts in downtown Ottawa.

Chris Kringle Market makes festive return

By RYAN SEARL

rsearl@shawmedia.com Looking for a socially distant outdoor shopping experience? Plan a trip to downtown Ottawa’s festive Chris Kringle Market, continuing Dec. 12 and 13 at the Jordan Block open space. Come sample delicious seasonal treats and wrap up some of your holiday gift list at open-air, artisan huts.

The first weekend for the market was deemed a great success for vendors and festival-goers alike, even functioning at its state-mandated 25% capacity. The Market will return from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 12, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nativity scenes are among artisan-created wares at the Dec. 13.

Event rules require that everyone wear a mask at holiday market. the site, unless they are eating or drinking; only grab-and-go food and drink sales are allowed (meaning which will pour tastes of its seasonal craft beers, as there are no common areas or tables); and vendor well as sell cans of some of the favorites alongside a booths have been spaced 30 feet apart to ensure line of holiday ornaments and nutcrackers. proper distance between groups browsing the huts.

Looking for some authentic eats? The AustriDedicated entry and exit points allow event staff an Lodge hut will serve glühwein, goulash soup, to monitor the crowds and ensure that the park’s kilometer sausage, leberkäse sandwiches, landjäger occupancy is under the 25% capacity. and sauerkraut and many more regional delicacies.

Food and drink vendors include local instituAugust Hill Winery will offer spiced wine and gift tions such as Tangled Roots Brewing Company, baskets, while Nuts To Go returns with its classic

selection of roasted nuts. The Frau Crust hut serves up Bavarian pretzels all weekend long, while St. Roger Abbey offers organic French pastries, macarons and other inspired snacks.

Beyond the great selection of food and beverages, you’ll find ample choices of curated artisan vendors, like fan-favorite Albo Acres, which specializes in making hats, socks and gloves from locally sourced alpaca wool. Shopping for someone who loves candles or skincare? Stop by the Wicks and Wax hut, which will be selling soy candles and wax melts, or the Gracie Pie Apothecary, offering a line of goatmilk-based skincare products.

If you’re in the market for some fresh art or home decor this holiday season, check out Angelia’s Woodturning booth, offering a wide-ranging selection of pyrography-based art, or Lori’s Cottage, featuring a line of handmade home decor. No trip to the market would be complete without paying a visit to The Chris Kringle Hut, where you’ll find this year’s collectible mugs, personalized ornaments and general event information.

For a full vendor list, visit pickusottawail.com/ event/chris-kringle-market or follow Chris Kringle Market on Facebook. The event is set along the Jordan Block space at 539 Columbus St., Ottawa.

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, December 12, 2020

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Shining

BRIGHT

12 outdoor and drive-thru shows to light up your holidays

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DAILY HERALD MEDIA GROUP

njoying holiday lights – either on an outdoor stroll or from the warmth of your car – allows families to get in the spirit of the season safely this year, when so much else has been canceled by COVID-19. Here’s a look at 12 holiday light shows in northern Illinois.

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Aurora Festival of Lights

5 to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, through Dec. 26, Phillips Park, 1000 Ray Moses Drive, enter from Smith Boulevard, Aurora.

The Rotary Club’s winter holiday drive offers more than a mile of lighted displays, some animated, including the 20-foot singing, dancing Christmas tree. Donations accepted via website only this year. www.aurorafestivaloflights.com.

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Brookfield Zoo’s Holiday Magic

3 to 9 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, through Dec. 20, and Saturday-Thursday, Dec. 26-31, Brookfield Zoo, 8400 W. 31st St., Brookfield. The zoo lights festival’s 39th year will feature more than a million twinkling LED lights, including a 600-foot-long tunnel with colored lights synchronized to music, a 20-foot lit orb, decorated trees, larger-than-life LED animal sculptures, a Santa cutout for selfies, holiday refreshments and more. Reserve tickets in advance. Zoo admission costs $24.95 for adults, $19.95 for seniors age 65 and older, $17.95 for children ages 3-11, and is free for ages 2 and younger. Admission is free on Mondays and Tuesdays in December through Dec. 22, though reservations are still required. www.czs.org/holidaymagic.

Six Flags Great America’s Holiday in the Park in Gurnee features more than 3 million sparkling lights.

Photo provided by Great America

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Cosley Zoo Festival of Lights

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BELOW: Brookfield Zoo will be lit with more than 1 million LED lights during its 39th annual Holiday Magic.

Goebbert’s Pumpkin Patch, Pingree Grove

Photos provided

5 to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday-Sunday, through Jan. 3, 42W813 Reinking Road, Pingree Grove. Enjoy a gorgeous light show from the comfort of your vehicle. Goebbert’s has partnered with Epic Light Shows to offer an amazing light display set to music and featuring over 1 million lights. Tickets cost $15 per car on Monday and Tuesday; $20 per car on Wednesday and Thursday; and $25 per car Friday through Sunday. Online tickets required for Friday-Sunday. goebbertspumpkinpatch.com.

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Great America’s Holiday in the Park Events

Holiday in the Park Lights runs select days through Dec. 30, while the Holiday in the Park Drive-Thru Experience is offered select days from Dec. 16 to Jan. 18, Six Flags Great America, 1 Great America Parkway, Gurnee. The walking event until Dec. 30 takes you through more than 3 million sparkling lights, with continuous twinkling holiday light displays, themed entertainment for open-air viewing, socially distanced photo ops, holiday treats and more. The park’s rides will not be open.

Reservations are required. For fees and tickets, visit www.sixflags.com/greatamerica.

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Holiday Lights at Mooseheart

5 to 9 p.m. nightly through Dec. 31, Mooseheart, off Route 31 between North Aurora and Batavia.The 11th annual Holiday Lights is one of the region’s largest light displays. The route is about 1.8 miles long, and offers more than 80 glowing attractions to view. Santa Claus will not be on campus this year, but be sure to drop off your letter to Santa in the Tommy Moose Mailbox. Suggested donation to support the work of Mooseheart is $20 per car. moosecharities.org.

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Illumination: Tree Lights at The Morton Arboretum

5 to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, through Jan. 3, (closed Monday, Dec. 14), The Morton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Route 53, Lisle. See trees in a different light at the annual light show re-imagined as a driving experience, 30 to 40 minutes long, featuring a spectacle of color, light and music. See returning favorites and five newly designed sights including a tunnel of lights along the 2-mile road. Date-specific tickets must be purchased online in advance; tickets will not be available for purchase on-site. Ticket prices per car are: $39 peak night, $29 standard night for members; $49 peak night, $39 standard night for guests.

Remaining tickets are announced around noon each Monday for that week. www.mortonarb.org.

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Kohlights: A Mesmertastic Holiday Lightacular

Select days from this weekend through Jan. 3, Kohl’s Children’s Museum, 2100 Patriot Blvd., Glenview. The holiday show designed specifically for children allows guests to interact with thousands of lights in a 2-acre outdoor exhibit. All stations have “no-touch” activation; kids manipulate displays with their bodies, glow sticks or thermal sensors. Tickets cost $25 per person, with discounts for museum members; free for infants younger than 1. Advance reservations are required at www.kohlights.com.

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Larsen’s Light Show

5 to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5 to 10:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday, through Jan. 3, 42W891 Beith Road, Campton Hills. This LED spectacular returns for its 15th and final season with the theme of “The Last Dance.” The pixel display is choreographed to holiday songs that can be heard on 88.5 FM. All traffic must enter from Anderson Road from Route 38 or Route 64 and follow traffic controllers to parking lot. Free, donations accepted. www.epiclightshows.com.

La Salle’s Celebration 10 of Lights 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 5 to 10

p.m. Friday-Saturday, through Jan. 1, Rotary Park, 2837 E. Fifth Road, La Salle. The city of La Salle’s Celebration of Lights is back and bigger than ever.

The festive drive-thru light show, conveniently located near I-80 and I-39, now features more than 300 themed holiday displays. Free, donations welcome. www.facebook.com/LaSalleLights.

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Let It Shine

4:30 to 10 p.m. weekdays, 4:30 to 11 p.m. weekends, through Jan. 9, (closed Dec. 25), Northbrook Court, 1515 Lake Cook Road, Northbrook. Guests are invited to stay in their cars and immerse themselves in a wonderland of light displays synchronized to holiday classics.

Online tickets required, no tickets will be available at the door. $29.99 per car on weekdays and $39.99 per car on weekends; Fast Pass add on $15. shinelightshow.com.

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Santa’s Rock ‘N’ Lights

5 p.m. until 9 or 10 p.m. depending on day through Jan. 3, Lake County Fairgrounds, 1060 E. Peterson Road, Grayslake. The drive-thru light show returns with almost double the lights and more than 700 feet of tunnels including a new techno rainbow tunnel. The re-imagined layout includes themed worlds. Online reservations required; prices vary by time and date, $19.99-$34.99 per car, $5 per person over six passengers. santasrocknlights.com.

5 SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, December 12, 2020

LEFT: The “Waterfall” entry to Festival of Lights beckons at Phillips Park in Aurora.

Zoo hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. with last entry at 8:30 p.m., through Dec. 30, (closed Dec. 25), Cosley Zoo, 1356 N. Gary Ave., Wheaton.

Stroll through the winter wonderland featuring more than 20,000 twinkling lights and a herd of whimsical lighted animal figures. Zoo admission is free during the festival, but timed-entry reservations are required. cosleyzoo.org.

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, December 12, 2020

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Ten books to read or give in December

By BETHANNE PATRICK

Special To The Washington Post If you’re planning to give a lot of books this holiday season, check out one or more of this month’s best reads.

til her mother is arrested, and Chloe has to question more than just her choice of college.

“Long Time Coming: Reckoning With Race in America,” by Michael Eric Dyson

In his new book, the author of “Tears We Cannot Stop” addresses each of five chapters The story begins in 1970, to a Black martyr, including when an American diplomat, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd posted to Afghanistan, acciden- and Clementa Pinckney. tally hits a young girl with his Taken together, it’s a plea for car. The girl’s death becomes our country to finally address blackmail leverage for a local the societal forces causing kingpin, and as the drug lord systemic racism. and diplomat tangle, Aimaq – who, like her protagonist, grew “Rest and Be Thankful: A up in Afghanistan – shows that Novel,” by Emma Glass The “Peach” author re-crecountry’s complicated history ates the hallucinatory inner in a pulse-pounding thriller. life of a hospital nurse who “Admission: A Novel,” works long hours in the NICU.

by Julie Buxbaum Her psyche splinters while “Admission” examines the her professional self remains recent scandal of Hollywood intact, and the tension beparents bribing officials to setween her two realities gives cure competitive placement for Glass’ second novel the feel of their kids. Buxbaum’s latest a thriller. smart, funny book is from the “Perestroika in Paris: A perspective of high-schooler Chloe Wynn Berringer, whose Novel,” by Jane Smiley Fans of the Pulitzer winner life is practically perfect – un-

“The Opium Prince: A Novel,” by Jasmine Aimaq

know she can handle Shakespeare (“A Thousand Acres”), satire (“Moo”) and even sagas (the Icelandic kind) – why not a fable? As a young Parisian boy and his centenarian great-grandmother help a thoroughbred with a knack for making friends across the animal kingdom, the story considers the nature of freedom and the freedom of the natural world.

“Survival of the Thickest: Essays,” by Michelle Buteau

If you think actress Buteau (“Russian Doll,” “Tales of the City”) is funny on-screen, wait until you see her on the page.

Buteau describes her Caribbean Catholic upbringing in Jersey, marrying a Dutchman and her professional ascendancy with “a full heart, tight jeans, and stardom finally in [my] grasp.”

“The Particulars of Peter: Dance Lessons, DNA Tests, and Other Excuses to Hang Out with My Perfect Dog,”

by Kelly Conaboy This might be one of the

month’s, if not the year’s, sweetest books – zaniest, too, as Conaboy indulges her love for her rescue mutt with a visit to “Woofstock” (“the largest outdoor festival for dogs in North America”), among other adventures. Conaboy, a New York magazine editor at large, brings voice and verve to this examination of why our pets make us swoon.

“The Book of Moods: How I Turned My Worst Emotions into My Best Life,”

by Lauren Martin

Five years ago, Martin decided to ask other women whether they experienced the same negative feelings – irritability, inferiority and more – that she did. The group she founded, Words of Women (now a burgeoning community online and in real life), became the place where Martin and others learned how to understand moods and find the peace and stability they craved.

“The Mystery of Mrs. Christie: A Novel,”

by Marie Benedict

Benedict takes on Agatha Christie’s most personal mystery: The 11 days in 1926, when she vanished, inciting a countrywide search and sheer panic for her family, friends and fans. When she reappeared, claiming amnesia, many hypothesized about her lost days. Benedict takes a stab at filling in the gaps. It comes out Dec. 29.

“This One Wild and Precious Life: The Path Back to Connection in a Fractured World,” by Sarah Wilson

If you can get past the cheesy title and, OK, the cheesy cover, you may find that the author’s NutriBullet amalgamation of wisdom can help you in the here and now: hike; practice mindful shopping; read poetry and listen to meaningful music; practice “full-fat activism,” meaning wholeheartedly embracing a cause. Blend, sip, repeat. Why not? Smoothies of all kinds can be refreshing. It comes out Dec. 29.

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By PAM OTTO

Taking interesting dives into the natural world around us, Pam Otto opens new avenues of exploration.

Mysterious damage leaves puzzling clues

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he Wildflower Sanctuary along the Fox River in Batavia is just that – a peaceful place to commune with nature and bask in the tranquility of plants and animals living in harmony.

A stately plaque welcomes visitors with words penned by famed naturalist and local legend Dick Young: “Tread softly here, and you will meld into the ageless unfolding natural drama and find a measure of wisdom and contentment that transcends our feverish accomplishments.”

With the bubbling riffles of the Fox River on one side and the serenity of Depot Pond on the other, the Sanctuary affords a person the chance to escape the harsh realities of our pandemic-plagued society and connect with the good, solid earth and the solace it provides.

Well, at least it did until a couple weeks ago.

I first became aware that there was trouble in Sanctuary paradise when I peeked at my email inbox over Thanksgiving weekend and saw a message with the subject, “I am mad at Mother Nature.”

Ruh roh.

The note was from my friend Sarah Kimber, a member of the Plain Dirt Gardeners club who leads the stewardship efforts at the Sanctuary. Her words were brief and to the point: “The attached are photos of an Ohio buckeye at the Wildflower Sanctuary.

It is about 12 feet tall, and the branches are damaged all the way up. There are wood shavings all around the base of the tree. Either we have flying beavers, or squirrels are going after the buds, or aliens?

“Do you have any suggestions? I am worried that this will kill the tree.”

Flying beavers? Aliens? Awesome!

I opened the attached photos and saw right away what she was talking about. Just like Dick Young foretold, there was natural drama unfolding all over that poor tree. Branches were shredded, their vital xylem and phloem torn asunder. It looked like someone had decided to trim it with a brush mower.

Now, in nature, lots of organisms provide what could be termed natural pruning. Squirrels will gnaw off twigs and weave them into nests; they also will chew off stems laden with nuts to make harvesting easier. Female cicadas, as they insert their saw-like ovipositors to lay their eggs, can cause die-off at the ends of branches as well.

Weather events like ice storms take

Photo provided

Someone, or something, has shredded the branches on this Ohio buckeye along the Fox River. their toll too.

But the wounds to this tree were unlike any I’d seen before.

As I looked more closely at the photos, I saw that the bark and branches were shredded. They lacked the sharp, clean edges that are the usual hallmark of rodent work. In fact, they looked a lot like deer browse.

With their lack of upper incisors, deer pull and tear at vegetation instead of biting it neatly off. The ends they leave behind look tattered and frayed – just like those on this beleaguered buckeye.

But no deer could browse 12 feet up in the air. Well, alien deer maybe. But I wasn’t ready to go there quite yet.

Instead, I put aside my very important agenda of eating Thanksgiving leftovers and started researching the qualities of Ohio buckeyes, namely what might make it attractive to wildlife and who that wildlife might be.

What I learned was pretty fascinating.

Underneath its bumpy bark, Aesculus glabra is one seething mass of toxins. In fact, a USDA fact sheet led with this verbiage in red italics

particular tree, I began to think about – “Warning: Ohio buckeye is highly other ways that squirrels could make toxic when taken internally.”

The very next paragraph predicted use of it. Its toxic qualities were dire outcomes should anyone dare try particularly intriguing. Knowing that squirrels are pestered by all sorts of a taste: “All parts of the plant (leaves, bark, fruit) are highly toxic if ingested external parasites – think fleas, ticks – because of the glycoside aesculin, the and mites – and reasoning that maybe the buckeye’s chemical arsenal could saponin aescin, and possibly alkaloids. Symptoms are muscle weakness help defend against them, a hypothesis and paralysis, dilated pupils, vomitbegan to form. Perhaps squirrels were ing, diarrhea, depression, paralysis, incorporating shredded buckeye twigs and stupor. Many landowners have into their nests as a means of fending eradicated it to prevent livestock off pests. poisoning. Native Americans ground Intrigued by this notion, I wrote buckeye to use as a powder on ponds Sarah back and shared my thoughts. to stun fish.”

Within minutes, she replied and Alrighty then. shared some key information that With specters of dead cattle and wasn’t apparent in the photos. Turns bloated fish swirling in my head, I out my hypothesis wasn’t just a little continued digging through field guides off. It was waaaay off. I made plans to and research papers, looking for any meet Sarah at the Sanctuary later that indication of animals that might find day.

Ohio buckeye beneficial. Squirrels, it Next week: The perpetrator and its turns out, were mentioned repeatedly motive are revealed. as being tolerant of the tree’s chemicals. They can eat the nuts, seemingly • Pam Otto is the outreach ambassador for the St. Charles Park District. without ill effect.

She can be reached at 630-513-4346 or Hmm. potto@stcparks.org.

With no nuts showing on this

SHAW MEDIA Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, December 12, 2020

GOOD NATURED

Shaw Media / ShawLocal.com • Saturday, December 12, 2020

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WOODHAVEN LAKES Private Recreational Campground

So Much to See. So Much to Do.

Hiking Trails. Woodlands. Nature. Lakes. WiFi. Pools. Crafts. Movies. Fitness Center. Prairie. Deer. Pavilions. Arcade. Mini Golf.

Day Camp. Tennis. Basketball. Live Music. Theme Activities. Fireworks. Painting Parties. Open Markets. Social Events. Volleyball.

Shuffleboard. Teen Dances. Car Show. Paddleboats. Sledding. Farmers Markets. Night Hikes. Campfires. Fishing. Tournaments.

Pickleball. Acoustic Nights. Wine & Cheese Social. Road Rally. Golf Outing. 5K/3K. Haunted House. Canoing. Anything That Floats.

Horseshoes. Petting Zoo. Wagon Rides. Aqua Zumba. Playgrounds. Karaoke. Family Fun Night. Coffee Hour. Clubs. DJs. Scavenger Hunts. Kayaking. Tug of War. Food Fairs. Picnics.

Sublette IL | 815-849-5209

www.woodhavenassociation.com

Call us for a tour!