I started my new job at NGRREC just as Covid was expanding into Missouri and Illinois. This means that all of the spring events that I would normally lead had been cancelled. In August, I finally had a chance to travel to meet some of the volunteers and partners in the northern half of Illinois that I had been communicating with by email for several months. My journey started in the northwest portion of the state. After a long day of driving and a training session with volunteers, I enjoyed a bit of time relaxing at Apple River Canyon State Park. The park has some beautiful bluffs that were teeming with life. The soothing sounds of the water gurgling and the birds chattering were just what I needed!
The trip ended with a couple of days in Chicago. I was able to visit folks from Friends of the Chicago River and catch up with a co-worker, Bill, who I’d talked with almost weekly, but had never met in person. While I was in Chicago, I couldn’t resist getting a photo of ‘the bean.’ It looks a bit apocalyptic to have a daylight image like this with no people in sight, even in the reflection.
I took a lot of wildlife photos in the various parks I visited while I was on this trip. Since Hogan doesn’t tend to post many of these kinds of nature shots, I thought I would add a few of my favorites from the trip.
Danelle
Congratulations on the new job!