CLIFFnotes by Clifftop

Tom Rollins, T. Rollins Photography

Versions of these articles and photographs appeared in local print media. Much of the accompanying photo work was done by local photographers and depicts scenes, wildlife, and the great outdoors found in Monroe, St. Clair and Randolph Counties.

Pen DauBach, Clifftop

To view an article, please click on the link to that topic.

Tom Rollins, Thomas Rollins Photography

Paul Feldker, Clifftop

Dennis FitzWilliam, Clifftop

• How Are There Fish Here? Clemson student tackles the question in sinkhole ponds at Paul Wightman Subterranean Nature Preserve
• The Birds of Monroe County
• A Celestial Spectacle
• Native Snakes of SW Illinois
• Animal Tracks
• Cicadas of Illinois
• Seed Collecting
• The Importance of Moths
• Total Lunar Eclipse
• Antarctica
• By the Light of the Moon
• Help Save the Hill Prairies
• Fults Hill Prairie NP Turns 50
• Citizen Science is the Bee’s Knees
• The Buzz About Cicadas
• If You Like Flowers, Thank an Insect
• Little Armored Ones
• Benefits of Prescribed Burning
• How Deer, Squirrels Survive Winter
• 2021: The International Year of Caves and Karst
• The Pros and Cons of the Eastern Red Cedar
• How to Protect Land
• Why Protect Land?
• Take a Pleasant Drive South for Sights Along Snake Road
• Plant a Little Prairie: How to Grow a Microprairie in Your Yard
• The Gulf Coast Tick Carries Another Virus of Concern
• Invasive Trees Are an Issue in Monroe County’s Natural Areas
• Dragonflies Continue to Thrive as Ecology Changes
• Columbines Dazzle Where Other Wildflowers Fear to Tread
• Sounds of Spring, Frog Style
• Bobcat: Illinois’ Native Cat
• Shed Hunting–A Deer Hunter’s Second Favorite Sport
• Comprehending Animal Tracks Enriches Your Understanding of Nature
• Let’s Talk Turkey
• Thousands of Sinkholes, Hundreds of Caves, Dozens of Rare Species…. Recent Discoveries and New Data About Our Karst Landscapes
• Waterfowl Conservation in Southwest Illinois
• Bats: Shedding Light on Nocturnal Wildlife
• Why Seeds? Why now?
• A Prescription for Better Health: Get Outdoors
• Prairie Ecology at Paul Wightman Subterranean Nature Preserve
• Come See the Splendor of our Paul Wightman Subterranean Nature Preserve
• Spring Wildflowers Are Spectacular in the Bluff Corridor
• Why Our Forests Should Be Managed
• Hunting for Conservation: Sportsmen Play Key Roll in Preserving Habitat
• Total Lunar Eclipse: What to Expect
• History of the Beloved Christmas Tree
• Southern Illinois’ Woodlands Have Plenty of Room for Mushrooms
• Saving Nature in Illinois, The Rewards of Persistence
• The Vital Role of Bees in Pollination
• Just in Time
• Pteridophytes Are Our Friendly Neighborhood Ferns
• Plans Moving Forward at Clifftop’s Paul Wightman Subterranean Nature Preserve
• The White Oak and the Oak-Hickory Forest of Monroe County
• “Just Say No” to Bradford Pear
• Searching for Illinois’ Biggest Trees
• Preservation of Local Hill Prairies Will Make Mother Nature Smile
• Give A Hoot About Monroe County’s Owl Population
• Winter Is Fast Approaching, and the Critters Are Well Underway In Their Preparation
• Time to Take a Hike and Absorb the Beautiful Local Autumn Views
• Geometry of a Total Solar Eclipse
• SAFETY FIRST! Notes For Safe Eclipse Viewing.
• Overshadowed: A Total Eclipse In The Heartland
• Don’t Get Ticked Off When Trekking Along A Trail.
• Amazing Amphibians
• Rare Plants in Xeric Limestone Prairies of the Illinois Ozarks
• SWAT for Improved Habitat at Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve
• Controlled Burns Are Beneficial to Area’s Natural Lands
• SEMO Students Look at Aquatic Life at Wightman Nature Preserve
• Our Winter Woodlands Should Be Brown NOT Green!
• Vital Lands: 200 Years of Farms, Forests, Talus and Prairies
• Hill Prairie Biodiversity Is the Center of a Thriving Ecosystem
• Discover the Perseid Meteor Shower and Look Into Deep Space
• Dragonflies and Damselflies at the Paul Wightman Subterranean Nature Preserve
• Copperhead Snakes: Part of the Neighborhood
• A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words: Nature Photography Seminar and Workshop
• Give A Hoot!
• Ancient Dragonflies Live Like There’s No Tomorrow
• Area’s Holey Lands Are An Ecological Treasure
• Spend the Winter in Balmy Southwestern Illinois!
• Fungus Among Us: Valuable Player in Our Ecosystem
• Perseid Meteor Shower Highlights the Dog Days’ Skies
• Allscheid Rock Shelter Provides Glimpse of Mississippian Culture
• Finding a Sphinx in Your Garden Makes for a Sight of Nature’s Beauty.
• Prescribed Burns Are Good Medicine for the Land
• Area Birders Invited to State Audubon Society’s Local Gathering
• Monroe County’s Extensive Cave Systems Hold Time Capsules Of Our Ice Age Past
• Karst Terrain Flushes More Than Just Water Into Our Wet Underground World
• Fire: It’s Elemental
• North American Trees Have Shaped Our Landscape And The Nation’s Fortunes
• Hunting for Conservation
• Nature’s Gifts to Our Bluff Lands: Limestone & Loess
• Our Bluff Lands Provide Perfect Habitat for Nature’s Jewels: Butterflies.
• Birds of Prey Are Powerful Predators in Our Ecosystem
• Frogs and Toads Serenade the Spring Nights
• Spring Wildflower Walk Is Also a Path into History
• Owls: An Integral Part of our Southwestern Illinois Ecosystem
• Our Bluffs & Bottoms: Treasure Trove of Native American History
• Rivers Run Under Us: Karst Topography of Porous Limestone
• Mississippi River Bluff Ecosystems Are Studied for Biodiversity
• Illinois Conservation Police’s Mission Is To Preserve Natural Habitats
• Autumn harvest for wildlife
• Bees and Pollinators Hard at Work for Us
• Chainsaws are Outdoor Work Timesavers — But Safety Must Come First
• Ticks, honeysuckle & deer ~~ another reason to remove invasive bush honeysuckle!
• A Little Night Music
• Rich Biodiversity Helps Keep You Healthy
• Give a Hoot
• Hickory Nuts Roasting on an Open Fire…
• Ash trees: durable, useful, threatened
• Vampires: Right in the bluff’s backyard?
• Predators — Keep Nature in Balance
• Hurricanes and Hummers
• Land Purchase protects Randolph County geologic gem
• Love in the Bluffs
• Woodpeckers are wonderful & audible part of our natural habitat
• Rainbow bridge of bluff lands flowers
• Bluff lands home to wonderful variety of amphibians & reptiles
• Bluff lands Bloom with Vivid Floral Colors
• Cape Monroe ~~ A Great Place for Wildlife Viewing
• The Ghost of Hedwig
• Something to Hoot About: Owls
• White Rock Nature Preserve Opens!
• Cooperative Conservation and Power of Partnerships Fuel Healthy Environment
• Bluff Lands Corridor Vital to Wildlife as Climate Warms
• Barn Owls in Search of Homes
• Biological Treasure Hunt and Festival at Salt Lick Point Land & Water Reserve
• Biological Diversity Serves Us!
• The Unique Nature, Wildlife, and Habitats of Our Bluff Lands
• A Gathering of Eagles
• New Book Chronicles Changes Among Illinois’ Birds and Habitats
• It’s the Berries! Bluff Lands’ Critters Depend on ‘Em
• Let’s Boot Bush Honeysuckle Off the Land!
• Itchy, Scratchy, Stingy? Or Soothing, Snackable?
• Landscape as Humanscape: Guardians and Caretakers?
• The Waders of August, Part 2: Lesser Known Members of the Heron Family
• Colorful Baltimore Orioles & Bird Population Trends
• An Area Natural Treasure, Salt Lick Point is Perfect Spot for a Relaxing Hike
• Bats: Nighttime Bug Busters
• Raccoons: Clever? Tricksters? Cute? ADAPTIVE
• Wonderful Pelicans…
• They’re Everywhere! Invasion of the Lady-Bugs
• Plant Names Offer Clues to Past Uses and Beliefs
• Wild Turkeys: Bellwether Birds of Healthy Habitats
• “Green Chaos” of Natural Landscapes or Monoculture of Invasive Plants?
• The Waders of August
• Snakes are: COOL!!!
• Festival of the Bluffs ~~ Hikes, Displays, Music, Food…FUN!
• April: Not At All the Cruelest Month…
• Nature’s Cleanup Crew: Vultures
• Nature’s Doppelgangers: Survival Strategy of the Soundest Sort
• Bird Feeding Stations
• Duck Diversity Needs Varieties of Healthy Habitats
• New Lessons from Smokey the Bear: Renewing the Landscape with Fire
• Bush Honeysuckle is Foreign Enemy # 1 for Bluff Lands’ Health
• What’s Underneath? Karst: Rugged and Beautiful
• Native Plants at the Heart of Life
• “This Spring is for the (shore) Birds!”
• Voice of the Turtle Heard in the Land
• Bluffs Alive with Spring Songs
• Enduring Natural Rhythms Toll in Springtime Wonders
• Winter Hibernation: Living Through the Cold
• Prairie Patches Are Small Relics of Once Vast Ecosystems
• They ARE Whoopers!
• The Nature of Holiday Traditions
• Trees and the Structure of Life…The Understory
• Trees and the Structure of Life…The Overstory
• Asters Give Bluff Scape a Final Splash of Color While Hawks Soar Overhead
• Dog Day Flowers Paint Bluffs with Golden Hues
• Prairie State’s Remaining Prairies Cling to Bluffs
• The View from on High: Eagles to Milkweeds
• Spring, Sprung and Snapped, Sprouts Again
• The Hummers are Coming and Spring is a’hummin!
• Geese Trumpet and Call In the Spring
• Early Spring in Our Bluffs: Grass, Frogs, Owls & More