BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND I was looking for the 650-foot-long turtle, but what I was really seeking was state park solitude. I'd visited two other Illinois state parks in LaSalle County earlier in the day. The first two were jammed with people enjoying the trails, deep sandstone canyons, … Continue reading Buffalo Rock State Park: Awesome Views of the Illinois River, Earth Art, and Tranquility
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND A beloved 300-year-old bur oak tree will be cut down at Lincoln Park Zoo today because it has reached the end of its urban lifespan. Last fall, Katrina Quint, the zoo’s director of horticulture, estimated that the tree was about 80 percent dead. The tree’s … Continue reading Saying Goodbye to Lincoln Park Zoo’s 300-Year-Old Oak and 11 Things You Can Do to Protect the Environment
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Nachusa Grasslands is a wild and wonderful place and an environmental restoration success story. And to top that, it has bison on-site. And there are sandstone cliffs to see and ponds and creeks to explore. What more can you ask for? The Nature Conservancy had … Continue reading Nachusa Grasslands: See Bison, Savor Solitude, and Hike Through Biodiversity Hotspots
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Nestled near steel processing plants, a massive landfill, and busy railroad lines and roads lies a beautiful nature area that is an oasis for both resident and migrating birds. Hegewisch Marsh Park (13200-13298 S. Torrence Avenue, Chicago, IL 60633) features 129 acres of native marsh, … Continue reading Hegewisch Marsh Park: Great Birdwatching and Hiking and an Inspiring Story of Ongoing Environmental Restoration
In the darkness yesterday morning at 6:00 a.m., a single bulldozer began tearing into and destroying an ecosystem that had existed for tens of thousands of years. Bell Bowl Prairie was bulldozed as part of a runway expansion for Chicago Rockford International Airport and the construction of a distribution facility. Bell Bowl Prairie was located … Continue reading Bell Bowl Prairie Was Destroyed Yesterday—But the Fight Continues to Protect Wildlands in Illinois and Beyond
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Today is the six-year anniversary of my blog, Nature in Chicagoland, and I'm so happy to have written more than 225 articles about the woods, wetlands, prairies, lakes, and other natural areas that make up Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana. I'm pleased that Nature in Chicagoland has … Continue reading Celebrating the Six-Year Anniversary of Nature in Chicagoland
When an alderperson or other elected official fails to hold himself or herself to high levels of ethical behavior and personal and professional decorum and is under multiple investigations by the FBI, the Chicago Board of Ethics, the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, and the Office of the Inspector General, the public loses confidence in them, … Continue reading Meet Susanna Ernst, a Candidate for Alderperson of Chicago’s 45th Ward
When an alderperson or other elected official fails to hold himself or herself to high levels of ethical behavior and personal and professional decorum and is under multiple investigations by the FBI, the Chicago Board of Ethics, the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office, and the Office of the Inspector General, the public loses confidence in them, … Continue reading Meet James Suh, a Candidate for Alderperson of Chicago’s 45th Ward
Looking for a place where you can: view as many birds as possible have the chance to hike several miles on a loop trail enjoy some solitude visit someplace new If so, you should visit Pine Dunes Forest Preserve, which is located in Antioch, Illinois, near the Wisconsin border. It’s part of the Lake County … Continue reading Pine Dunes Forest Preserve: Birding, Biking, and Easy Hiking
I wasn’t lucky enough to be friends with Lin Brehmer (the beloved WXRT disc jockey who died yesterday), but I was a fan of his for more than three decades. I once made him laugh at a holiday party. I was with my wife at her friend’s party at a high-rise condo in Streeterville. Many … Continue reading Remembering Lin Brehmer and the Time I Made Him Laugh
Nature in Chicagoland 