Celebrating the Six-Year Anniversary of Nature in Chicagoland

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 …

8 Reasons You Should Vote Yes for the Cook County Forest Preserves on Election Day and 11 Spots to Visit

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND The Forest Preserves of Cook County feature 70,000+ acres of beautiful public land. Its prairies, forests, wetlands, lakes, rivers, streams, and savannah provide excellent opportunities for hiking, biking, paddling, fishing, horseback riding, running, cross-country skiing, sledding, snowshoeing, swimming, and other forms of outdoor recreation. It …

Middlefork Savanna Nature Preserve: Great Blooms, Biking, Hiking, and Nature Experiences

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND How lucky we are to have such natural places as Middlefork Savanna Nature Preserve, where the saw-toothed sunflowers grow tall as fairytale giants (OK, maybe not that tall), the plentiful asters prettily mark the end of wildflower season, and the birds seem to sing a …

Meet Yumeka Brown: A Candidate for Election to the Board of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

This is my third interview with candidates for the board of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago. The election will be held on November 8, 2022; early voting is ongoing. You can also read my interviews with board candidates Patricia Theresa Flynn and Daniel Pogorzelski. You might ask…why is the MWRD important …

Meet Daniel Pogorzelski: A Candidate for Election to the Board of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

What is the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago, and why should it matter to you? The MWRD plays a major role in treating wastewater, reducing flooding (increasingly important as Illinois’ climate becomes wetter due to global climate change), and reducing the amount of stormwater (which collects and transports animal waste, garbage, pesticides, …

A Blog Post of Thanks to the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Daily Southtown, Local Bookstores, and Others Who Helped Make Nature in Chicagoland a Success

BY ANDREW MORKES, AUTHOR of NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND It’s been a good year…at least for the owner (me) of a small book publishing company that does not have the power of the Big Four “digital-paper-industrial complex” publishers, who can sell tens of thousands of books in a matter of minutes with a perfectly-timed Tweet about …

Meet Eira Corral Sepúlveda: A Strong Candidate for Election to the Board of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Eira Corral Sepúlveda is running for election to the board of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago. I think the average person takes the MWRD for granted, but it plays a major role in treating wastewater, reducing flooding (increasingly important as Illinois’ climate becomes wetter due …

Meet Cam Davis: A Strong Candidate for Re-election to the Board of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND What is the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago, and why is it important to me? The MWRD plays a major role in treating wastewater, reducing flooding (increasingly important as Illinois’ climate becomes wetter due to global climate change), and reducing the amount of stormwater (which …

Meet Kimberly Neely Dubuclet: A Strong Candidate for Re-election to the Board of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Kimberly Neely DuBuclet is running for re-election to the board of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago. She has served as a commissioner on the board of the MWRD since December 2018. Previous to this role, DuBuclet was the Chicago Park District’s director of legislative and …

Renowned Photographer Publishes New Book That Captures the Essence of Chicago

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND If you live in Chicagoland and beyond, you’ve seen Barry Butler’s wonderful landscape and cityscape photographs on television newscasts, on social media (including on his Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook accounts), at his website, and in photo exhibitions. His creative vision and deft touch with the camera turns …