Category: Forest Preserve District of Will County

Celebrating the Six-Year Anniversary of Nature in Chicagoland

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, biking, birdwatching, camping, canoeing, Chicago, Chicago Parks, Chicago River, Chicago stories, fall colors, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF KANE COUNTY, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, Galena Illinois, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, kayaking, Lake County Forest Preserves, Lake Michigan, MCHENRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT, National Park Service, nature centers, prairies, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities, Wisconsin

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

Goodbye 2022…Hello 2023!

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, biking, birdwatching, books, camping, canoeing, Chicago, Chicago Parks, conservation, conservatories, fall colors, fens, fishing, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, hiking, holiday gifts, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, kids activities, Lake County Forest Preserves, Lake County Illinois attractions, Lake Michigan, National Park Service, nature art, prairies, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND I want to thank my Nature in Chicagoland readers for visiting my blog in 2022. I continue to love writing this blog, and wish I had more time in my daily life to do so. I visited many nature destinations in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West … Continue reading Goodbye 2022…Hello 2023!

McKinley Woods: Enjoy Breathtaking Views of the Des Plaines River and I&M Canal, Excellent Hiking Trails and Birdwatching, and More

by anders458, posted in biking, birdwatching, camping, canoeing, Des Plaines River, fall colors, fishing, Forest Preserve District of Will County, hiking, Illinois, kayaking, kids activities, local history, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized

McKinley Woods is a beautiful preserve that features bluffs, deep ravines, and forests along the Des Plaines River and I&M Canal. There are two access points: Frederick’s Grove and Kerry Sheridan Grove. I recently spent several hours on a warm spring day hiking the trails at Frederick’s Grove, which has north and south parking areas. … Continue reading McKinley Woods: Enjoy Breathtaking Views of the Des Plaines River and I&M Canal, Excellent Hiking Trails and Birdwatching, and More

Celebrating the Five-Year Anniversary of Nature in Chicagoland

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, biking, birdwatching, botanical gardens and arboretums, camping, canoeing, canyons, Chicago, Chicago Parks, fall colors, fishing, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, ghost hunting, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, kayaking, kids activities, National Park Service, nature centers, prairies, sledding, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Today is the five-year anniversary of my blog, Nature in Chicagoland, and I'm so happy to have written nearly 200 articles about the woods, wetlands, grasslands, prairies, lakes and other waterways, and other natural areas that make up Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana. I'm pleased that Nature … Continue reading Celebrating the Five-Year Anniversary of Nature in Chicagoland

Goodbye 2021…Hello 2022! 

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, biking, birdwatching, books, canyons, Chicago, Chicago Parks, conservation, fall colors, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF KANE COUNTY, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, kids activities, Lake Michigan, MCHENRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT, prairies, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, waterfalls, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND I want to thank my Nature in Chicagoland readers for visiting my blog in 2021.  I visited 37 nature destinations in Illinois and Indiana last year, and 23 were new spots—including Rock Run Rookery Preserve, Buffalo Rock State Park, Johnson’s Mound Forest Preserve, Casper Bluff Land & Water … Continue reading Goodbye 2021…Hello 2022! 

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 anders458, posted in @FPDCC, birdwatching, books, botanical gardens and arboretums, canoeing, canyons, Chicago, Chicago Parks, Chicago River, conservation, fall colors, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF KANE COUNTY, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, Galena Illinois, hiking, holiday gifts, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, kayaking, kids activities, Lake County Illinois attractions, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, local history, MCHENRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT, Michigan, National Park Service, Native American History, nature centers, Nature Conservancy, prairies, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, waterfalls, winter activities, Wisconsin

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 … Continue reading 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

The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in September 2021

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, biking, birdwatching, botanical gardens and arboretums, canyons, Des Plaines River, fall colors, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, hiking, holiday gifts, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Iowa, kids activities, local history, nature centers, Nature Conservancy, prairies, Uncategorized, Wisconsin

Nearly 10 amazing places to see bison in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Iowa An amazing prairie in Westchester, Illinois   A wonderfully wild, hilly nature preserve with a Civil War–era church that's now a nature center A rare mesic gravel prairie tucked between noisy Interstate 55, railroad tracks, warehouses, LaGrange Road, and the Des Plaines … Continue reading The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in September 2021

Thorn Creek Woods Nature Preserve: Ravines, Rolling Hills, and a Historic 1862 Church/Nature Center

by anders458, posted in birdwatching, canyons, fall colors, Forest Preserve District of Will County, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, kids activities, local history, nature centers, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND If Thorn Creek Woods Nature Preserve was a baseball hit, it would be a majestic home run walloped by Babe Ruth or “Hammerin' Hank" Aaron at the height of their powers. If it was a streaming success, it would be The Wire, one of my favorite shows … Continue reading Thorn Creek Woods Nature Preserve: Ravines, Rolling Hills, and a Historic 1862 Church/Nature Center

Discovering Nature and Finding Peace During the Pandemic: A Story of Three Seasons in Chicago’s Southland

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, birdwatching, family and friends stories, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, local history, nature centers, prairies, Uncategorized

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND I lived for 15 years on the “mean streets” of…well…well…Jefferson Park—a “nice-streets” neighborhood on Chicago’s far Northwest Side. Not a concrete jungle, but certainly a city neighborhood, with pretty houses packed closely together; mom-and-pop shops, restaurants, and bars hanging on for dear life during the … Continue reading Discovering Nature and Finding Peace During the Pandemic: A Story of Three Seasons in Chicago’s Southland

5 Things to Do at Lake Renwick Preserve/Heron Rookery Nature Preserve

by anders458, posted in birdwatching, fishing, Forest Preserve District of Will County, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Nature preserves, kids activities, snowshoeing, Uncategorized, winter activities

“The geese are having a blowout of an argument” was my first thought as I began hiking along the main trail that travels along a beautiful lake at Lake Renwick Preserve in Plainfield, Illinois. I heard a symphony of honking (although the geese lacked a conductor) that I estimated was coming from half a mile … Continue reading 5 Things to Do at Lake Renwick Preserve/Heron Rookery Nature Preserve