A family lies dead in the street near a bridge that crosses the Irpin River in Ukraine near Kyiv. A mother, and her eight-year-old daughter and teenage son, plus a family friend who was helping them to flee the chaos, lie on the ground dressed for travel, luggage strewn nearby along with an empty pet … Continue reading A Family Lies Dead in the Street…Thoughts and Prayers are Great, But the Ukrainian People and Others in Peril Around the World Need Our Financial and Other Support
The criminal invasion of Ukraine by Russia has captivated, saddened, and disgusted me all week. How could something like this happen in 2022? But, sometimes, I think people—especially those of us living in the West—believe we have achieved some state of human enlightenment in which the Putins, Assads, and other dictators of the world (and … Continue reading A Painted Flag, Thoughts on the Invasion of Ukraine, and 9 Organizations That You Can Donate to in Support of the Ukrainian People
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND On January 6, 2021, an attempted coup (insurrection, riot…call it whatever you want except a peaceful demonstration) by Trump-inspired rioters storming the U.S. Capitol placed our democracy in grave danger. While some of the rioters donned furs, antlers, and other preposterous outfits to match the … Continue reading A Quick Look Back at January 6, 2021, and a Call for Unity and Vigilance
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND I wrote many stories about nature destinations in 2021, but I also covered other topics that were near and dear to my heart including stories about the sudden loss of a high school classmate, saying goodbye to the the second church I attended in my lifetime (and … Continue reading The Most-Popular Non-Nature Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in 2021
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND It's an irrational thought but I’m starting to think this every morning when I read or view the news and there is yet another poor child who has become the collateral damage to someone’s stupid gang life or other evil actions. These stories get a few seconds … Continue reading Has the Murder of Children in Chicagoland Become Normalized?
The wildest place in Cook County 12 tips for a successful winter hike and some destination suggestions The celebration of a high school friend taken too soon More than 20 amazing nature spots on Chicago’s South Side and in the Southland to check out this weekend and beyond. A midwestern region where you’ll be saying, … Continue reading The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in January 2021
Long ago, they raced through the blue sky in fantastic flying machines, and now they rest beneath the earth at Lincoln Cemetery, a historic African American cemetery in Blue Island, Illinois. One is so renowned that pilots dropped flowers over her grave for many years to celebrate her achievements during her short life. One helped … Continue reading Visit to Lincoln Cemetery Reveals Rich African American Aviation History
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND I wrote many stories about nature destinations in 2020, but I also covered a lot of other topics that were near and dear to my heart including stories about my family (including saying goodbye to my third set of "grandparents"), surviving and thriving during the COVID-19 pandemic, … Continue reading The Most-Popular Non-Nature Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in 2020
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Nature in Chicagoland Readers: This is an extremely challenging time in America, and I hope you won't mind if I take a break from nature to discuss the events that are currently happening in the United States. We live in a strange and disturbing world in which … Continue reading America 2020: Thoughts On the Murder of George Floyd, Marching for Justice, and Looting
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND March in Chicago: Dreams of baseball (the games that count…boy, the White Sox would have been good this year)The St. Patrick’s Day (I mean week-long…I mean month-long) celebrations in full swingGreening grass jazzing up the color tones of monochromatic gray Chicago winterEarly spring flowers breaking through the … Continue reading Life in the Time of COVID-19: Thoughts on Baseball, Hoarding, Being Thankful, Accountability, Gardening, and Hope
Nature in Chicagoland 