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 …

Prairie Enthusiasts Executive Director Discusses Why It’s Vital to Save Prairies (Including Bell Bowl Prairie) and Celebrates the Expansion of Mounds View Grassland Preserve

Debra Behrens is the Executive Director of the The Prairie Enthusiasts, a grassroots environmental organization that has 11 chapters in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. I recently talked with her about the expansion of its land holdings (a wonderful development in an age where we have to fight to preserve every last bit of the natural …

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 …

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

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 …

The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in July 2020

A great canoeing/kayaking/hiking destination in the Chicago area 40-foot limestone cliffs, a stream, beautiful waterfalls, and a fishing pond–all in a Chicago neighborhood Advice on camping with kids in the time of COVID-19 and beyond A great state park with camping, surf and sand, and much more just two hours north of Chicago An Ice …

Tips for Camping With Kids During and After the Time of COVID-19

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Let me answer the question that many people have asked me lately: Would you take your son camping in this time of COVID-19? My answer: yes, if I can respond yes to the following questions: Are the current COVID-19 conditions in the area where I …

Sad Thanksgiving News and the Celebration of a Great Life

On Thanksgiving Eve, Fred Bryan (my wife’s 96-year-old uncle) laid down to sleep on his farm in beautiful Walworth County in southern Wisconsin for the last time. Before he closed his eyes, I’m sure he thought of the family Thanksgiving he was to host the next day at the Big Foot Country Club, which is …

The 8 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in November 2019

A beautiful, hilly area of Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota that will have you saying, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in the flat Midwest anymore.” A story about a company that puts its employees and protecting the environment ahead of profit 40-foot limestone cliffs, a stream, beautiful waterfalls, and a pond–all in Chicago's Bridgeport …

Author and Professor Discusses the Magical Driftless Area

Flat. Boring. These are two common words that come to mind when people think of much of the Midwest. But there's a special place in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin that features limestone bluffs, rolling hills, wooded valleys, waterfalls, creeks, wetlands, rivers, caves, Native American Effigy Mounds, and rare ecosystems and plant and animal species. …

Celebrating the Two-Year Anniversary of Nature in Chicagoland

Today is the two-year anniversary of my blog, Nature in Chicagoland. In the last 730 days, I’ve published nearly 80 articles about the great outdoors.  I've covered everything from eagle watching and views of the mighty Mississippi River at Mississippi Palisades State Park, to remnants of the Manhattan Project and great wildlife viewing in Red …