Tag: Nature | Natural Sustainable Living Chicago

Snowy Owl

Jan 31, 2025 ● By Julieanne Nitz Weiss

Snowy owls nest in the Arctic and migrate south in winter, sometimes to Texas and Georgia. They hunt by day and prefer open landscapes. Males are white; females and juveniles have dark flecks.

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Midwest Marvel: Millions of Cicadas Emerge in Rare Phenomenon

Mar 29, 2024 ● By Sheryl DeVore

Little holes or miniature chimneys in the ground mean the cicadas that have lived as nymphs beneath the earth for 17 years are checking things out, such as soil temperature and other weather conditions, to prepare for their grand entrance

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A skunk cabbage spathe bursts through the forest floor.

Skunk Cabbage, First Illinois Native Wildflower, Blooms This Month

Feb 29, 2024 ● By Sheryl DeVore

One of the earliest signs of spring in northern Illinois is a smelly, unusual-looking plant called skunk cabbage.

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Floyd Catchpole and Andrew Hawkins shaking hands.

Kudos ~ Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Sand Ridge Savanna Nature Preserve

Feb 29, 2024

Providing recognition for excellence in management of natural communities and sites and demonstrates on-the-ground commitment to the Biodiversity Recovery Plan.

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Winter Night Hikes Offer Unique Way to Commune With Nature

Jan 31, 2024 ● By Sheryl DeVore

On cold winter’s night in February, instead of staying snuggled warm indoors watching television and playing computer games, chose to walk beneath the full moon.

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Forest Preserve’s 2024 Take It Outside Challenge Debuts Jan. 21 with a Twist

Jan 18, 2024

Each Sunday during the challenges, 10 missions will be released, and participants will complete challenges to earn points and prizes.

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McHenry County Conservation Foundation Makes an Important Land Acquisition

Dec 29, 2023

This transfer ensures these acres become public lands that are protected in perpetuity to benefit both today’s residents and future generations.

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View of a portion of the prairie in late summer (August 2020) showing Blazing Star (purple flowers) and Prairie Dock (tall yellow flowers with large basal leaves).

Remnant Chiwaukee Native Prairie is Thriving

Jul 31, 2023 ● By Sheryl DeVore

The nearly 500-acre area is a rare, remnant, virgin prairie adjacent to Lake Michigan, saved in an extraordinary way by ordinary citizens working with conservation groups to purchase small parcels of land for nearly 60 years.

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John James Audubon illustrated the whip-poor-will with its main food, moths.

Moths and Fireflies Are Declining As Summer Night Insects

Jun 30, 2023 ● By Sheryl DeVore

As the summer sun sets, butterflies cease patrolling flowers for nectar, go to roost and rest. But many moth species are just beginning their day under the cover of darkness, and nighttime active birds called whip-poor-wills come out to eat these insects.

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Green Exercise: Reconnecting With Nature

Jun 30, 2023 ● By Cristina Parker

Prompted by a growing focus on reconnecting with nature, combined with the well-known benefits of physical exertion, outdoor workouts are all the rage in natural settings and urban parks.

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Have Outdoor Fun with Will County Passport to the Preserves Program

May 31, 2023

Intrepid travelers can take a trip through Will County by August 31 and get their passport stamped at five Forest Preserve District of Will County nature centers as part of the Passport to the Preserves program.

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Three woman wlaking on a path in the woods.

Ancient Trees Play Critical Role

May 31, 2023 ● By Sheryl DeVore

Today, fewer than 5 percent of western old-growth forests remain standing, and in the eastern United States, fewer than 1 percent of original old growth remains standing.

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