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A Virtual Garden Walk

Aug 31, 2020

The annual native garden tour will be virtual this year, providing a fuller, year-round look at the way the gardens develop through the seasons, with practical, hands-on advice to bring native plants into home gardens.

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Illinois Prairies are Brilliant with September Colors and Wildlife

Aug 31, 2020 ● By Sheryl DeVore

Even the grasses provide new color this time of year. You can see fields covered in hazes of browns and yellows, and if you look closely, you might even see the bottle gentian blooming. Writer Sheryl DeVore takes us on a tour of Illinois Prairies with Veronica Hinke and Cindy Crosby.

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Make Back-to-School Lunches Tasty and Sustainable

Aug 31, 2020 ● By Tiffany Hinton

Many local grocery stores have posted signs directing us not to bring our own bags—no more using cloth, reusable market bags due to COVID-19 precautions. This is similar to the concept and rules of many of the Chicago area schools and daycares that will be opening this fall for bringing lunch to school. GF Mom Certified's Tiffany offers tips and recipes to make school lunches allergen free and Earth-friendly, too.

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Cars Go Vegan: Leather Interiors are on the Way Out

Aug 31, 2020 ● By Yvette C. Hammett

The environmental impact of producing leather, foam and other materials used in car interiors is being replaced by eco-friendly, sustainable, vegan alternatives.

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Dragonflies & Nighthawks Fill Chicago's August Skies

Jul 31, 2020 ● By Sheryl DeVore

Scientists first described migratory dragonflies in the late 1880s, and today believe this natural phenomenon occurs on every continent except Antarctica. August is a great time to watch migrating nighthawks, as well as many species of dragonflies as they pass through the Chicago and northeast Illinois region, says author and naturalist Cindy Crosby.

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Hazmat worker pulling back polluted cityscape to reveal clean skyline

The Upside of Lockdowns: Air Gets Cleaner Around the Globe

Jul 31, 2020 ● By Kimberly B. Whittle

Despite their dire consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, government-mandated lockdowns around the world have had an unintended positive consequence: cleaner air.

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Fresh Air Virtual Art Exhibition Highlights Chicagoland Nature

Jul 14, 2020

The Fresh Air virtual exhibition at the Brushwood Center captures the human yearning for connection to nature and the outside after months of sheltering-in-place in Illinois. All of the artwork is for sale, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Chicago's Project Onward.

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Ameren Illinois employee rescues beehive in Alton, IL

Power Company, Tree Service and Beekeeper Rescue Honeybee Hive

Jul 14, 2020

Careful efforts by power company Ameren Illinois, Wright Tree Service and local beekeeper Johnny Murdock ensured a safe relocation of a large honeybee hive in Alton, Illinois.

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Learn to Recreate Responsibly

Jul 02, 2020

The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, located just southwest of Chicago, is highlighted in a new national social media series focusing on not-to-be-missed national forests and grasslands. Midewin is best known for its bison herd. TV host and producer of "Travels with Darley", Darley Newman, hosts the series.

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Safely Manage Insect Pests In The Garden

Jun 30, 2020 ● By Melinda Myers

Nationally known garden expert Melinda Myers offers us some simple ways to manage pests in our Chicagoland gardens without harming beneficial pollinator insects, such as bees, butterflies and other native wildlife.

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Enjoy Beautiful Butterflies in Our Own Backyards

Jun 30, 2020 ● By Sheryl DeVore

More than 30 years of data from the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network is showing butterfly numbers in general are declining in the Chicago region. We can help with conservation not only in natural areas, but in our own Chicagoland backyards.

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Greener Green Grass: Why Organic Lawns Make Eco-Sense

Jun 30, 2020 ● By Julie Peterson

The use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides on lawns damage both the environment and our health. Here are ways to naturally, organically and sustainably grow green grass.

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Bird-Friendly Gardens

May 29, 2020 ● By Sheryl DeVore

My gardening focus started changing from just planting for beauty to planting what’s beautiful that also helps birds and pollinators.

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Everyday Adventures: Taking to Vans and RVs for Life on the Road

May 29, 2020 ● By Sandra Yeyati

Travel tips for hitting the road with the comforts of home in an RV or well-equipped van.

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Local Plant Sales Get Creative to Support Gardeners

May 01, 2020

Many Chicago area spring plant sales are still on schedule, but have moved online for ordering, with social distanced delivery and curbside pick-up options. Plant sales are a great way to support local nonprofits, get sustainable native plants and stay healthy with vegetable plants for your garden.

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Colorful Migrant Warblers Share Special Relationships with Native Plants

Apr 30, 2020 ● By Sheryl DeVore

May is peak time for birdwatchers and nature lovers to hear and see about 30 species of warblers as they migrate through the Chicago region. Birdwatching is a fun, eco-friendly way to enjoy nature and get outside while staying at home.

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This is the Year to Start Growing Food at Home

Apr 30, 2020 ● By Lisa Hilgenberg

Here’s how to economize and capitalize with two practical DIY gardening projects to ensure good, healthy food. Growing your own food is great for your health and wellness, and your pocketbook.

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Flower Wow-er: Beautiful Floral Designing

Apr 30, 2020 ● By April Thompson

Flower arranging is an easy, fun and inexpensive creative outlet that can help cultivate mindfulness. DIY tips from floral experts for arrangements using fresh-cut flowers.

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