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Green Living

Last Updated: Nov 28, 2025 08:26AM • Subscribe via RSS • ATOM

The Joy of Local Holiday Shopping: Making the Most of the Human Touch

Nov 28, 2025 ● By Marlaina Donato

Local holiday shopping fosters joy, reduces emissions and keeps more money in hometown economies through meaningful, sensory-rich community connections.

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Eco-Smart E-Waste

Nov 28, 2025

Proper e-waste disposal prevents toxic pollution, saves energy and reduces landfill waste—protecting ecosystems while promoting responsible consumption.

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In autumn, the Chicago River bursts with color in the floating wetlands.
Floating Wetlands in the Chicago River

Oct 31, 2025 ● By Sheryl DeVore

Native floating wetlands along the Chicago River’s Wild Mile improve water quality, create fish habitat and invite people to reconnect with a living waterway.

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Urban Growers Collective plants and hoophouse
Meet These Advocates for a Better Food System

Oct 31, 2025 ● By Bob Benenson

Chicago-area nonprofits are expanding access to fresh local food, building skills and equity, and inviting support for a healthier regional food system.

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Indoor Oasis: How Houseplants Transform the Winter Blues

Oct 31, 2025 ● By Maya Whitman

Houseplants support mood, air quality and sensory calm during winter, offering therapeutic benefits even for those without a green thumb.

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Honoring the Earth and Each Other

Oct 31, 2025

Simple shifts—like reusable tableware, local produce and low-waste meals—can make Thanksgiving more sustainable without losing warmth or tradition

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Eastern fox squirrel. Photo credit Steven D. Bailey
Squirrel Appreciation Month: Celebrates Chicago’s Acorn Ambassadors

Sep 30, 2025 ● By Sheryl Devore

October is Squirrel Appreciation Month, celebrating Chicago’s playful acorn ambassadors. Learn about Illinois’ four tree squirrel species, their role in tree regeneration, unique behaviors, and rising black squirrel sightings. Discover how these resilient mammals adapt to urban life, teach us about ecosystems, and inspire nature appreciation across Chicagoland.

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Repair Cafés in Northern Illinois: Reviving Repair Culture and Building Community

Sep 30, 2025

Discover repair cafés across northern Illinois and Chicagoland—community events where volunteers fix electronics, appliances, clothing, jewelry and more for free while teaching repair skills. Explore highlights in Evanston, Oak Park, Chicago, Countryside, Romeoville and Crystal Lake, plus MCC’s Nov. 1 Repair Fair. Reduce waste, save money, and build resilient, neighborhoods.

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Rare Forest Remnant Now Protected by Natural Land Institute

Sep 30, 2025

The Natural Land Institute has acquired 20.5 acres of rare old-growth forest near Pecatonica in Winnebago County. Featuring black maples, white oaks, and diverse wildlife habitat, the protected land preserves rural character and biodiversity. This exceptional forest remnant will remain safeguarded for future generations and Illinois conservation efforts.

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Creativity Therapy: Discovering the Healing Power of Crafting

Sep 30, 2025 ● By Megy Karydes

Hands-on crafts like knitting and pottery reduce anxiety, boost dopamine and provide mindful calm in a fast-paced, screen-saturated world.

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sustainable halloween costumes
Sustainable Halloween Costumes

Sep 30, 2025

DIY costumes made from reused clothing, household items and natural materials offer a low-waste alternative to fast-fashion Halloween gear.

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Juli Mason, director of conservation programs for the Forest Preserve District of Will County
Kankakee Sands: A Rare, Post-Glacial Ecosystem Thriving Near Chicago

Sep 01, 2025 ● By Sheryl Devore

Explore Kankakee Sands, a rare post-glacial ecosystem spanning Illinois and Indiana near Chicago. This 20,000-acre landscape of sand prairies, wetlands, and oak savannas supports endangered species like the regal fritillary butterfly. Discover restoration efforts, unique plants, and wildlife thriving in this extraordinary Midwest natural treasure shaped by ancient glacial floods.

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Book cover of Conquering Candida by Dean Mitchell MD
Drunk Without Drinking

Aug 31, 2025 ● By Dean Mitchell, M.D.

Learn about auto-brewery syndrome in Drunk Without Drinking, an excerpt from Conquering Candida by Dr. Dean Mitchell. Discover how Candida overgrowth can ferment sugar into alcohol, causing fatigue, brain fog, and unexplained intoxication. Explore the gut microbiome’s role in health and why balancing it is key to lasting wellness.

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Painted Lady Butterfly. Photo credit Carol Freeman.
Educational Corner: Painted Lady

Aug 29, 2025

Discover the Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui), the world’s most widely distributed butterfly, also called the Cosmopolitan. With a wingspan of 2–3 inches, it thrives in gardens, fields, and dunes. Learn about its migration, host plants, diet, habitat, and fascinating facts about vision, lifespan, and global presence.

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Ocean Harvests: Eco-Friendly Benefits of Seaweed

Aug 29, 2025 ● By Maya Whitman

Seaweed farming improves marine ecosystems, sequesters carbon, and offers sustainable food, fertilizer, and plastic alternatives.

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Packing School Lunch With Zero Waste

Aug 29, 2025

Zero-waste lunch packing with reusable containers and homemade snacks helps reduce landfill waste and encourages healthier eating habits.

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Illinois Farmers Market Association logo
Celebrate Illinois Markets During National Farmers Market Week

Jul 31, 2025

Celebrate National Farmers Market Week, August 3 to 9, with the Illinois Farmers Market Association and discover how nearly 100 markets across the Chicago area strengthen community, boost wellness, and support local farms. From fresh produce to artisan goods, these vibrant gathering spaces nourish both people and the planet while preserving Illinois’ agricultural heritage.

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Discover Your Light at the Body Mind Spirit Celebration

Jul 31, 2025

Experience inspiration, connection, and holistic discovery at the Body Mind Spirit Celebration, returning to the Schaumburg Convention Center on September 27 and 28. With over 150 wellness vendors, 70 empowering presentations, and a community of conscious explorers, this two-day event offers tools for healing, personal growth, and mindful living.

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Photo of Bison adult and calf at Nachusa Grasslands.
What Bison Teach Us: A Decade of Growth and Conservation in the Chicago Area

Jul 31, 2025 ● By Sheryl DeVore

Bison once roamed the Midwest in the millions, and today they’re helping restore native habitat at Nachusa Grasslands, Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and Kankakee Sands. These wild herds support biodiversity, deepen cultural connections and offer a living link to Illinois’ tallgrass prairie past.

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Educational Corner: American Goldfinch Spinus tristis

Jul 31, 2025

A familiar sight across the Midwest, the bright yellow male American goldfinch delights birdwatchers with its cheerful “potato-chip” call and late-summer nesting habits. Found in fields, woodlands and suburban gardens, this native songbird supports local ecosystems by feeding on native plant seeds like coneflowers and thistles.

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Juy 2026 Issue - Good Vibes, Great Outdoors

Read It Now

Natural Awakenings Chicago July 2026 magazine cover featuring fresh strawberries with the headline “Good Vibes, Great Outdoors” and stories on outdoor wellness, pickleball fitness, vibrant summer salads, sustainable backyard water features and exploring Indiana Dunes.
Click Here to Read Past Issues
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