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Green Living

Last Updated: Apr 29, 2022 08:45AM • Subscribe via RSS • ATOM

Baker’s Lake rookery
Northeast Illinois Rookeries Show Real Lives of Local Herons, Egrets and Cormorants

Apr 29, 2022 ● By Sheryl DeVore

Senior wildlife biologist Chris Anchor has been studying rookeries—places where egrets, herons and cormorants nest communally—for decades. Like no other species in the region, these birds offer humans a chance to watch them court, build nests and raise young, says writer Sheryl De Vore.

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Tomato plants growing in containers outdoors
Easy Container Gardening: How to Grow Edibles in Pots and Planters

Apr 29, 2022 ● By Maya Whitman

Growing vegetables, flowers and herbs in pots can be cost-effective, inspiring and tailored for any urban balcony or country patio.

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Easy Plant-Based Chickpea Curry Recipe Made Even Tastier with a Clay Cooker

Apr 12, 2022

Sponsored Content Nature’s secret for good health and vitality is preparing your meals in an unglazed clay cooker. This delicious recipe for plant-based chickpea curry is even more fresh and nutritious when prepared in a modern, multi-functional clay cooker from VitaClay Chef.

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Celebrate Earth Day 2022 at Chicago Area Events

Apr 07, 2022

Celebrate celebrate Earth Day in the Chicago area with a variety of in person and virtual events. From film festivals, watch parties and online workshops, to neighborhood clean-ups, bike tune-ups and plant sales, there's something for almost everyone.

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a snowy field
New Park Coming to Bull Valley Thanks to Public-Private Conservation Partnership

Mar 31, 2022

The Land Conservancy of McHenry County (TLC) has acquired a 323-acre farm near Bull Valley, fulfilling a community vision to protect the site’s natural and ecological features and resulting in the creation of a new public nature park.

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A white flower
Local Seeds Go into National Deep Freeze

Mar 31, 2022

Chokeberry seeds plucked from the Forest Preserve Districtof Will County Kankakee Sands Preserve, in Custer Township, last year are now being stored in two national seed vaults.

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Three seperate pics of a blue flower, a yellow flower and a pink flower
Create a Colorful Year-Round Landscape

Mar 31, 2022 ● By Melinda Myers

Kick off the growing season with color and look for ways to continue color throughout the growing season and into fall and winter. Melinda Myers provides expert tips.

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A hiking trail
Guided Nature Hikes Offer a Sneak-Peek at Spring

Mar 31, 2022 ● By Sheryl DeVore

As the natural world re-awakens in April, local forest preserves offer guided hikes for the public to witness the signs of a new season and get some exercise.

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Mass of monarch butterflies on plant in nature
Why We Need Wild Places: How to Invite Nature Back into Our Lives and Landscapes

Mar 31, 2022 ● By Sheryl DeVore

Saving wild places is critical for human health and well-being. Here are ways to create spaces, including our lawns, that are hospitable to wildlife and native species.

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Hands holding smartphone taking picture of plant outdoors
Technology Meets Nature: Apps Bring Us Closer to Flora and Fauna

Mar 31, 2022 ● By Sheryl DeVore

We can enhance our nature experiences with these smartphone apps that identify plants and animals, interact with scientists, share knowledge and observations, and contribute to science.

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The Great Global Cleanup Targets Expansion to 192 Countries

Mar 28, 2022

EARTHDAY.ORG’s The Great Global Cleanup, a worldwide campaign to remove billions of pieces of trash from neighborhoods, beaches, rivers, lakes, trails, and parks—reducing waste and plastic pollution, improving habitats and preventing harm to wildlife and humans, returns in April.

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Whitney Young High School’s Fair Trade Coffee Café
Chicago's Whitney Young High School Students Practice Fair Trade Activism

Feb 28, 2022 ● By Maya Westbrook, Lila Aspin and Vivian Miltner

Chicago Public Schools Whitney Young High School Fair Trade Club recently opened a coffee shop with help from Metropolis Coffee and Chicago Fair Trade. They sell Metropolis fair trade coffee and tea, plus fair trade hot chocolate to students and will donate any profits to mental health and workers rights organizations.

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A father and his son standing on a walkway bridge
Local Blogs Beckon Armchair Naturalists to Investigate Midwest Nature

Feb 28, 2022 ● By Sheryl DeVore

Nature blogs offer armchair naturalists a chance to go exploring. Local writers help nature lovers discover everything from the wildlife to the natural wonders of the Midwest. From the Great Lakes to the Great Plains, nature is never far away. Read more here.

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Person working food stand at farmer's market selling fruits and vegetables
The Bounty of Farmers Markets: Buying Local Boosts Health, the Economy and the Planet

Feb 28, 2022 ● By Sandra Yeyati

Farmers’ markets offer the freshest fruits and veggies around, encourage organic and seasonal eating, support local farmers, and lower the carbon footprint of buying and shipping produce.

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The male northern cardinal sings to attract a mate in late January and February.
Birdsong Begins in Mid-Winter

Jan 31, 2022 ● By Sheryl DeVore

Birdsong returns to the Chicago region in late January and February, even when it’s cold and snowy and the deciduous trees are leafless. Cardinals and other birds let us know that spring is on the way, says Sheryl DeVore.

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