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Green Living

Last Updated: Oct 31, 2024 08:26AM • Subscribe via RSS • ATOM

light bulb for green building
Green Gadgets for the Home: Smart Choices to Save Money and Preserve Resources

Oct 31, 2024 ● By Deborah Bevilacqua

As consumers take steps to benefit the environment, companies are responding with eco-friendly products. From dryer balls to solar-powered chargers, these innovations reduce waste, save energy, and lower carbon footprints.

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Volunteer hawk watchers enjoy a cool autumn day counting raptors at Illinois Beach State Park. Photo by Vic Berardi.
Volunteers Celebrate 25 Years of Tracking Hawk Migration at Illinois Beach State Park

Sep 30, 2024 ● By by Sheryl DeVore

Hawk watching is a citizen science activity where volunteers track migratory raptors, such as hawks and eagles, to gather data on their migration patterns. Volunteers often observe migratory routes like mountain ridges, coastlines and land bridges, where raptors use natural updrafts to aid their flight.

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antique scale
Fair-Trade Environmentalism: How Our Purchases Help Workers and the Planet

Sep 30, 2024 ● By Megy Karydes

A GlobeScan study shows 41% of U.S. consumers choose products supporting social and environmental causes. Fair trade is growing as shoppers seek eco-friendly, ethical, and sustainable options.

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Chicago Botanic Garden
Celebrate Fall and Stock Up on Bulbs at Chicago Botanic Garden

Aug 30, 2024

The Chicago Botanic Garden’s annual Fall Festival & Bulb Sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., October 4 through 6.

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Planting tulip bulbs in fall Melinda Myers
Boost Landscape Beauty with Fall Planting

Aug 30, 2024 ● By Melinda Myers

Fall is an ideal season to introduce new elements to a landscape. Because the soil is warm and the air cool, newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials are less stressed and will establish more quickly.

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Photo credit Julia Lunn
Center for Conservation Leadership Impacts Lake County

Aug 30, 2024

Lake Forest Open Lands’ Center for Conservation Leadership (CCL) recently received two grants from the Illinois Coastal Management Program (ICMP), a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), focused on the Great Lakes Coastal Region.

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Monarch on common milkweed
Monarch Butterflies How Urban Gardens Are Helping Them Thrive

Aug 30, 2024

Monarch butterflies, with their striking orange and black wings, are some of the most recognizable butterflies in North America.

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A monarch sips nectar from a plant at Lurie Garden in September
Lurie Garden Celebrates 20 Years of Diverse, Naturalistic Plantings in Chicago

Aug 30, 2024 ● By Sheryl DeVore

A September walk through Lurie Garden, located in Chicago’s Millennium Park, will reward visitors with spikes of bubblegum pink flowers called rough blazing star, along with the low-lying, deep-purple blooms of bottle gentian.

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wind and sustainable energy
Emerging Sustainability Drivers: From Artificial Intelligence to Citizen Scientists

Aug 30, 2024 ● By Kelcie Ottoes

Renewable energy, greenwashing regulation, artificial intelligence applications and biodiversity programs are all being championed by stakeholders for the greater good of our planet.

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Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve to Expand with Addition of 18 Acres

Jul 31, 2024

The Lake County Forest Preserves (LCFP) Board of Commissioners approved the purchase of 18.2 acres to expand Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve, in Lake Forest, at a meeting in July.

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Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge Honored Nationally

Jul 31, 2024

The Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, a dynamic and dedicated Refuge Friends organization, has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Molly Krival Award – Refuge Friends Group of the Year.

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Experience a Taste of Ravinia at All-Day Farmers Market in Highland Park

Jul 31, 2024

Celebrate National Farmers Market Week at the second annual Taste of Ravinia Farmers Market from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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Hidden Gems on Rainbow Beach Support Organic Gardening, Native Ecosystem

Jul 31, 2024 ● By Sheryl DeVore

In summer, Chicago’s Rainbow Beach along Lake Michigan can be alive with sunbathers, swimmers and children building sandcastles.

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group of people cleaning the beach of litter
Protecting Waterways: How Individuals Can Make a Real Difference

Jul 31, 2024 ● By Kelcie Ottoes

Individuals can protect waterways through cleanups, reducing pollution, supporting ecosystems, and improving outdoor spaces for community enjoyment.

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Great Blue Heron on Lake Defiance
July’s Must-Visit Outdoor Havens in the Chicago Region

Jul 01, 2024 ● By Sheryl DeVore

July can be hot and buggy, but that’s no reason to stay indoors. Natural Awakenings asked local notable environmentalists what natural areas in the Chicago region they most enjoy visiting on a July day and what can be experienced there.

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Lake County Continues Flight Toward Bird-Friendly Building Design with New Ordinance

Jun 28, 2024

The Lake County Board recently approved a new ordinance to mitigate fatal bird collisions with the installation of glass on nonresidential buildings in unincorporated Lake County.

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Food falling from a capsule
Farm Foods in a Capsule: Finding Sustainable, Nutrient-Dense Options

Jun 28, 2024 ● By Kelcie Ottoes

Sustainable, nutrient-dense whole-food supplements boost health and complement a balanced diet to support overall wellness.

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woman working in the garden
Weeding Tips: Chemical-Free Weed Control

Jun 28, 2024

Weeds can turn a serene garden into chaos, but eco-friendly practices can help maintain soil health and biodiversity.

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A tree swallow shows off its iridescent blue back.
June’s Colorful Marvels: South-Wintering Songbirds Nest and Nurture Young in the Midwest

Jun 03, 2024 ● By Sheryl DeVore

While many of the migratory songbirds that pass through in April and May are breeding farther north, some have remained to raise young in the Chicago region.

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Light bulb green living
Green-Home Design Tips: Healthy Options for a Sustainable Sanctuary

May 30, 2024 ● By Brian Johnson, BBEC, EMRS, BBNC

Discover how eco-friendly homes prioritize sustainability and health to enhance well-being through thoughtful planning, healthy construction practices, and environmental responsibility.

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