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Green Living

Last Updated: Dec 31, 2024 09:00AM • Subscribe via RSS • ATOM

The Morton Arboretum
Jumpstart Spring with Winter Seed Sowing at The Morton Arboretum

Dec 31, 2024

Winter Seed Sowing Workshop Join Natasha Nicholes at The Morton Arboretum on January 18, 10 a.m.–noon, to craft mini-greenhouses and learn winter sowing techniques. MortonArb.org

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Chicago Park District
Garfield Park Conservatory Breaks Ground on Children’s Garden

Dec 31, 2024

The Chicago Park District and Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance broke ground on the Elizabeth Morse Genius Children’s Garden, opening in fall 2025. A $10 million renovation! Visit GarfieldConservatory.org

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Celebrate National Seed Swap Day

Dec 31, 2024 ● By Growing Community and Gardens

National Seed Swap Day invites gardeners to exchange seeds, share knowledge, and connect over a mutual love of plants, explore new varieties and inspire your garden for the year ahead.

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Discover Chicagoland’s Indoor Nature Treasures This Winter

Dec 31, 2024 ● By Sheryl DeVore

Explore area nature centers this season. These free indoor mini-museums feature live animal exhibits, including a 130-year-old snapping turtle, tiger salamanders, and hissing cockroaches!

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Dormant Season is Tree Pruning Season

Dec 31, 2024 ● By M.D. Skeet (“Skeet”)

During winter, tree crews prune trees and shrubs. The dormant season is ideal for spotting damaged branches, reducing structural interference, and enhancing safety before storms strike.

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bird perched on an up cycled water bottle
The Upcycling Lifestyle: How To Make Anything New Again

Dec 31, 2024 ● By Maya Whitman

From fashion to furniture, unleash creativity while reducing waste. Discover how repurposing can inspire sustainability and spark joy.

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basket woven from old t-shirts
New Uses for Old T-Shirts

Dec 31, 2024

Revive old T-shirts with creative DIY ideas. Make scrunchies, tote bags, dog toys, memory quilts, braided baskets, or reusable cleaning cloths.

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Natural Product Sciences Degree at Concordia University Builds Leaders in Health and Sustainability

Dec 30, 2024 ● By Natural Awakenings Milwaukee

Sponsored Content Concordia University Wisconsin is now enrolling students for its cutting-edge Natural Product Sciences master’s degree and certificate programs.

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image of a cute bookstore
Explore These Local Bookstores for Nature-Inspired Reads

Dec 01, 2024

Discover some Chicago area bookstores offering nature-inspired reads. Find unique selections of environmental books, adventure stories and eco-literature perfect for nature enthusiasts. Support local, independent small businesses and fuel your passion for the outdoors.

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Must-Read Books for Nature Lovers This Holiday Season

Dec 01, 2024 ● By Sheryl DeVore

Discover a curated collection of must-read books perfect for nature lovers this holiday season. From Camille T. Dungy’s *Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden*, exploring rewilding and the Black American land experience, to Robin Wall Kimmerer’s latest work, *The Serviceberry*, these recommendations blend lyrical prose with environmental wisdom. Dive into selections like Sy Montgomery’s *Of Time and Turtles* or Zoe Schlanger’s *The Light Eaters*, which reframe our understanding of the natural world. Local bookstore owners share their insights, offering thoughtful gift ideas to inspire, educate, and deepen connections to nature.

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woman holiday shopping
Click Local: How Online Shopping Boosts Neighborhood Businesses

Nov 29, 2024 ● By Megy Karydes

Support your community while enjoying online convenience. Discover how local businesses combine personal service with digital tools to thrive in today's shopping landscape.

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Photo with permission from the University of Illinois Extension.
Champion Trees Inspire Us While Battling Climate Change

Oct 31, 2024 ● By Sheryl DeVore

Illinois Big Tree Register program, by the University of Illinois Extension, highlights significant trees statewide to encourage conservation and appreciation of Illinois' tree heritage.

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Image credit Bartlett Tree Experts
Protecting Drought-Stressed Chicagoland Trees Before Winter Starts

Oct 31, 2024 ● By M.D. Skeet (“Skeet”)

Chicagoland's drought is stressing trees. Symptoms include wilting leaves and stunted growth. Arborists recommend focusing on watering, mulching, and fertilization, as well as inspections

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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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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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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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