Dunning-Read Natural Area: A Prairie Oasis in Chicago

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND

UPDATED JUNE 2024

The compass plants, monarchs and other butterflies, prairie crayfish, and coyotes would not exist in this spot today if the city of Chicago went through with its plans decades ago to turn what is now 23-acre Dunning-Read Natural Area (4050 N. Oak Park Avenue, Chicago, IL 60634) into a shopping center. Instead, we’d have blue light specials, food courts selling heart attacks on a plate, and acres and acres of parking lots. And not a place that is beautiful, freshens the air, protects wildlife, and serves as a destination for stormwater runoff.

But during my visit on Thursday, the monarchs and other butterflies fluttered above the wild bergamot, prairie blazing star, purple coneflowers, prairie ironweed, shrubby St. John’s wort, and other prairie plants. Dragonflies engaged in aerial battles over the prairie, and occasionally dropped down from the sky to investigate me. Birdsong drowned out (at times) the sounds of vehicles and car radios on Oak Park Avenue and Irving Park Road. Compass plants towered 10 feet above the prairie as if to say, “look at what I can do if you give nature a chance.”

I walked alone in this natural wonderland for almost an hour in the 90-degree heat with the sun blazing down on me (and it felt great). There are a few places on the northwest side of Chicago where you can find solitude in nature. Wonderful!

Dunning-Read Natural Area—which was formerly owned by the state of Illinois and was transferred to the Chicago Park District (CPD) in 2022—is a 23-acre prairie, woodland, and wetland (with prairie crayfish!) that is currently being restored by the CPD (according to a 2014 plan that was drafted by Friends of the Parks), Dunning-Read Natural Area Park Advisory Council, members of the American Indian Center, students at Wilbur Wright College, and other people and organizations. The restoration is a work in progress. The natural areas are inundated with invasives—most noticeably teasel (pictured below) and common reed, but also buckthorn, garlic mustard, honeysuckle, and reed canary grass, among other plants. But as I walked, I imagined a future Dunning-Read that is mostly free of invasives and that has become a nature destination for Northwest Siders. A place that people from the neighborhood and beyond visit to recharge from the worries of daily life and learn about the natural world—hopefully taking some peace and native planting inspiration back to their own homes. (Hint: Lose your lawns, and plant natives!) It’s rare that I feel optimistic about our natural areas (given the story of Bell Bowl Prairie and other lost nature areas), but something tells me that Dunning-Read will become special in five or 10 years—maybe sooner.  

Here are a few things you can do at Dunning-Read Natural Area:

Take a short hike. There are approximately 0.8 miles of chipped wood trails that travel through prairie and woodlands and skirt the wetlands at the natural area’s northern edge. The trails are easy and mostly level. Hikers can take a break on benches that are available at two council rings (i.e., sitting circles) and in other spots. Friendly advice: Don’t rush through the trails. This is a small prairie, woodland, and wetland, so take the time to savor each area. A visit to a prairie is a form of meditation, and my best wishes for you include a blanket of fragrant flowers, tall grasses that make you feel small in the world (but big in your heart), beautiful blue skies, and the chance to be alone amongst your thoughts amidst this beauty.

Birdwatch. I saw red-winged blackbirds, sparrows, and several birds I couldn’t identify (I need a bird app) during my short visit. Other birds that have been sighted at the preserve include common yellowthroat, American robin, northern cardinal, wood duck, warbling vireo, hawk, house finch, Canada goose, Connecticut warbler, Eurasian collared dove, gray catbird, American redstart, and blue-headed vireo.

“Other Animal” Watch:  Coyotes, chipmunks, rabbits, deer, and other wildlife can be found at Dunning-Read.

View “Nesewin,” a steel sculpture that was installed in 2019 at the trailhead.

Practice your nature photography.

Take your kids to the prairie. A prairie is a great place to take your kids to teach them to appreciate nature or simply to relax and have some fun.

Do nothing but soak in the sounds and sights of nature.

Volunteer. Kudos to the dedicated volunteers who have cared about and worked to restore this beautiful nature spot for decades. Consider volunteering with the Dunning Read Natural Area Park Advisory Council and other organizations to help remove invasives, pick up litter, and otherwise improve the property.

Final Thoughts:

We’re so often surrounded by buildings and miles and miles of concrete in our modern world—especially if you live in the city as I do. A visit to a prairie takes you away from this sometimes claustrophobic world of stone pavement and walls and returns you to a land of lush grasses, beautiful wildflowers, big skies, and the good earth. It’s a joy to follow the journey of a prairie from the first green shoots fighting their way through the soil in the earliest days of spring, through the heat and wild growth of summer, to the late fall when some flowers are taking their final bow, while others are just debuting their lovely colors. Oppenheimer and Barbie aren’t the only blockbusters available this summer. Select a prairie near you (make Dunning-Read your first stop) and visit it every month to enjoy this entertainment spectacular. No ticket required.

Things to Know Before You Go

• Dunning-Read Natural Area (4050 N. Oak Park Avenue, Chicago, IL 60634) is located in the Dunning neighborhood of Chicago next to the Chicago-Read Mental Health Center. Enter from Oak Park Avenue into the center’s parking lot. Signs for the natural area will direct you to the south end of the parking lot. The main entrance for the natural area is located there, near Oak Park Avenue.
• Open sunrise to sunset, March through November.
• No alcohol or dogs (including alcohol-drinking ones) are allowed.
• Dunning-Read is accessible by public transportation. Click here for more information.
• Perhaps 60 percent of the property is open prairie with little shade, so bring sunscreen and ample water (if hiking in the warm weather).
• The area was originally inhabited by the Chippewa, Potawatomi, and other indigenous peoples.  
• Be sure to stay on the trails. All prairies feature delicate ecosystems that can easily be destroyed when people venture off the paths. Help the volunteers maintain the prairie by not picking flowers or collecting seeds, or otherwise gathering anything from the prairie.

Copyright (text) Andrew Morkes

Copyright (photos) Andrew Morkes; except photo of prairie crayfish (copyright Missouri Department of Conservation)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Looking for some other great nature destinations in Chicagoland? If so, check out my book, Nature in Chicagoland: More Than 120 Fantastic Nature Destinations That You Must Visit. It features amazing destinations in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Click on the title to learn more. The book has 306 pages and 210+ photos and is only $18.99.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ABOUT ANDREW MORKES

I have been a writer and editor for nearly 30 years. I’m the founder of College & Career Press (2002); the author and publisher of “The Morkes Report: College and Career Planning Trends” blog; and the author and publisher of Hot Health Care Careers: 30 Occupations With Fast Growth and Many New Job Openings; Nontraditional Careers for Women and Men: More Than 30 Great Jobs for Women and Men With Apprenticeships Through PhDs; They Teach That in College!?: A Resource Guide to More Than 100 Interesting College Majors, which was selected as one of the best books of the year by the library journal Voice of Youth Advocates; and other titles. They Teach That in College!? provides more information on environmental- and sustainability-related majors such as Ecotourism, Range Management, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Built Environment, Sustainability Studies, and Sustainable Agriculture/Organic Farming. I’m also a member of the parent advisory board at my son’s school. 

In addition to these publications, I’ve written more than 60 books about careers for other publishing and media companies including Infobase (such as the venerable Encyclopedia of Careers & Vocational Guidance, the Vault Career Guide to Accounting, and many volumes in the Careers in Focus, Discovering Careers, What Can I Do Now?!, and Career Skills Library series) and Mason Crest (including those in the Careers in the Building Trades and Cool Careers in Science series).

Here’s a list of the environmental-focused titles that I’ve written:

• Nature in Chicagoland: More Than 120 Fantastic Nature Destinations That You Must Visit
• Wind Turbine Technicians (Great Careers Without a Bachelor’s Degree series)
• Environmental Scientists (Cool Careers in Science series)
• Renewable Energy Careers (Cool Careers in Science series)
• Environment (Getting Started series)
• Solar Power Technicians (Careers in Infrastructure series)