Category: birdwatching

Isle a la Cache Museum: Midwest Fur Trade History, Great Views of the Des Plaines River, and 9 Other Reasons to Visit

by anders458, posted in birdwatching, Forest Preserve District of Will County, hiking, Illinois, kids activities, local history, museums, Native American History, settlers and Indians, Uncategorized

Where: 501 East Romeo Road, Romeoville, IL 60446, 815/886-1467, Website, FacebookOpen: Visitor Center: Tuesday-Saturday: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sunday: Noon–4 p.m.; Monday: Closed. The preserve is open 8 a.m. to sunset daily.  Quick Review: A well-organized and attractive museum on an island in the Des Plaines River. It provides information on the fur trade between the … Continue reading Isle a la Cache Museum: Midwest Fur Trade History, Great Views of the Des Plaines River, and 9 Other Reasons to Visit

15 Things to Do Outdoors This Spring in Chicagoland

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, birdwatching, botanical gardens and arboretums, camping, Chicago, Chicago Parks, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF KANE COUNTY, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, gardening, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, kids activities, Lake County Illinois attractions, Lake Michigan, MCHENRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT, National Park Service, nature centers, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, volunteering

Spring is here in Chicagoland—at least if you look at the calendar, but not the thermometer. Warmer weather is on the horizon, and summer will be here in no time. But before the hot, stifling days of summer are upon us, here are 15 things you should do outdoors this spring in Chicagoland: Photo courtesy … Continue reading 15 Things to Do Outdoors This Spring in Chicagoland

The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in March 2019

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, birdwatching, books, botanical gardens and arboretums, Chicago, ghost hunting, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Nature preserves, kids activities, Uncategorized

Ghosts of ChicagolandBison! The wildest nature spot in Cook CountyThe remnants of the Manhattan Project…and some great hiking and biking opportunitiesA spring road trip idea for bird loversA book about a conservation pioneerAnd those crazy trolls that everyone loves at The Morton Arboretum These were the topics of the seven most-popular articles last month at … Continue reading The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in March 2019

Spring Road Trip Idea: Visit Nebraska to Watch the Great Crane Migration

by anders458, posted in birdwatching, hiking, kids activities, nature centers, Nebraska, photography, Uncategorized

© Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center Spring has finally sprung in Chicagoland! If you look to the sky, you'll occasionally see hundreds of sandhill cranes, geese, ducks, and other migrating birds as they travel north (from their winter homes in northern Mexico, Texas, New Mexico, and other places) to their warm-weather breeding grounds in … Continue reading Spring Road Trip Idea: Visit Nebraska to Watch the Great Crane Migration

Palmisano Park: A Hidden Gem in Chicago

by anders458, posted in birdwatching, Chicago, chicago park district, Chicago Parks, fishing, hiking, Illinois, kids activities, sledding, Uncategorized, waterfalls, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF THE “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG UPDATED JUNE 2024 You don’t expect to find 40-foot limestone cliffs, a stream, beautiful waterfalls, and a pond in the middle of Chicago. But at Palmisano Park—a hidden gem at 27th and Halsted in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood—that’s just the case. This beautiful urban … Continue reading Palmisano Park: A Hidden Gem in Chicago

Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve: The Wildest Place in Cook County

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, biking, birdwatching, conservation, fall colors, Forest Preserve of Cook County, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Nature preserves, prairies, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities

You won't find a nature center or interpretive trail signs at Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve in Palos Park, a southwest suburb of Chicago. But you will find beautiful oak forests, prairies, savannahs, cattail marshes, sedge meadows, and wetlands. Walking the gravel trails and footpaths in this sprawling 1,520-acre preserve is probably the closest one can get … Continue reading Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve: The Wildest Place in Cook County

18 Tips for Camping With Kids

by anders458, posted in biking, birdwatching, camping, fall colors, hiking, kayaking, kids activities, Lake Michigan, nature centers, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, Wisconsin

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND UPDATED 2023 I’ve camped since I was about age 10. I’ve pitched a tent everywhere from Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico, to Sleeping Bear Dunes and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshores in Michigan. I’ve camped alone and with friends, but camping with children … Continue reading 18 Tips for Camping With Kids

Volo Bog: An Ice Age Remnant and the Only Quaking Bog in Illinois

by anders458, posted in birdwatching, fall colors, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, kids activities, Lake County Illinois attractions, local history, nature centers, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND UPDATED AUGUST 2023 About 12,000 years ago, the last of the towering glaciers that covered parts of what is now the Chicago area began melting. As one of the massive glaciers melted, a water-filled depression was left in its wake. The depression eventually developed into … Continue reading Volo Bog: An Ice Age Remnant and the Only Quaking Bog in Illinois

Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center: Big Bugs, Tons of Fun Activities for Kids, and Great Hiking Trails

by anders458, posted in birdwatching, fall colors, fishing, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY, hiking, holiday gifts, Illinois, kids activities, local history, museums, nature centers, settlers and Indians, snowshoeing, social justice, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND UPDATED AUGUST 2023 Massive bugs are everywhere at Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center (3609 Spring Road, Oak Brook, IL 60523, 630/850-8110), which is located in Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve. A five-foot-long praying mantis perches atop the entrance to the center, a large grasshopper peers down … Continue reading Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center: Big Bugs, Tons of Fun Activities for Kids, and Great Hiking Trails

Why I Love the Outdoors Despite Once Being Impaled by a Cactus, Nearly Run Over by a Bison, and Having a Scratched Cornea Ruin My First Date With My Future Wife

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, birdwatching, camping, canoeing, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, hiking, Illinois, Iowa, kids activities, Lake Michigan, Michigan, National Park Service, Native American History, nature centers, Uncategorized, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, winter activities, Wisconsin

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND UPDATED AUGUST 2023 If you view many people’s Facebook, X, and Instagram posts (including mine sometimes), nature is pretty, awe-inspiring, often cuddly, and almost perfect in its beauty. In photos and stories, the spring flowers are a multi-colored blanket of … Continue reading Why I Love the Outdoors Despite Once Being Impaled by a Cactus, Nearly Run Over by a Bison, and Having a Scratched Cornea Ruin My First Date With My Future Wife