Category: Iowa

Celebrating the Eighth Anniversary of My Blog, Nature in Chicagoland

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, @FPDCC, astronomy, biking, birdwatching, books, botanical gardens and arboretums, bouldering, camping, canoeing, canyons, cemeteries, Chicago, chicago park district, Chicago Parks, Chicago River, Chicago stories, climbing, conservation, conservatories, cross-country skiing, Des Plaines River, Driftless Region, election candidates, eskers, fall colors, family and friends stories, far, far away from Chicago, farms, fens, fiction, fishing, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF KANE COUNTY, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, Galena Illinois, gardening, ghost hunting, glacial kames, hiking, holiday gifts, horseback riding, Iceland, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, insects, Iowa, Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation, Jordan, Kansas, kayaking, kids activities, Lake County Forest Preserves, Lake County Illinois attractions, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lee County (IL), local history, MCHENRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT, meteorology, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, museums, music, National Park Service, Native American History, nature art, nature calendars, nature centers, Nature Conservancy, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, orchids, Pennsylvania, pets, photography, poems, politics and the environment, prairies, presidents, product reviews, Rockford, Illinois, settlers and Indians, skywatching, sledding, snowshoeing, social issues, social justice, South Dakota, spring wildflowers, train travel, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. history, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, volunteering, waterfalls, winter activities, Wisconsin, zoos

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” Today is the eighth anniversary of the founding of my blog, “Nature in Chicagoland,” and I’m so happy to have written nearly 300 articles about woods, wetlands, prairies, lakes, and other natural areas in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana. I’m pleased that my articles on … Continue reading Celebrating the Eighth Anniversary of My Blog, Nature in Chicagoland

Author and Professor Discusses His New Book, “Midwest Bedrock: The Search for Nature’s Soul in America’s Heartland”

by anders458, posted in birdwatching, books, glacial kames, hiking, holiday gifts, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, prairies, South Dakota, Uncategorized, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Wisconsin

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF THE “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG The Midwest is often viewed as flyover territory by East and West Coast elites. They think: “Flat, boring, miles and miles of farmland.” In short, “nothing to see or learn about.” But Midwesterners who love nature know better. They know that the ecosystems … Continue reading Author and Professor Discusses His New Book, “Midwest Bedrock: The Search for Nature’s Soul in America’s Heartland”

17 Things to Do Outdoors in Chicagoland This Summer 

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, biking, birdwatching, botanical gardens and arboretums, camping, canoeing, Chicago, Chicago Parks, Chicago River, conservation, Driftless Region, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF KANE COUNTY, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, Galena Illinois, gardening, hiking, horseback riding, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, Iowa, kayaking, kids activities, Lake County Forest Preserves, Lake Michigan, local history, museums, National Park Service, nature art, nature centers, prairies, Uncategorized

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Summer officially began at 9:58 A.M. this morning, although I'm sure you've been enjoying our beautiful weather for awhile. But, despite global climate change, summer remains short in Chicagoland. In just a few months, our kids will be back in school, and a month or … Continue reading 17 Things to Do Outdoors in Chicagoland This Summer 

Prairie Enthusiasts Executive Director Discusses Why It’s Vital to Save Prairies (Including Bell Bowl Prairie) and Celebrates the Expansion of Mounds View Grassland Preserve

by anders458, posted in birdwatching, conservation, fall colors, hiking, Illinois, Iowa, prairies, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities, Wisconsin

Debra Behrens is the Executive Director of the The Prairie Enthusiasts, a grassroots environmental organization that has 11 chapters in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois. I recently talked with her about the expansion of its land holdings (a wonderful development in an age where we have to fight to preserve every last bit of the natural … Continue reading Prairie Enthusiasts Executive Director Discusses Why It’s Vital to Save Prairies (Including Bell Bowl Prairie) and Celebrates the Expansion of Mounds View Grassland Preserve

The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in September 2021

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, biking, birdwatching, botanical gardens and arboretums, canyons, Des Plaines River, fall colors, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, hiking, holiday gifts, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Iowa, kids activities, local history, nature centers, Nature Conservancy, prairies, Uncategorized, Wisconsin

Nearly 10 amazing places to see bison in Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Iowa An amazing prairie in Westchester, Illinois   A wonderfully wild, hilly nature preserve with a Civil War–era church that's now a nature center A rare mesic gravel prairie tucked between noisy Interstate 55, railroad tracks, warehouses, LaGrange Road, and the Des Plaines … Continue reading The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in September 2021

Goodbye (and Good Riddance) 2020…Hello 2021!

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, birdwatching, books, canoeing, Chicago, conservation, fall colors, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, hiking, holiday gifts, Illinois, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Iowa, kayaking, kids activities, Lake County Illinois attractions, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, local history, MCHENRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT, Michigan, National Park Service, nature art, nature calendars, nature centers, Nature Conservancy, prairies, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND I want to thank my Nature in Chicagoland readers for visiting my blog in 2020. In nearly 45 blog posts, I covered everything from buffalo "hunting" at Kankakee Sands; to exploring the remnant prairies that dot Chicagoland's landscape; to 14 of my favorite national parks and other … Continue reading Goodbye (and Good Riddance) 2020…Hello 2021!

The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in April 2020

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, birdwatching, books, Chicago, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, Iowa, kayaking, kids activities, Lake Michigan, National Park Service, Uncategorized

Finding peace and enjoying time with my son via neighborhood walks during COVID-19 The wildest place in Cook County 85+ places to visit in the Chicagoland area and beyond A good spot for hiking, running, biking, and otherwise recreating during COVID-19 Great hiking and biking and remnants of the Manhattan Project An interview with one … Continue reading The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in April 2020

14 Amazing National Park Service Destinations for Spring and Summer Road Trips

by anders458, posted in camping, canoeing, far, far away from Chicago, hiking, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, kayaking, kids activities, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Michigan, National Park Service, Native American History, settlers and Indians, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, Upper Peninsula of Michigan

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Planning a spring or summer road trip? If so, here are 14 of my favorite National Park Service destinations to check out. Six are located in the Midwest. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico): More than 120 caves. The park features the largest colony (estimated at about 400,000) … Continue reading 14 Amazing National Park Service Destinations for Spring and Summer Road Trips

The 8 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in November 2019

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, birdwatching, Chicago, Chicago Parks, Forest Preserve of Cook County, Galena Illinois, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Nature preserves, Iowa, kids activities, Lake County Illinois attractions, local history, MCHENRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT, nature centers, Uncategorized, winter activities, Wisconsin

A beautiful, hilly area of Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota that will have you saying, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in the flat Midwest anymore.” A story about a company that puts its employees and protecting the environment ahead of profit 40-foot limestone cliffs, a stream, beautiful waterfalls, and a pond–all in Chicago's Bridgeport … Continue reading The 8 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in November 2019

Author and Professor Discusses the Magical Driftless Area

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, birdwatching, books, camping, canoeing, Galena Illinois, hiking, Illinois, Iowa, kayaking, kids activities, National Park Service, Native American History, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, winter activities, Wisconsin

UPDATED AUGUST 2025 Flat. Boring. These are two common words that come to mind when people think of much of the Midwest. But there's a special place in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin that features limestone bluffs, rolling hills, wooded valleys, waterfalls, creeks, wetlands, rivers, caves, Native American Effigy Mounds, and rare ecosystems and plant … Continue reading Author and Professor Discusses the Magical Driftless Area