Category: Native American History

Wapello Land & Water Reserve Offers a Glimpse of 1,000-Year-Old Native American History and Great Hiking Amidst a Beautiful Prairie Restoration

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, birdwatching, Driftless Region, fall colors, hiking, Illinois, Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation, Native American History, prairies, spring wildflowers

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF THE “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG Approximately 1,000 years ago, small groups from the Mississippian Native American culture headed north from their home in Cahokia, which was located across the Mississippi River from the current city of St. Louis, Missouri. At its zenith, Cahokia had a population of more … Continue reading Wapello Land & Water Reserve Offers a Glimpse of 1,000-Year-Old Native American History and Great Hiking Amidst a Beautiful Prairie Restoration

6 Things to Do at Horner Park Natural Area on Chicago’s North Side

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, birdwatching, Chicago, chicago park district, Chicago Parks, Chicago River, fall colors, fishing, hiking, Illinois, kids activities, Native American History, nature art, prairies, spring wildflowers, volunteering, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG Horner Park is like many Chicago city parks—and then it isn’t, and that’s good news for nature lovers. According to the Chicago Park District, it has nine softball fields, a football/soccer field, three senior baseball diamonds with night baseball on two diamonds, four outdoor … Continue reading 6 Things to Do at Horner Park Natural Area on Chicago’s North Side

5 Things to Do at Casper Bluff Land & Water Reserve

by anders458, posted in birdwatching, conservation, Driftless Region, fall colors, Galena Illinois, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation, Native American History, prairies, settlers and Indians, spring wildflowers, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG Casper Bluff Land & Water Reserve is an amazing spot that features rolling hills, Native American mounds (including the only thunderbird effigy mound in Illinois), great birdwatching, and stunning views of the Mississippi River and its backwaters (known as the Harris Slough). It’s located … Continue reading 5 Things to Do at Casper Bluff Land & Water Reserve

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

More Than 20 Indoor Places to Visit in the Chicago Area on a Freezing or Blazing Hot Day

by anders458, posted in Illinois, @FPDCC, botanical gardens and arboretums, Chicago, chicago park district, conservation, conservatories, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, holiday gifts, Indiana, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, kids activities, Lake County Forest Preserves, Lake County Illinois attractions, Lake Michigan, local history, museums, National Park Service, Native American History, nature centers, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF THE NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND BLOG UPDATED JUNE 29, 2026 Spending outdoors is great unless the weather is life-threatingly cold or hot or other conditions (e.g., wildfire smoke) exist that make it unsafe. But on some days, we just need to stay safe. The good news: there are many … Continue reading More Than 20 Indoor Places to Visit in the Chicago Area on a Freezing or Blazing Hot Day

23 Indoor Places to Visit in Chicagoland on a Canadian-Wildfire, Smoke-Filled Day or Just a Rainy or Wintry One

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, @FPDCC, botanical gardens and arboretums, Chicago, conservation, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY, Forest Preserve of Cook County, Illinois, kids activities, Lake County Illinois attractions, local history, museums, National Park Service, Native American History, nature centers, settlers and Indians, U.S. history

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF "NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND" BLOG UPDATED JULY 16, 2026 Many forests in Canada are on fire due to global warming and other factors, which has currrently made Chicago and other Midwestern cities very smoky. This smoke is hazardous to our health and today is not a good day to … Continue reading 23 Indoor Places to Visit in Chicagoland on a Canadian-Wildfire, Smoke-Filled Day or Just a Rainy or Wintry One

A Blog Post of Thanks to the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Daily Southtown, Local Bookstores, and Others Who Helped Make Nature in Chicagoland a Success

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, birdwatching, books, botanical gardens and arboretums, canoeing, canyons, Chicago, Chicago Parks, Chicago River, conservation, fall colors, 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, hiking, holiday gifts, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, kayaking, kids activities, Lake County Illinois attractions, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, local history, MCHENRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT, Michigan, National Park Service, Native American History, nature centers, Nature Conservancy, prairies, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, waterfalls, winter activities, Wisconsin

BY ANDREW MORKES, AUTHOR of NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND It’s been a good year…at least for the owner (me) of a small book publishing company that does not have the power of the Big Four “digital-paper-industrial complex” publishers, who can sell tens of thousands of books in a matter of minutes with a perfectly-timed Tweet about … Continue reading A Blog Post of Thanks to the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Daily Southtown, Local Bookstores, and Others Who Helped Make Nature in Chicagoland a Success

30+ Great Destinations on Chicago’s South Side and in the Southland to Explore

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, birdwatching, botanical gardens and arboretums, camping, canoeing, Chicago, Chicago Parks, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, ghost hunting, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Nature preserves, Indiana, kayaking, kids activities, Lake Michigan, local history, museums, National Park Service, Native American History, nature centers, prairies, settlers and Indians, sledding, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF "NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND" UPDATED NOVEMBER 2024 Looking for something to do this weekend and beyond? If so, check out these 30+ great places on Chicago’s South Side and in its south and southwest suburbs. I’ve also included Indiana Dunes National Park, one of our nation’s newest national parks, … Continue reading 30+ Great Destinations on Chicago’s South Side and in the Southland to Explore

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

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, botanical gardens and arboretums, camping, canoeing, Chicago, Chicago Parks, Forest Preserve of Cook County, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Nature preserves, kayaking, kids activities, Lake County Illinois attractions, MCHENRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT, museums, National Park Service, Native American History, nature centers, presidents, snowshoeing, Uncategorized, winter activities

40-foot limestone cliffs, a stream, beautiful waterfalls, and a fishing pond–all in a Chicago neighborhood  12 tips for a great winter hike 20+ museums, nature centers, and other destinations to visit in Chicagoland on a winter day 14 beautiful National Park destinations–start your spring and summer trip planning Great hiking and biking and remnants of … Continue reading The 7 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in January 2020

More Than 20 Museums, Nature Centers, and Other Destinations to Visit In Chicagoland on a Winter Day

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, botanical gardens and arboretums, Chicago, conservation, Forest Preserve of Cook County, Galena Illinois, Illinois, Illinois Nature preserves, kids activities, Lake County Illinois attractions, local history, museums, National Park Service, Native American History, nature centers, settlers and Indians, snowshoeing, Uncategorized, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND It's a snowy weekend in Chicago, but that's no reason to stay at home. A 10-mile winter hike = NO! Camping = NO! But you can still get out and take a short walk or, more realistically, enjoy one of our area's many natured-oriented places, museums, and … Continue reading More Than 20 Museums, Nature Centers, and Other Destinations to Visit In Chicagoland on a Winter Day