BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF THE “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG UPDATED AUGUST 2025 Looking for an adventure just 2.5 hours from Chicago? If so, check out Witkowsky State Wildlife Area, a 1,000-acre natural area that is located in far northwest Illinois in the Driftless Region. It’s just nine miles southeast of the historic … Continue reading 6 Things to Do at Witkowsky State Wildlife Area
Andrew Morkes shares his experiences hiking at Willow Springs Woods, highlighting its natural beauty through changing seasons. He describes the flora and fauna encountered during his visits, emphasizing the importance of restoration efforts. Morkes encourages others to explore this natural preserve and its connections to the broader Palos Trail System.
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF "NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND" Today is the seventh anniversary of my blog, "Nature in Chicagoland," and I’m so happy to have written more than 260 articles about woods, wetlands, prairies, lakes, and other natural areas in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana. I’m pleased that my articles on "Nature in … Continue reading Celebrating the Seventh Anniversary of My Blog, Nature in Chicagoland
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF "NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND" I want to thank my "Nature in Chicagoland" readers for visiting my blog in 2023. Last year, my blog received the most reader views and visits in its nearly seven-year history, and I'm grateful to those who take the time to read my stories and … Continue reading Goodbye 2023…Hello 2024!
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND In 1963, the Illinois General Assembly passed the Illinois Natural Areas Preservation Act, which created the means of protecting the state’s rarest and most endangered landscapes. The act established the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission (INPC) to “preserve, protect, and defend natural areas and endangered species … Continue reading More Than 25 Illinois Nature Preserves to Visit to Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Creation of the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND UPDATED JULY 2024 Where do I start when trying to tell you about all the great things you can do and see at Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area? It’s hard to decide because Ryerson Conservation Area (which is also known as Ryerson Woods) is both … Continue reading Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area: A Hiker’s Heaven, a Biodiversity Hotspot, and Opportunities to Learn About Local History
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Perhaps you two were the shy, but creative, wallflower kids at the grade school dance who ended up starring in Rent as grownups. Maybe you were there all summer, and I just missed you amidst the other blooms. However or “why-ever” you got here, … Continue reading An Appreciation of the Last Two Native Flowers in My Yard
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND I spent more than three blissful hours at Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve last Tuesday. I hiked more than 6 miles and, if you can believe the 1s and 0s, my phone told me that I’d walked up the equivalent of 32 floors during my … Continue reading 10 Thoughts About Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve and Fall in Chicagoland’s Forest Preserves
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Theodore Stone Forest is a 142-acre nature preserve in Hodgkins, Illinois, which is more known for its freight terminals and other industrial offerings than for its outdoor wonders. Yet this beautiful, restored dolomite prairie, oak savanna, and woodland habitat is a wonderful place to take … Continue reading Theodore Stone Forest Offers a Nature Respite in a Chicagoland Industrial Corridor
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND UPDATED JULY 2024 Bright sunshine. Vast skies loaded with white, fluffy clouds. Warm gusts of wind. Butterflies and dragonflies. Absolute solitude. No 24-hour news cycle. In short: I had nothing to complain about during my visit last week to 320-acre Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve in … Continue reading 7 Things to Do at Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve