BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND I lived for 15 years on the “mean streets” of…well…well…Jefferson Park—a “nice-streets” neighborhood on Chicago’s far Northwest Side. Not a concrete jungle, but certainly a city neighborhood, with pretty houses packed closely together; mom-and-pop shops, restaurants, and bars hanging on for dear life during the … Continue reading Discovering Nature and Finding Peace During the Pandemic: A Story of Three Seasons in Chicago’s Southland
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND I wrote many stories about nature destinations in 2020, but I also covered a lot of other topics that were near and dear to my heart including stories about my family (including saying goodbye to my third set of "grandparents"), surviving and thriving during the COVID-19 pandemic, … Continue reading The Most-Popular Non-Nature Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in 2020
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND UPDATED OCTOBER 2024 A ghost horse emerging from the waters of a stagnant pond near the cemetery’s entrance. A phantom farm house that grows smaller and then gradually disappears if you approach it. A blue flashing light that races down the footpath to the cemetery … Continue reading Visit Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery Not Only for Spooks and Scares, But Also For Its Rich Local History
Ghost Stories, Trolls (the fun kind), Buried Remains of the Manhattan Project in a Suburban Forest Preserve, Indoor Oases for Weather-Challenged Fall and Winter Weekends, An Amazing City Park, and Places to See Bison in Chicagoland. These were the topics of the most-popular posts at Nature in Chicagoland in October 2018 based on page views … Continue reading The 7 Most-Popular Posts at Nature in Chicagoland in October 2018
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF "NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND" BLOG UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2025 This blog post takes a break from nature to focus on the ghost stories I heard growing up on the South Side of Chicago. Come along with me as I suspend disbelief, momentarily turn my back on science and reason, and … Continue reading My Personal Ghost Story, Ghosts of Chicago’s Southwest Suburbs, and 13 Spots for Post-Ghost-Tour Fun