Hegewisch Marsh - Nature in Chicagoland

Goodbye 2023…Hello 2024!

January 1, 2024 by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, biking, birdwatching, bouldering, camping, canoeing, canyons, Chicago, Chicago Parks, climbing, conservation, cross-country skiing, Des Plaines River, fall colors, farms, fens, fishing, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF DUPAGE COUNTY, FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF KANE COUNTY, Forest Preserve District of Will County, Forest Preserve of Cook County, glacial kames, hiking, horseback riding, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, kayaking, kids activities, Lake County Forest Preserves, local history, MCHENRY COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT, nature centers, prairies, sledding, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities

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!

Indian Ridge Marsh Park: A Bird Haven and a Story of Environmental Rebirth

November 16, 2020June 20, 2024 by anders458, posted in birdwatching, Chicago, Chicago Parks, conservation, fall colors, hiking, Illinois, prairies, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF "NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND" UPDATED JUNE 2024 Surrounded by steel processing plants and busy railroad lines and roads lies a place of wild beauty and an oasis for migrating great egrets, double crested cormorants, and little blue herons, among many other birds. Park No. 565 is a Chicago city … Continue reading Indian Ridge Marsh Park: A Bird Haven and a Story of Environmental Rebirth

Burnham Prairie Nature Preserve: A Birdwatching Hotspot

October 11, 2020September 17, 2021 by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, birdwatching, conservation, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Nature preserves, prairies, Uncategorized

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND A prairie and a nature preserve in the middle of an urban neighborhood? I wasn’t expecting much as I drove through blocks and blocks of homes. I passed kids playing in front yards, people unpacking groceries from their cars, and others cutting their grass. But … Continue reading Burnham Prairie Nature Preserve: A Birdwatching Hotspot

Welcome to my blog. Nature in Chicagoland covers the joy of nature—whether it's in a forest preserve or state or national park or just in a local park or your own backyard. It also covers meteorology; geology; astronomy; environmental restoration, protection, and sustainability; local history; and nearby colleges and universities that offer environmental-related majors. In my definition, "Chicagoland" consists of Chicago, its suburbs, and any natural destination that's within a day's drive of our great city. Thanks for reading.