Tag: Illinois Nature preserves

Goodbye 2023…Hello 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!

Art Exhibition Celebrates the Stunning Prairies of Illinois

by anders458, posted in books, fall colors, holiday gifts, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, museums, nature art, prairies, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Prairies are a special part of our natural world, and they’re sometimes overlooked amidst the forests and Great Lakes of the Midwest. But a walk in a prairie is a wonderful thing in any season. The wildflowers, grasses, and wild creatures of our Illinois prairies, … Continue reading Art Exhibition Celebrates the Stunning Prairies of Illinois

George Fell: A Tireless Advocate for Nature in Illinois

by anders458, posted in books, conservation, Illinois, Illinois Nature preserves, local history, Uncategorized

BY ANDREW MORKES, AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND There are people who talk, and there are people who do. George Fell was a doer—in spades. There are people who do, but can’t stop talking about themselves and the credit they deserve. Not George Fell. There are people who quit when the powers that be tell … Continue reading George Fell: A Tireless Advocate for Nature in Illinois

Black Partridge Woods: Cool Ravines, Great Hiking, and Six Other Reasons to Visit

by anders458, posted in @FPDCC, birdwatching, fall colors, Forest Preserve of Cook County, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Department of Natural resources, Illinois Nature preserves, kids activities, local history, Native American History, settlers and Indians, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND UPDATED AUGUST 2023 Thousands and thousands of years ago, a spring-fed stream began to carve a ravine into a bluff that overlooked a river. As time passed, the ravine grew deeper. Native Americans (including the Potawatomi chief Black Partridge) lived in and/or travelled through the … Continue reading Black Partridge Woods: Cool Ravines, Great Hiking, and Six Other Reasons to Visit

Messenger Woods: Famous Spring Flowers and Year-Round Fun

by anders458, posted in Forest Preserve District of Will County, hiking, Illinois, kids activities, spring wildflowers, Uncategorized

AFTER MONTHS OF GRAY, DREARY WINTER IN CHICAGO, the Virginia bluebells, great white trillium, and other flowers that blanket the gently rolling hills of Messenger Woods Nature Preserve (13800 W Bruce Road, Homer Glen, IL 60491; 815/727-8700; Facebook page) almost hypnotize you when you suddenly see them in all their glory. That’s what Ellen, my wife’s … Continue reading Messenger Woods: Famous Spring Flowers and Year-Round Fun