Tag: Illinois

My Favorite 32 Photos That I Took Last Year

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, @FPDCC, astronomy, birdwatching, Chicago, Chicago stories, conservation, Driftless Region, far, far away from Chicago, Forest Preserve of Cook County, Galena Illinois, gardening, hiking, Illinois, Illinois Nature preserves, Ireland, Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation, kids activities, Northern Lights, photography, prairies, skywatching, spring wildflowers, winter activities, Wisconsin

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG I love photography and took a gazillion photos last year. Okay, I don’t have a firm number but take my word for it that I took MANY photos—of nature, family, friends, concerts, bars, bands, cool architecture, art, historical spots, you name it. I’m sure most … Continue reading My Favorite 32 Photos That I Took Last Year

7 Things to Do at Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, biking, birdwatching, cross-country skiing, fall colors, hiking, Illinois, kids activities, Lake County Forest Preserves, Lake County Illinois attractions, prairies, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, volunteering, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG If you’re looking for great hiking, biking, birdwatching, and wide-open spaces, than Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve in Deer Park, Illinois, is the spot for you.   I visited Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve on a sunny, late-September day with unseasonable temperatures in the high 80s. The … Continue reading 7 Things to Do at Cuba Marsh Forest Preserve

Goodbye 2025…Hello 2026! 

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, @FPDCC, birdwatching, Chicago, hiking, Illinois, kids activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG I want to thank my “Nature in Chicagoland” readers for visiting my blog in 2025. I’m grateful to those who take the time to read my stories and correspond with me about nature in Chicagoland. I continue to love writing this blog (which I've … Continue reading Goodbye 2025…Hello 2026! 

Visit Spring Valley Nature Center & Heritage Farm for Great Hiking and Birdwatching, Fun Activities for Kids, and to Discover the Area’s German Heritage

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, birdwatching, conservation, fall colors, farms, hiking, holiday gifts, Illinois, kids activities, local history, nature art, nature centers, prairies, settlers and Indians, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, volunteering, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG They say that life is one big circle. But with the Chicagoland area being so vast, with a population of more than 9.2 million people, I sometimes doubt that. So who would’ve thought that I’d be hiking with my sixth-grade teacher (1980–81) nearly 45 years … Continue reading Visit Spring Valley Nature Center & Heritage Farm for Great Hiking and Birdwatching, Fun Activities for Kids, and to Discover the Area’s German Heritage

Sometimes the Quest is Part of the Fun: Thoughts on Chasing the Northern Lights

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, astronomy, Chicago, chicago park district, Illinois, kids activities, Northern Lights

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG Sometimes the quest is part of the fun--as long as you're with someone whom you love, eat two Burger King chicken sandwiches each, have hot chocolate ready in thermoses, and have the hope of late night milkshakes (which ended up not happening). The night started … Continue reading Sometimes the Quest is Part of the Fun: Thoughts on Chasing the Northern Lights

Chicago Sun-Times Outdoors Columnist Dale Bowman Retires: An Appreciation

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, Chicago, conservation, Illinois

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” BLOG Chicago Sun-Times Outdoors columnist Dale Bowman has retired after nearly 30 years on the job. His last column ran in Sunday’s paper. If you love nature in the Chicago area, you’ve probably already heard the news, and I want to share my own thoughts … Continue reading Chicago Sun-Times Outdoors Columnist Dale Bowman Retires: An Appreciation

A Few Thoughts to Celebrate the Life of Ryne Sandberg

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, baseball, Chicago, Chicago stories

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” I'm taking a break from writing about nature in Chicagoland to celebrate the life of Ryne Sandberg, one of baseball's greats who passed away yesterday. More nature stories coming soon. Ryne Sandberg passed away at the age of 65 yesterday after battling prostate cancer for … Continue reading A Few Thoughts to Celebrate the Life of Ryne Sandberg

7 Stories About My Dad on Father’s Day

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, family and friends stories

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF “NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND” My father was my best friend and, despite that, sometimes I find it hard to convey my feelings about him, as well as paint a picture of his personality, in writing. Perhaps these seven stories will do the trick. 1. My father had a great … Continue reading 7 Stories About My Dad on Father’s Day

McClaughrey Springs Woods: Beautiful Spring Flowers and Fall Colors and a Birding Hotspot

by anders458, posted in Uncategorized, @FPDCC, biking, birdwatching, cross-country skiing, fall colors, Forest Preserve of Cook County, hiking, Illinois, kids activities, prairies, snowshoeing, spring wildflowers, volunteering, winter activities

BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND BLOG There’s nothing like a bird sighting to bring people together in nature. After parking at McClaughrey Springs Woods, I began walking toward a bridge that overlooks Mill Creek, which meanders through the preserve. Several men with tripods, cameras, and lenses that seemed longer than baseball bats … Continue reading McClaughrey Springs Woods: Beautiful Spring Flowers and Fall Colors and a Birding Hotspot

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