BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF THE NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND BLOG UPDATED JUNE 2025 Spending outdoors is great unless the weather is life-threatingly cold or hot or other conditions (e.g., wildfire smoke) exist that make it unsafe. But on some days, we just need to stay safe. The good news: there are many nature … Continue reading More Than 20 Indoor Places to Visit in the Chicago Area on a Freezing or Boiling Hot Day
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Summer officially began at 9:58 A.M. this morning, although I'm sure you've been enjoying our beautiful weather for awhile. But, despite global climate change, summer remains short in Chicagoland. In just a few months, our kids will be back in school, and a month or … Continue reading 17 Things to Do Outdoors in Chicagoland This Summer
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND I want to thank my Nature in Chicagoland readers for visiting my blog in 2020. In nearly 45 blog posts, I covered everything from buffalo "hunting" at Kankakee Sands; to exploring the remnant prairies that dot Chicagoland's landscape; to 14 of my favorite national parks and other … Continue reading Goodbye (and Good Riddance) 2020…Hello 2021!
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND I love dragonflies. They’re beautiful, colorful, and diverse—and great for our area's ecosystems. Did you know that there are nearly 310 species of dragonflies in North America alone? Dragonflies are master aviators despite spending most of their lives as larvae in the water. Seeing a … Continue reading Author Discusses the Joys of Dragonflies and Damselflies
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF "NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND" UPDATED NOVEMBER 2024 Looking for something to do this weekend and beyond? If so, check out these 30+ great places on Chicago’s South Side and in its south and southwest suburbs. I’ve also included Indiana Dunes National Park, one of our nation’s newest national parks, … Continue reading 30+ Great Destinations on Chicago’s South Side and in the Southland to Explore
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Planning a spring or summer road trip? If so, here are 14 of my favorite National Park Service destinations to check out. Six are located in the Midwest. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico): More than 120 caves. The park features the largest colony (estimated at about 400,000) … Continue reading 14 Amazing National Park Service Destinations for Spring and Summer Road Trips
The story of a 100-year-old home gobbled up by developers Ghost stories of Chicago's southwest suburbs and my own ghost story Hawks and hills, sloughs and snakes, and buried nuclear waste, oh my! 8 places to see bison in Chicagoland and the Midwest A beautiful and tranquil nature center on Chicago’s Southwest Side Beautiful, secluded … Continue reading The 10 Most-Popular Stories at Nature in Chicagoland in September 2019
Congress finally did something right! Earlier this year, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (IDNL) became Indiana Dunes National Park (IDNP), making it the country's 61st national park and the first in Indiana. The debate continues on whether Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore deserved national park status (a category that offers far more protections than other National Park … Continue reading Indiana Dunes National Park: Our Nation’s Newest National Park
BY ANDREW MORKES, FOUNDER & AUTHOR OF NATURE IN CHICAGOLAND Looking for something to do this Labor Day weekend beyond? If so, check out these 16 great places on Chicago's South Side and in its south and southwest suburbs. I've also included Indiana Dunes National Park, our nation's newest national park, and it's just as … Continue reading 16 South Chicagoland Nature Wonders: Great Destinations on the South Side and in the South Suburbs to Check Out This Weekend and Beyond
Less than an hour away from Chicago there is a wild and beautiful place that features nearly 200-foot sand dunes rising above 3 miles of beautiful Lake Michigan beach, as well as black oak forests, bogs, creeks, marshes, and other natural wonders filled with more than 1,000 plant and animal species. No, this is not … Continue reading Indiana Dunes State Park: Beautiful Beaches, Peaceful Forests, and a Biodiversity Hotspot