Recap of The Amphibians of Chicago presented by Joey Cavataio Joey Cavataio condensed many years of experience and research into a beautifully presented talk for us on Feb 25. Along with the lovely images of our area’s amphibians, another welcome sight was the many middle-schoolers who were attending for an extra credit assignment from their […] Continue reading "Recap of The Amphibians of Chicago by Joey Cavataio"
Our June 25, 2017 program featuring Dr. Emily Minor (UIC Urban Ecologist) focused on the many citizen science projects available. These are projects that include data/observations made by laypeople and can be used for research by scientists. Citizen science may sound difficult, but it is really as easy as looking out your window […] Continue reading "Citizen Science Projects"
West Cook Wild Ones 2017 Accomplishments We are grateful for all of the joyful energy of our members, volunteers, and supporters over this past year. Thanks to all of you 2017 was a year of action for us. Next year will be even better. Embracing senescence Its hard to believe its almost time to say […] Continue reading "West Cook Wild Ones 2017 Accomplishments"
Resources to Learn about Harvesting Milkweed Seeds This post provides links to articles that help us with learning about harvesting and sharing milkweed seeds. Many of the tips and tricks are applicable to other types of seeds. If you’ve grown milkweed, your plant is probably developing pods. Rose Milkweed (Ascelpias incarnata) might have already […] Continue reading "Resources to Learn about Harvesting Milkweed Seeds"
If you ordered a Monarch Garden Kit or are new to gardening, this “How-to” sheet might be helpful. Monarch Garden Planting Tips Thank you for purchasing one of the Monarch Kits! The plants will need a little TLC for a few weeks while they get settled and their root systems get established. Weve written up […] Continue reading "Monarch Garden Planting Tips"
Are you new to native plants and not sure why they’re important? This infographic can help get you started: Continue reading "Power of Native Plants"
Thank you to everyone who attended the conference. We were pleased to be able to bring these two accomplished professionals to the Chicago area. Both of their messages were grounded in deep experience, were very practical, yet very inspiring. Rick Darke’s lecture was a wonderful and rare mix of philosophy, reflection, practical how-to advice, and […] Continue reading "Beautifully Natural Garden Conference 2017"
5 Reasons to Attend the Beautifully Natural Garden Conference Rick Darke and Heather Holm are two top-notch speakers and experts in their respective fields who will bring emerging and important information to you. If you are thinking of attending our conference on February 11, 2017 but need a little extra convincing–here it is! 1. Learn […] Continue reading "5 Reasons to Attend the Beautifully Natural Garden Conference"
Moon Gardens seem to usually be the province of introduced plants, but there are plenty of native plants that have light blooms and foliage that can take center stage in the evening giving an extra, unexpected delight–a little color during twilight and on moonlit nights (though for many of us in urban areas, there is […] Continue reading "Native Plants Can Do Moon Gardens Too"
Summer is almost here, and plants are up. You’ve been a good dooby and left some stems standing to provide habitat/nesting areas for cavity-nesting bees (such as Mason Bees and tiny Carpenter bees). Maybe you’re also worried about pulling weeds and not sure how best to handle the situation. Below are some quick and easy […] Continue reading "Two Simple, Easy, and Natural Steps for Summer Habitat Garden Maintenance"
