Let's Spread the Monarch Magic
Who has not experienced delight and awe when they catch sight of a monarch butterfly? But the population of this beloved species has declined by 90 percent over the past 20 years. Communities locally and nationally are mobilizing to increase monarch habitat. That’s where you come in. It turns out that urban and suburban areas are the monarch’s best hope for recovery. Join us to launch this initiative on January 31st!
Tour Parkway Trees at Your Next Block Party
Oak Park is known for its human diversity, but its arboreal diversity is equally noteworthy.
This was not always the case. During the first half of the 20th century, a uniform canopy of elm trees dominated Oak Park’s urban parkway landscape. Over the past 50 years, most of these elms have fallen ill due to Dutch Elm Disease, a fungus spread via the elm bark beetle or through intertwined underground root systems. The Village of Oak Park vigilantly and methodically removes these sickly trees.
Boost the Ecological Power of Your Yard with Native Trees & Shrubs
Last 2 Days to Order native trees a shrubs! Browse the Wild Ones Shopify site to find trees, shrubs and flowers that create beauty for you and much needed habitat for wildlife.
Fall is an ideal time to plant because our long Midwest winter gives plants lots of time to build roots before bursting into bloom in the spring. Plus, it’s more pleasant to dig in cool weather, right?
Monarch Migration Events
In the fall, Monarch butterflies migrate much like birds, flying 1,000 to 3,000 miles from states such as Illinois to the Oyamel Fir Forests of Central Mexico. Their spring and fall migration is considered a phenomenon of nature because they travel farther than all tropical butterflies.
Three upcoming local events will teach more about these regal insects and offer us ways to help them.
Native Tree & Shrub Sale
Order native trees and shrubs at this link: https://wild-ones-west-cook.myshopify.com/
For more information about the sale, go to: http://www.greencommunityconnections.org/native-shrub-tree-sale/
Why Choose Native Trees & Shrubs for Your Yard?
Over the past week, I have been watching a pair of Downy Woodpeckers take care of their young. They are incredibly dedicated. They are up early in the morning flying back and forth to bring food to their babies, who never stop peeping, and they are still at it in the evening. They also have to worry about a squirrel that seems interested in their nest, and they expend a lot of energy protecting their babies from this marauder.
Audubon: Bird Lovers Flocking to the Cause on Climate Change
Over the last 60 years, Audubon Society members have not only been dedicated bird watchers, but also citizen scientists, collecting data on bird sightings and activity. Audubon’s scientists have used that wealth of data and top climate models to put together a sort of “field guide of the future,” based on the birds’ ideal climatic ranges and how those would shift due to expected greenhouse gas emissions.
Summer Green Guides theme: Healthy Lawn, Healthy Family
Join us for refreshments, conversation and to learn how residents are getting beautiful lawns that are healthy for pets, children and all living things. Lawn care seems to be an ongoing challenge -- whether it's a battle with creeping charlie or the challenge of reaching agreement with your spouse about who and how lawn care is done -- you'll hear stories and tips from professionals and residents on their experiences and recommendations.
A Posthumous Appreciation for an 86-year-old American Elm Tree
As I left church a couple of weeks ago, I noticed a huge base of a tree trunk on the parkway of our church property. I felt a mix of surprise, anger and sadness. Clearly it was a very large tree that I hadn’t really paid much attention to. In the coming weeks, I started seeing more signs of other trees that had been cut down. These images of previously large, beautiful trees that had stood for years, now shaved off at the ground haunted me, and I wanted to know more.