A Year Spent with Giants

May is Mental Health Awareness Month—the perfect time to celebrate the power of nature to boost mood and mental acuity. It’s no secret that nature—and forests in particular—can heal us. Physicians and mental health professionals are starting to recognize this. Many have begun to prescribe nature walks to their [...]

By |2025-06-26T21:24:34+00:00May 6, 2021|Homepage, Meltzer Woods, Newsroom, Properties|Comments Off on A Year Spent with Giants

Celebrating the Forever Promise

Second in a series on the Trek our Trails Challenge by guest blogger Ben Valentine It’s finally spring and I feel the need to get away from the city and cornfields to celebrate winter’s end. The Laura Hare Preserve at Blossom Hollow—brimming with wildflowers and more red-headed woodpeckers than I’ve [...]

By |2025-06-26T21:21:25+00:00April 16, 2021|Betley Woods, Blossom Hollow, Hikes and Events, Newsroom, Properties|Comments Off on Celebrating the Forever Promise

Finding Home in Meltzer Woods

First in a series on the Trek our Trails Challenge by guest blogger Ben Valentine “The word ecology is derived from the Greek oikos, the word for home.” ― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants “Nature is not a place to [...]

By |2025-07-23T18:17:02+00:00April 7, 2021|A Million Trees, Hikes and Events, Meltzer Woods, Newsroom, Properties|Comments Off on Finding Home in Meltzer Woods

Fired Up and Ready to Go

They came, they saw, they carried. Members of our stewardship team completed a “pack test” recently as part of fire training. Their task? Carry a 50-pound backpack for 3 miles in less than 45 minutes. Everyone passed, taking the team one step closer to being able to lead controlled [...]

By |2025-02-14T00:21:15+00:00March 11, 2021|Blossom Hollow, Homepage, Newsroom, Nonie Krauss Nature Preserve, Properties, Stewardship|Comments Off on Fired Up and Ready to Go

Burning Bush: A Hardwood Forest’s Enemy

Part of a series on invasive species by guest blogger Ed Pope Burning bush, also known as winged burning bush, is native to eastern Asia. It was imported into New England in 1860 and became a popular landscaping shrub for a couple of reasons. It is very easy to [...]

By |2025-02-14T00:18:32+00:00March 3, 2021|Meltzer Woods, Newsroom, Properties|Comments Off on Burning Bush: A Hardwood Forest’s Enemy

Japanese Stiltgrass: From Packing Material to Nature Preserve

Part of a series on invasive species by guest blogger Ed Pope Unlike most other plants that have now become invasive, Japanese stiltgrass was not intentionally imported into North America. It is native to much of Asia and was once used as packing material for fragile items such as [...]

By |2025-02-14T00:18:32+00:00March 2, 2021|Betley Woods, Blossom Hollow, Newsroom, Properties|Comments Off on Japanese Stiltgrass: From Packing Material to Nature Preserve

The Many Gifts of Snow

by Shawndra Miller, Communications Director I happen to love snow. Even if I complain about shoveling and hate to drive in it, I find real magic in the kind of big snowfall we had earlier this month. Snow has a way of transforming the world into a more beautiful [...]

By |2025-12-05T14:32:19+00:00February 25, 2021|Burnett Woods, Homepage, Newsroom, Olivers Woods, Properties|Comments Off on The Many Gifts of Snow

Callery Pear: Not a Tasty Alternative

Part of a series on invasive species by guest blogger Ed Pope Callery pear is native to China and Vietnam. It was introduced into Europe in the 1800s. It first arrived in the United States at Boston’s Arnold Arboretum in 1906. It was imported by the United States Department [...]

By |2025-02-14T00:18:32+00:00February 24, 2021|Newsroom, Nonie Krauss Nature Preserve, Properties|Comments Off on Callery Pear: Not a Tasty Alternative

Bush Honeysuckle: A Well-intentioned Import Gone Bad

Part of a series on invasive species by guest blogger Ed Pope “It would be difficult to exaggerate the weedy potential of this shrub.” —Swink and Wilhelm, Plants of the Chicago Region You have probably read some of Cliff’s articles bemoaning the widespread presence of bush honeysuckle on CILTI [...]

By |2025-02-14T00:18:32+00:00February 22, 2021|Newsroom, Properties|Comments Off on Bush Honeysuckle: A Well-intentioned Import Gone Bad
Go to Top