In July of 2021, Shirley Heinze’s stewardship staff and volunteers from Cleveland Cliffs began felling trees and clearing brush to create a new trail at the front of Meadowbrook Nature Preserve. It was just one aspect of a master plan guided by a vision that included making Meadowbrook more accessible to those protected by the […]
Volunteers Make Way at Meadowbrook Read More »
Under sunny skies and spring-like temperatures, nine Shirley Heinze volunteers gathered Monday, February 21, at Meadowbrook Nature Preserve to remove invasive Black Locust saplings. The Meadowbrook Monday workday was part of the organization’s ongoing reforestation effort, which has seen staff and volunteers plant 50,000 trees on the property in the past seven years, said volunteer
Showing the World You Care Read More »
By Audra Ebling Once you see them, you can’t un-see them. Invasive plant species, that is. They are everywhere. My first personal experience with invasive species occurred when we bought a house on the north side of Chicago in the mid 90s that had a morning glory-type vine crawling its way up the garage. Charming,
Autumn Olive, Buckthorn and Privet, Oh My! Read More »
By Audra Ebling Growing up as a city kid, I regarded any plant that bloomed as beautiful and “good,” a worthy specimen, a garden treasure. I knew better than to pick the flowers my mom cultivated in our backyard borders but the yellow dandelions in the grass were fair game and she kindly received many
Saying Goodbye to Garlic Mustard Read More »
By: Glenn Major As a child, our mother sent us out to collect Bittersweet vines. Their attractive fruit mixed with gourds from the garden made for a festive holiday decoration of table or mantle. Folks wove them into colorful Christmas wreaths and candle rings. There lies the problem; these attractive vines imported from Asia in
Invasive Species Awareness Week: Oriental Bittersweet Read More »
By: Mary Nell Murphy While driving on Hwy 12 near the Indiana Dunes parks last fall, I stopped at a wayside for a stretch break and looked across the road to a sea of watermelon pink under the forest canopy. Delightful? No! As I suspected, and as I confirmed “upon further review of the field”
Invasive Species Awareness Week: Burning Bush Read More »
By Peg Mohar The ten-year anniversary for “Bringing Nature Home” program brings back fond memories of the garden visits, award ceremonies and dedicated people I had the pleasure of working with! It does my heart good to have been part of the beginning of a great program. When we moved to Virginia in 2015, we
An Allegorical Story: Good Versus Evil and Sanity Versus Insanity Read More »
