Words of the Woods

At first light, a wetland at Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve in Grayslake stirs to life. Red-winged blackbirds trumpet conk-la-REE-look-at-ME songs from swaying cattails. Wood ducks tip forward to eat plants below the water’s surface, rear ends bobbing in the air. A great blue heron stands motionless onshore, amber-yellow eyes searching the shallows for tasty fish. The fresh smells of spring drift...

Winter is a sleepy time in your Lake County Forest Preserves. Many songbirds have flown south. Snow drifts sand the edges off the landscape. But now is when Lake County’s three resident owl species warm up their voices for breeding season.   “As the mercury drops, owl courtship heats up,” said Education Site Specialist Jen Berlinghof.   Four more owl species are winter visitors. Let’s learn the ho...

When you settle into bed for the evening, another world awakens. Flying squirrels launch between trees, bats emerge from roosts and owls begin their silent hunts.   Your Lake County Forest Preserves provide the food, water, shelter and darkness these animals need during their night shifts. Despite their abundance and proximity, our nocturnal neighbors can seem mysterious. The dark obscures their u...

Imagine stepping into the woods, leaving behind the noise and stress of daily life.  As you pause and breathe, a sense of calm takes over. There’s no rush or destination, only the soothing quiet of the woodland. Welcome to forest bathing, a practice that invites you to reconnect with yourself and nature.   Forest Preserves Mentioned: Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve (Long Grove) Ethel’s Woods Forest...

If you live in Lake County, Chicagoland, the Midwest or the eastern U.S. and Canada, tick bites are a low-level but persistent consideration when spending time outdoors.   You don’t have to hike among dense vegetation to find them. Or for them to find you. Checking yourself, your family and pets for ticks regularly is important, especially from spring to fall.   Let’s do what we can to dampen the...

If you struggle with climate anxiety, volunteering for the Lake County Forest Preserves is a practical thing you can do to help address the future as well as feelings of worry and fear.   Individuals, couples, families and friend groups can all volunteer. So can corporate groups, civic groups, scout troops, religious institutions, book clubs and just about any other organization . Opportunities in...

The building looks as if it’s always been there. As though the floodplain forests of Ryerson Conservation Area in Riverwoods, Illinois summoned the smoky green walls, floor-to-ceiling windows and sleek roof. But the new Ryerson Education Center (REC) , opened spring 2024, is the culmination of three years of planning and an ambitious goal.   Create a net-zero energy building that produces as much...

In the U.S., more than 40 million acres of land are covered by lawn. To be sure, turfgrass produces oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide just like other plants. It prevents soil erosion by wind and water. It creates curb appeal—a neutral, nearly universal surface.   But lawns crowd out the many gorgeous, hardy, unique native plants that call Illinois and other parts of the country home. Most grasses...

Chicagoland’s trees are some of the most hardworking plants around. The 172 million trees that make up the regional forest help regulate air temperature, create oxygen, soak up stormwater, store carbon and reduce energy bills with the shade they cast. They also clean the air, removing 18,600 tons of pollutants from car exhaust and industrial emissions every year.   Increasingly, scientists and doc...

Mammals dominate our hearts and homes. Pets such as dogs, cats, hamsters, hedgehogs and others offer companionship and cuteness , of course. But mammals are also recognizable as close kin, not too far away on the tree of life. About 70 mammal species are native to Illinois. Eastern chipmunks, red and gray foxes, eastern cottontail rabbits, American beavers, raccoons, white-tailed deer, Virginia op...

“Animals can react to climate change in only three ways: they can move, adapt or die.”   That statement comes from a 2018 article by Renée Cho , a contributor to the Columbia Climate School at Columbia University in New York City.   How much an animal will need to react depends on its species and individual traits. Lake County’s wildlife are particularly vulnerable to climate change compared to el...

Think of a seed as “a self-contained baby with a lunchbox.”   Each seed contains unique DNA, unique genes, slightly different from other members of the same species. Genes give an individual plant its traits, no different than how human genes code for height, hair color, eye color and so on.   Habitat restoration projects, which the Lake County Forest Preserves specializes in, tend to spread a lot...

By all appearances, Lake Michigan is a steady, benevolent presence. An anchor for the northeastern corner of Illinois. The invincible resource that Chicago and its suburbs, not to mention other communities in Wisconsin, Indiana and Michigan, are built around.   Yet Lake Michigan is not invincible. And Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve in Lake Forest, Illinois has a front-row view.   Guests: Jim Anders...

On the banks of the Fox River in the southwestern corner of Lake County, Illinois, you can almost see back through time. Not so long ago, at least on the 4.5-billion-year arc of Earth’s history, a wall of ice between 700–2,000 feet tall covered everything in view today. Today, 691 acres near the Fox River’s eastern shore make up Grassy Lake Forest Preserve in the town of Lake Barrington.  Subtle g...

The alarm clock is ready to ring for the periodical cicadas of Lake County. The previous mass emergence of these true bugs in 2007 set the alarm for 2024. During spring and summer 17 years ago, millions of cicadas tunneled out of the soil, crawled up trees, sang, mated and completed their life cycle. This will be a magical year for their offspring. In this special-edition episode, host Brett Peto...

Host Brett Peto is here with a bite-sized piece of good news. Music: Swoop by The Mini Vandals Trail of Breadcrumbs by Lyle Workman Got an idea or a question for our podcast team? Email us at WordsOfTheWoods@LCFPD.org . Words of the Woods is a production of the Lake County Forest Preserves in Libertyville, Illinois.

We’re back with a new short-form episode. It’s tempting to hibernate during winter. But there are good reasons to get outside. Your preserves are home to many winter activities, including sledding, snowshoeing, ice skating, ice fishing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and, yeah, good ol’ walking. We aren’t the first generations to discover the loads of fun these activities provide, though. Dra...

Nature is one of the best classrooms around. Study after study shows that time spent outdoors fosters a child’s healthy development. It helps kids manage stress, stimulates their imaginations, and improves their social skills. Alyssa Firkus, Education Manager, and Jenny Sazama, Environmental Educator, have seen these positive effects firsthand. Hear how they like to connect kids with nature—and ho...

The Preservation Foundation is the charitable partner of the Lake County Forest Preserves. What does that mean? When we undertake a project, the Foundation extends and accelerates it. Take the Green Youth Farm at Greenbelt in North Chicago, for example. Or the Dunn Museum in Libertyville. The summer concert series at Independence Grove. Our Adopt-a-Turtle program benefitting the state-endangered B...

What do trees need computers for? Well, the people working to preserve them do. Our team of IT professionals manages technology that supports hundreds of staff across Lake County. Not only desktop computers, but smartphones, servers, databases, laptops, projectors, and more. Debbie Boness, Information Technology Officer, and Rian Crowley, Database Developer, discuss how we turn technology into tec...

Crisp fall air. Cider and donuts. Funny, nature-themed skits. An evening in the woods. All of these elements combine into a successful run of Halloween Hikes, our annual autumn event that’s become a tradition for many families. To protect the health and safety of all, we decided not to hold Halloween Hikes in its typical, in-person format this year. Instead, we’re bringing it to you in a new way w...

We all know nature has value. Perhaps you love its beauty, its serenity, its creatures great and small. On an economic level, it’s recently become possible to quantify some of nature’s beneficial effects—what we call ecosystem services. Carbon storage, flood mitigation, water and air purification. Jim Anderson, Director of Natural Resources, shares his insights into how nature supports human exist...

The woods are back with even more to say. From the value of nature and ecosystem services, to how we turn technology into technolo-tree, and the benefits of a childhood spent outdoors, plus more, here’s a taste of what you’ll hear this October and November. Music: Swoop by The Mini Vandals Trail of Breadcrumbs by Lyle Workman Got an idea or a question for our podcast team? Email us at WordsOfTheWo...

There's magic in a snowflake. But if someone asked you how snowflakes form, could you explain it to them? Jen Berlinghof, Environmental Educator, can help. She's here with an adaptation of one of her posts ("Snowflake anatomy") from our Lake County Nature blog. Read more: https://bit.ly/38IsCFX

The holiday season is hectic. North Mill Creek at Ethel's Woods in Antioch isn't. Take a moment of zen with the soothing sounds of flowing water. And look for another fragment in January 2020. Learn more: www. LCFPD.org/ethels-woods