Native Garden Tour: Creating Habitats, One Yard at a Time

Native Garden Tour: Creating Habitats, One Yard at a Time

On Saturday, July 27, from 1 to 5 p.m., West Cook Wild Ones will host its annual native garden tour of 9 colorful, life-filled gardens in Oak Park and Berwyn, Illinois. You can find more information about the tour here.

But while you’re waiting, here are three of the native-plant-loving people who have created gardens (or shall we call them habitats?) that are on the tour: : Laura Derks, Monica Cecero, and Beth Fioritto.

How to Set Up a Tree Stroll in Your Neighborhood

How to Set Up a Tree Stroll in Your Neighborhood

Interested in organizing a tree stroll in your own neighborhood? Any time of year is perfect. . . we had our first one in the spring, as the leaves were just budding out. Even winter has things to teach us about trees, including their bark, branching and shape. 

An Age-Old Challenge: Keeping Rain from Going Down the Drain

An Age-Old Challenge: Keeping Rain from Going Down the Drain

Against all odds, the old Main Post Office in the heart of downtown Chicago has been brought back to life after sitting idle for over two decades. Filled with antiquated mail-sorting machines and haunted by the ghosts of old postal workers, it was gutted and reopened in 2019 as the home of Walgreens and several other businesses. The historic landmark built in the 1920s is now crowned by a 3.5-acre rooftop park that includes walkways through fields of native perennial plants and grasses. 

Young Filmmakers Contest Celebrates ALL Global Winners on Sept. 17

Young Filmmakers Contest Celebrates ALL Global Winners on Sept. 17

The annual One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest Global Awards Celebration is gearing up to take place at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, both in person at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., and online virtually anywhere in the world. Featuring the top 10 winning films from among 403 submissions, this event is the first with global reach.

Reserve free tickets here: tinyurl.com/yfc23awards

2023 One Earth Contest Winners Span the Globe

2023 One Earth Contest Winners Span the Globe

Since its inception in 2013, the One Earth Young Filmmakers Contest has grown from a local, Oak Park/River Forest, Illinois, project accepting just 12 submissions to a highly competitive international competition garnering 403 submissions. Countries such as Brazil, Australia and Mexico and states such as California, Georgia and Indiana will be represented among this year’s winners at the Global Awards Celebration at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, in person at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., in Chicago, or online virtually anywhere in the world.

Reserve free tickets here: tinyurl.com/yfc23awards

Director Trip Jennings Shares Promising Solutions in 'Elemental: Reimagining Wildfire'

Director Trip Jennings Shares Promising Solutions in 'Elemental: Reimagining Wildfire'

In the wake of destructive wildfires across the nation, “Elemental: Reimagining Wildfire” takes a crucial and compelling look at solutions to reimagine wildfire through the voices of climate experts, Indigenous people, and fire survivors. 

Filmmaker Trip Jennings is also known for his films Rewilding a Mountain (2020) and Postcards from Climate Change (2013).

The film's director, Trip Jennings, founded Balance Media and has worked with National Geographic for over a decade. His films have won dozens of awards around the world and have aired on major networks on every continent.