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.
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.
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.
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.
This presentation will include discussion on how Oak Park and River Forest schools and congregations can install their own native plant/butterfly gardens and be a part of the “Wild Ones 200” Native Garden Corridor in Oak Park and River Forest. Learn how to get involved, what support Wild Ones will provide and when and how to get started. Learn about native plants and why they are so valuable in designed landscapes, and how they benefit institutions and the broader community.
Calling all new and experienced birders! The Big Year Birding Competition, sponsored by the Forest Preserves of Cook County, began March 1, and ends December 31. This is not a competition about stamina or skill, but about getting outside, observing wildlife, and convincing as many friends as possible to get involved.
Lure birds, bees, and butterflies to your garden by purchasing native plants through West Cook Wild Ones this spring. You may order in advance, from now until April 15. The sale takes place on May 14, at Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church parking lot, on Washington St., one block east of Oak Park Ave., in Oak Park. Please bring boxes and bags to carry home your pre-ordered plants as well as those purchased the day of the sale.
We've all heard of capital. It's king, right? Plus, there's venture capital: wealth that creates new businesses. Human capital? Yep, we know that by the sweat on our brow.
And then there's natural capital. Ever heard of it? Paddy Woodworth, author of Our "Once and Future Planet," will come to Oak Park to help us understand the concept of restoring natural capital and how this idea is transforming the way the world values and uses nature.
Join us on November 10, 2015, 7 PM to 9 PM at the First United Church of Oak Park, 848 Lake Street, Woodworth will be offering a tour of exciting restoration projects he has visited all over the globe, ranging from prairies in the Chicago region to the South African bush; and from ultralight pilots teaching whooping cranes how to migrate the length of a continent to the restoration of bogs in his native Ireland.
Whether it’s black loam or brown humus, you can dig into the soil this spring to celebrate the International Year of Soils. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is implementing, “Healthy Soils for a Healthy Life” to raise awareness about sustainable soil management in order to support food security and diverse ecosystems worldwide. Not only is the quantity of viable soil diminishing, but its quality is in decline as well.
