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Archive for the ‘Going green’ Category

Naturalists, botanists and restoration volunteers spotlight Grigsby Prairie in Barrington Hills

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Citizens for Conservation, Going green, Land Use, Privacy, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, Topics Of Interest on July 22, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Far right, leading a tour group is volunteer and CFC board member Jim Vanderpoel of Arlington Heights on July 20, 2026 at the restored tallgrass Grigsby Prairie in Barrington Hills, managed by the volunteer group (CFC) Citizens for Conservation of Barrington. | Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press

By Karie Angell Luc | For the Chicago Tribune

As environmentalists from around the world convened at the Aspen Ideas: Climate event in Chicago from July 20 to July 22, the conversation about conservation moved to Barrington Hills on July 20.

There, local and national conservationists toured the 44-acre Grigsby Prairie in Barrington Hills, managed by the volunteer group (CFC) Citizens for Conservation of Barrington.

Describing Indian Hemp, a native white flowering plant to a tour group, is volunteer and CFC board member Jim Vanderpoel of Arlington Heights on July 20, 2026 at the restored tallgrass Grigsby Prairie in Barrington Hills, managed by the volunteer group (CFC) Citizens for Conservation of Barrington. | Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press

CFC is a volunteer-based nonprofit organization that restores and maintains more than 732 acres across 14 separate nearby locations, according to https://citizensforconservation.org.

“CFC first started with response to a lot of land development that was happening in the seventies, so they came to be in 1971,” said Abigail Derby Lewis of Glenview, CFC executive director.

Grigsby Prairie is “the oldest prairie restoration that CFC has and one of the oldest in the State of Illinois,” Derby Lewis said. “It is incredible.

“Every plant you see, every animal you see, all of the habitat there, that is the result of people putting in the time and the energy and the love to that land over decades,” Derby Lewis said.

CFC volunteer Wendy Paulson of Barrington Hills said of Grigsby Prairie (a prairie which was lost), “That’s an example of hope.”

The walk of the tallgrass prairie included tour leader and CFC board member Jim Vanderpoel of Arlington Heights, Dwayne Estes of Dickson, Tennessee, co-founder and executive director of the Southeastern Grasslands Institute (SGI) of Clarksville, Tennessee, and a professor at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee.

SGI is building a movement,” according to https://www.segrasslands.org.

Right, leading a tour group is volunteer and CFC board member Jim Vanderpoel of Arlington Heights on July 20, 2026 at the restored tallgrass Grigsby Prairie in Barrington Hills, managed by the volunteer group (CFC) Citizens for Conservation of Barrington. | Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press

Also interpreting Grigsby Prairie on the tour were Derby Lewis, Paulson, plus author and renowned forest preserves site steward Stephen Packard of Northbrook.

Many experts identify prairie grasslands as the most threatened ecosystem in eastern North America, with scattered acres, islands and pockets around the United States unattended to and basically forgotten.

Article and photos  continue here.

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Try to wait until winter to remove dead trees

Posted in Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago Tribune, Education, Going green, Topics Of Interest on June 22, 2026| Leave a Comment »

The loss of a large shade tree will increase the amount of sun for your garden. | Jeff Carrion/Chicago Botanic Garden

By Tim Johnson | For the Chicago Tribune

I have two large shade trees that are not leafing out. Does that mean they are dead and need to be removed? What should I consider when organizing the removal of the two trees?

— Carmen Rios, Vernon Hills

If the dead trees do not pose any safety hazards and their appearance in your garden is not an issue, you may want to wait until winter or late fall to remove the trees to lessen the impact on your garden. You may also be able to secure better pricing if the work is done in the winter. The more plants around the trees that are to be removed, the more difficult it will be for a company to complete the removal. Between the crew walking around to perform the work and branches that fall on your garden, there’s a higher risk of trampling on perennials if the work is done during the growing season. However, I have seen tree removals done during the summer with remarkably little impact on surrounding plants. Most perennials will recover and look good next year but it may spoil the appearance of a portion of the garden for the remainder of the gardening season. Perennials like hosta are easy to move out of the way for tree work and replace when the work is completed. You do not describe where the tree is located on your property, but access for large equipment will also be a factor in removing it. Putting plywood down before driving in large equipment and avoiding work when the ground is wet is best practice. There will be less soil compaction if the ground is dry or frozen when the work is done.

If you decide to grind the stump, shrubs, ground covers and perennials within a foot or so of the stumps will likely be destroyed or damaged when the stumps are ground out, so you may want to temporarily relocate them. If the stump is 2 feet or more in diameter, clear a space 2 to 3 feet away from the stump. Have the stump ground to at least 12 inches in depth if you want to plant new perennials in the same location. The more soil depth the better for the new perennials. New trees and shrubs with a large root ball will need to be planted adjacent to the old stump and you will need to cut through old roots from the tree while planting. A sharp axe works well for cutting out larger roots.

The grinding process will leave a large mound of chips mixed with soil that will need to be removed and replaced with topsoil. Be sure to remove the wood chip and soil mix down to the bottom of the hole left by the grinding process. If you plan to have the stumps ground out this winter, transplant any valuable perennials and shrubs next to the trunk of the tree this fall in preparation for removal of the tree stumps this winter. The stump grindings can be piled up in the back corner of the yard to decompose over a couple of years. This will leave you with topsoil to reuse in your garden.

The loss of a large shade tree will increase the amount of sun for your garden, and this will affect the performance of existing plants. If there are other adjacent trees that provide shade for the beds, the impact will be less. Think about the need to relocate plants that may end up being in too much sun next year and replace them with more sun-loving plants. Trees and shrubs in gardens grow over time and gradually increase shade. As light decreases over time, some plants can start to struggle, and when a tree is removed the light levels return to better levels for the plants. If you are unsure of the impact the tree removal will have, look carefully at how the plants respond to this change in your garden over the growing season and adjust their locations if you see problems with too much sun.

For more plant advice, contact the Plant Information Service at the Chicago Botanic Garden at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org. Tim Johnson is senior director of horticulture at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

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Plant a patriotic garden to celebrate nation’s 250th anniversary

Posted in Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago Tribune, Going green on May 30, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Salvia comes in red, white, and blue. (RJ Carlson/Chicago Botanic Garden)

By Tim Johnson | For the Chicago Tribune

I saw an article recently suggesting that we plant our gardens or pots in red, white, and blue this year to pay tribute to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

I love that idea and am trying to embrace it. However, I lean toward pinks and purples and whites as my favored color scheme. I am struggling with red geraniums and canna lilies. Are there burgundy geraniums or other selections?

Do you have any tips regarding the red, white, and blue theme?

— Angela Pinto, Hawthorn Woods

The red, white, and blue theme is an interesting idea. There are lots of annuals to choose from now in the garden centers. One option is to go to your local garden center, walk through the sales racks, and pick colorful plants. I suggest going early, as soon as they open. Choosing the right plant for your garden’s sun exposure and using a high-quality growing medium designed for containers is also important for success. Keep in mind that your containers must have a drainage hole in the bottom, too. Generally, if the annuals are under a shade structure in a garden center, they’re best grown in shade at home. There may be exceptions if a garden center keeps them under shade to help reduce watering; a short holding period under shade for sun plants won’t be an issue. The annuals on display on sunny racks, on the other hand, will typically be best in full sun.

One of the Garden’s horticulturists has been using one annual variety per pot in a grouping of pots with a different annual in each one with great success. The simplicity of the display is dramatic.

For the shade garden, blue is going to be the more challenging color to find. I would be content with lavender. You can get very close to the red, white and blue theme using selections of impatiens from the Beacon series or the New Guinea impatiens. You can use white caladiums and red coleus for coarse texture. It’s easy to find white and red wax leaf begonias, too, which can grow well in the sun. Lobelia is another blue option for lightly shaded areas.

There are many more options for your annual theme colors that grow in direct sun. There are burgundy geraniums, which you may be able to find with some shopping around. You should be able to get close to the theme colors with varieties of Angelonia, verbena and petunias. There are nice blues and whites with salvia and ageratum. White, blue, and rose colors in alyssum. Celosia for a strong red accent. I think you’ll get the best results from visiting a couple of garden centers and letting the plants for sale fuel your creativity.

For more plant advice, contact the Plant Information Service at the Chicago Botanic Garden at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org. Tim Johnson is senior director of horticulture at the Chicago Botanic Garden. 

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Barrington High School Mother’s Day plant sale tomorrow

Posted in Barrington High School, Going green on May 5, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Support BHS Horticulture and FFA students by participating in their Spring and Mother’s Day plant sale after school on Wednesday, May 6th!

They will be selling a variety of petunias and geraniums in hanging baskets that make great decor and gifts! Find them in front of BHS near the Main Street parking lot.

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Join the BACT for an Earth Day Celebration at Pederson and Rieke Family Preserves

Posted in BACT, Going green, Press Release, Topics Of Interest on April 18, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Barrington Hills, IL – Located adjacent to Flint Creek at the southwest corner of Lake Cook and Hart Roads, these preserves serve as a vital link between prairies, wetlands, and other conserved lands. They are also valued outdoor classrooms for Barrington High School students and reflect the community’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship.

Event Highlights:

  • 9:30 AM – 2:30 PM: Drop-in volunteer restoration activities
  • 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Short presentation during a student class period (exact time TBD)

Participants are welcome to join at any time throughout the day to assist with planting native species grown by District 220 students. Community volunteers, local officials, D220 faculty and the Barrington Area Conservation Trust will be on site to support the effort.

Melissa Kinast, Executive Director of BACT, shares, “Over the past decade, we’ve watched these preserves come back to life through thoughtful restoration. Today, that work is visible in the return of wildlife, improving water quality in the vernal pools, and the remarkable presence of lightning bugs that light up the landscape on summer evenings. Earth Day is an opportunity to share that progress with the community and continue building on it together.”

All are welcome to participate and experience the impact of conservation at the local level.

For more information, please email bactrust1@gmail.com. (Website under construction; visit our social media for up-to-date information.)

About Barrington Area Conservation Trust:

The Barrington Area Conservation Trust is committed to preserving open land, natural beauty, and biodiversity in the Barrington area, fostering a connection between people and the environment through conservation, education, and stewardship.

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Make your garden irresistible to birds

Posted in Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago Tribune, Going green, Letters to the Editor, Topics Of Interest on April 5, 2026| Leave a Comment »

A goldfinch feeding on coneflowers. (RJ Carlson/Chicago Botanic Garden)

By Tim Johnson | For the Chicago Tribune

I have developed an interest in bird-watching and would like some advice on how to attract more birds to my garden. 

— Maria Alvarez, Grayslake

I was also motivated to start bird-watching after a fun vacation sighting of a pink flamingo on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, last December. Another highlight this winter was seeing eight mourning doves feeding on the ground outside my home at one time. Winter is a good time to plan to enhance your garden with plants that will attract birds all year long. It takes more than feeders, birdhouses and a bird bath, along with some flowers for a truly bird-friendly garden. Birds need a complete habitat that includes food, shelter, nesting areas and perching spots. A good garden for birds tends to have more of a natural look. Design your garden so that there are different vertical levels, each attracting and providing something important to different bird species. Some birds prefer the canopy of tall trees, while other birds perch in the understory trees and shrubs. Different species of birds have varying requirements and preferences for nesting, eating and shelter. Try to create as many of these levels as possible in your backyard garden to attract a larger variety of birds. Birds use a stand of hemlocks in my garden for shelter while using the feeders. Even open areas of soil can be beneficial by providing an area for birds to take a dust bath.

Select plants to provide food for birds at different times of year. Fruits of different plants ripen in different seasons. For example, serviceberries provide spring-ripening fruit, red-twig dogwoods provide summer fruit, while hawthorns and crabapples provide fruit in fall and winter. I just replaced some invasive Callery pear trees with serviceberries in my garden. Perennials such as purple coneflower and grasses such as a prairie dropseed provide seed for a food source. Sunflowers are quick-growing annual flowers that produce seeds that are attractive to birds. Nectar-producing plants such as penstemon, bee balm, and columbine appeal to hummingbirds. Include a mix of evergreens in your planting to provide year-round shelter for birds. When feasible, leave some dead branches on living trees to provide something for the birds to perch on. Prune any dead branches that are safety hazards though.

Leave the leaf litter in your garden beds next fall as an easy and environmentally friendly method to recycle material and help meet some of a bird’s basic needs. Other organic materials such as small twigs, fallen seeds, fruits and berries should be left in the litter too. Many insects thrive in leaf litter and insect-eating birds will be attracted.

There are many kinds of seeds and feeders to choose from if you decide to start a feeding program. Squirrels can be a nuisance and eat more seed than birds do, so choose a squirrel-resistant feeder. We have had good luck with a cylindrical, squirrel-resistant feeder. Take time to research options, as different species of birds prefer different types of seeds and feeders, and no one type is preferred by all birds. Avoid buying bags of mixed birdseed as they tend to contain a lot of filler such as red millet, which most birds won’t eat. The filler ends up on the ground where it rots. Place your feeder in an open area where it is easy to see, 10 feet or so away from protective cover and convenient to refill. If feeders are too close to large plants, squirrels will have easy access to them. Be consistent feeding birds and they will become accustomed to your feeder. Stamp the snow down under the feeder to accommodate ground-feeding birds such as doves and dark-eyed juncos. To maximize the number of species that visit your feeders, offer a variety of food at different heights above ground.

Black oil sunflower seeds attract a wide variety of birds including cardinals, woodpeckers, blue jays, goldfinches, purple finches, chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches. Safflower seeds also attract a wide variety of birds, with the advantage that squirrels, blue jays, starlings, and grackles do not like this seed. Nyjer is a good seed to attract goldfinches. Nyjer is a very small, black seed best used in a feeder designed for it, which can be hung close to a viewing window under an eave. White millet seed can be spread on the ground to attract ground-feeding birds. Suet is another option for feeding birds. Suet is rendered animal fat that is usually mixed with seeds and dried fruit and sold in small cakes. It is best to place it in a cool, shaded area in amounts that the birds can eat in a few days to keep it from spoiling, so it works well for winter feeding.

For more plant advice, contact the Plant Information Service at the Chicago Botanic Garden at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org. Tim Johnson is senior director of horticulture at the Chicago Botanic Garden. 

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Love Wildlife & Gardening? Create Microhabitats Through Conservation@Home

Posted in BACT, FPDCC, Going green, Topics Of Interest on March 15, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Photo provided by Kathy Thalji.

A monarch butterfly dips low over a patch of purple coneflowers. A goldfinch clings to a seedhead in late fall. Beneath the surface, roots stretch deep into the soil, catching rain before it rushes into storm drains. These could be descriptions of land in the Forest Preserves. But they also can be about one of the more than 150 backyards, schoolyards or community gardens in Cook County that have been certified through the Forest Preserves’ Conservation@Home program.

Launched in Cook County in 2016 in partnership with University of Illinois Extension, the program offers residents, schools and businesses a roadmap for turning everyday landscapes into critical habitat. A yard, a parkway or a planter box all have an impact.

“We were looking for ways to connect and engage with more people. Home and community gardeners have real potential to create habitats our native species need to thrive. And participants can see and understand the importance of their home as part of a larger ecosystem,” says Jacqui Ulrich, director of Conservation & Experiential Programming.

Native plants are the foundation. “When you have native plants in your yard, these plants have already adapted to our climate conditions and soil,” says Lorrie Ward, a naturalist at Sagawau Environmental Learning Center. That means fewer chemicals are needed and less watering once the plants are established. With deeper roots, often several inches longer than common ornamentals, native plants help absorb rainwater and reduce runoff into sewer systems.

Just as important, native plants feed wildlife, providing pollen, nectar and seeds that support butterflies, moths, bees and birds. “When you include plants like purple coneflower in your garden, you’re going to start seeing butterflies in the spring and summer, as well as American goldfinches in the fall. You’re providing them food throughout the seasons,” Ward says.

Collectively, these gardens create corridors. They form small but meaningful microhabitats that enable animals to move through neighborhoods, stopping to rest, forage or nest on their way to larger natural areas. In heavily urban locales like Cook County, that patchwork matters.

Ready to get started?

If you’re ready to turn your yard, school garden, or business landscape into a thriving habitat, Conservation@Home makes it simple to begin with a few straightforward steps. First, explore the program criteria and application online. You can find guidance for residential, school and community sites on the University of Illinois-Extension Conservation@Home page.

From there, fill out the application for your property type. For homes, it asks basic information about your landscape and what native plants or conservation features you’ve already added.

Once your application is submitted, staff review it and offer resources if your yard isn’t quite ready yet. If it looks good, you’ll be invited to schedule a property evaluation with a trained Master Gardener or Master Naturalist who evaluate sites, offer consultations and help with garden design. They’ll look for key elements like native flowers, grasses, shrubs and trees, efforts to manage invasive species, water conservation practices like rain gardens or barrels, and wildlife-friendly features.

Importantly, native does not mean unruly. The program’s checklist includes maintenance standards, so gardens remain intentional and cared for. Participants do not have to give up favorite tulips or peonies. Native species can be blended with beloved ornamentals. The goal is progress, not perfection. If your yard meets the criteria, you’ll earn a Conservtion@Home certification and sign you can proudly display.

Native plant sales each spring, offered in partnership with West Cook Wild Ones, make it easier to get started, with curated kits for sunny yards, shady corners and even parkways. The 2026 online sale is scheduled for March 15 through May 15. And if the $50 certification fee is a barrier, don’t hesitate to take advantage of free workshops and design resources offered by the program and partners. For those unsure where to begin, Ulrich offers simple advice: “Start small,” she says. Ward adds, “Pay attention to how much sun and moisture your space receives. Choose one native plant you love and build from there.”

Conservation@Home is a program of The Conservation Foundation and coordinated in partnership with University of Illinois Extension. Conservation@Home is available in the Barrington area through a partnership with the Barrington Area Conservation Trust.

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Waymo driverless cars are coming to Chicago as company starts laying early groundwork

Posted in Clown Car, Goat Rodeo, Going green, Public Safety, Road construction, Topics Of Interest, Traffic on February 26, 2026| 1 Comment »

By Elyssa Kaufman | CBS Chicago

Waymo is coming to Chicago, and some of those vehicles were already spotted in the city.

The driverless car company based in Silicon Valley said it will start “laying the early groundwork” for operations in Chicago.

The vehicles are already in the city, each had drivers and were not picking up any customers. They were surveying the roads in preparation for if and when it goes live.

At least two rows of the Waymo vehicles were found inside a parking garage downtown.

“We are coordinating closely with community leaders and policymakers and believe autonomous technology can strongly support Chicago’s goals for road safety and enhanced accessibility for all communities,” Waymo officials said in a written release.

It is not clear when Waymo service will be available in Chicago, but the service is already live in other cities like Los Angeles and Phoenix.

Mayor Brandon Johnson confirmed the city was notified about operations and said, ” It was stated to the City that the company would not be presently deploying any autonomous vehicles within Chicago.” The mayor’s office released the following statement in part:

“There is no law or regulatory framework which prohibits any licensed individual from driving in Chicago. As of now, autonomous vehicles have not been authorized within the City of Chicago or the State of Illinois.

The City looks forward to engaging with commuters, workers, transit advocates and industry leaders as we pursue constructive dialogue with our partners in Springfield and pursue an equitable path forward.”

The mayor’s office said Waymo will be operating in Chicago to map streets and record data on driving conditions.

Not everyone was thrilled by the idea of a driverless car, expressing concerns over safety, especially with Chicago’s specific traffic patterns and in the case of snowy roads.

Article continues here.

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Can I leave leaves in my garden beds?

Posted in Chicago Botanic Garden, Going green, Topics Of Interest on November 9, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Oak leaves on a lawn. | RJ Carlson /Chicago Botanic Garden

By Tim Johnson | Published in the Chicago Tribune

Will it be okay if I leave leaves in my garden beds at home? My work schedule is heavy this fall and I need some time to relax on weekends versus spending hours picking up leaves.

— Alfredo Alvarez, Highwood

My time for gardening at home is very limited, too, so I look for ways to make my gardening time more efficient. I also prefer a more natural look to my garden, which, fortunately, is easier to maintain, so I adjust my maintenance routines accordingly.

Leaves are now falling and starting to pile up in my garden. The usual fall routine for many gardeners is to remove all the leaves and either bag them up or pile them at the curb for transportation to a landscape waste facility, where they are turned into compost. I have left leaves in my garden beds at home for more than 25 years with good results, which saves time on cleanup while benefiting the environment. This also saves money and time as I do not have to purchase mulch for my garden beds. The only exception is when I plant in the fall, in which case I add mulch to help the new plants through their first winter.

In addition, I do not cut back perennials in fall but wait until spring to trim them to about six inches above the ground. The fallen leaves create a natural mulch, which helps suppress weeds and improves the soil with organic matter as they decompose. The perennial foliage and fallen leaves in the beds create a natural look with lots of winter interest, as well as habitat for insects and wildlife. We all need to do more to support pollinators, and we can help by leaving perennial foliage standing through the winter and keeping leaves in our garden beds year-round. Cut perennials back in late spring to six to eight inches above the ground for maximum benefit for insects.

There are several mature oak trees in my garden, so the leaves tend to pile up too deeply here and there in the borders or blow into dense piles that must be reduced to avoid smothering perennials, groundcovers, and bulbs. Excess leaves can be piled in a corner to decompose, creating compost to use for future soil improvement. Removing leaves from the edges of your garden beds will give you a clean boundary between the lawn and the beds, adding a sense of order to the garden’s appearance. You do not need to grind them up to use as mulch — simply let them fall and blow into the beds naturally.

You can use a mulching mower on the lawn to mulch the leaves and grass clippings to save time while returning nutrients to the lawn. I prefer the look of some leaves left on the lawn in fall versus a clean look and have lowered my mower cutting height to about 2 inches. Change the direction of mowing each time you mow. You should be able to easily see the blades of grass after you are finished mowing for the season. A thick layer of leaves covering the grass will likely smother the lawn if left on it over the winter. A medium to dense layer of leaves can damage any areas of the lawn that have been seeded earlier in the fall and are just getting established. You will need to carefully rake or blow some of the leaves off the new grass if the ground is too soft to push a mower over. If the mower leaves ruts as you are mowing, then the area should not be mowed.

For more plant advice, contact the Plant Information Service at the Chicago Botanic Garden at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org. Tim Johnson is senior director of horticulture at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

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Smash A Pumpkin Saturday morning

Posted in Barrington High School, Going green on November 5, 2025| Leave a Comment »

“Have fun smashing your pumpkins for composting at the Village of Barrington’s Pumpkin Smash event being held on Saturday, Nov. 8 from 9 to 11 AM at Barrington High School’s upper Field of Dreams parking lot adjacent to Hart Road lot.

This is a free event that is open to the public.”

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