A couple of weekends ago, I found myself wandering down a trail, with a backpack full of camping gear. Backpacking, while not something I do as often as I would like, is one of my favorite hobbies. There’s something so satisfying about knowing you have everything you need to survive on your ...

Unstructured outdoor play, once a defining feature of childhood, has significantly diminished over recent decades due to societal changes of debatable degrees of logic. This decline has serious implications for our kid’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development, and as with so many ...

Recently, on a sunny late afternoon, a couple friends and I were walking through Graceland Cemetery in Chicago. As we moved along, we crossed the path of several other people, a tour group, and a few large groups of sparrows. The people and sparrows were expected, however after about 20 ...

When parts of nature go to sleep, others are just waking up. The forest comes alive in new ways as darkness falls. Take an opportunity to explore the dark side of nature on Audubon Community Nature Center’s Night Hike, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28. Those attending can listen for ...

When I arrive to work at the Nature Center each morning, one of the first things I do is check on the hundreds of other ladies in the building. They are usually already working by the time I get there. Some are cleaning while others build, work security, or gather and prepare food. There are ...

By EMMA ROTH One of my favorite places to be is outside, whether that is hiking, camping, kayaking, or just sitting under a tree and relaxing in the fresh air. And while I love being outdoors, it’s not always a comfortable experience. Summer brings hot sun and humidity, winter has cold wind, ...