What's New - North Shore Channel Habitat Project

Doug Macdonald, steward of the Civic Center Habitat Garden

Native plants

Looking at the world from the plant’s point of view

It’s often good to approach plant habits from their point of view instead of from ours. Why does a plant act in a certain way? Ferns, for instance, will often shed old fronds when new ones emerge. These dead fronds lie in a heap at their base. This...

3 years ago

American elm, one of Evanston's signature street trees

Caring for plants, Community, Trees

Take care of trees—and they’ll take care of us

While we are staying close to home and outdoor volunteer opportunities are limited, there is still plenty to do to help Evanston’s urban forest. What’s the urban forest? Basically, it’s everything green and growing in a city. It i...

4 years ago

Solitary walker in the Ladd Arboretum April 2020

Community, Health

Seeking out nature in a time of stress

Stress levels are high this spring. But while we have to keep a healthy distance, Evanston’s parks remain open, and people are seeking them out. It’s no wonder. There is increasing evidence that green spaces and natural areas like the Lad...

4 years ago

Asters and joe-pye weed at the Ladd Arboretum

Native plants

Floppy prairie plants

Prairie plants are often tall and floppy—a tendency that's more obvious when they're growing in a garden. Why did they evolve this way?...

5 years ago

Tony removing burdock in the Ladd Arboretum

Caring for plants, Invasive clearing

Opening space for growth

We spend more time removing plants than adding them these days. In a disturbed site like the banks of the North Shore Channel, invasive plants thrive. Until our newly planted native plants get the upper hand, weeding will remain one of our most tim...

5 years ago

Native plants

Ephemeral

Mayapples have wilted in July’s heat, bringing to a close the season of spring ephemerals. In the Ladd Arboretum, prairie plants are now towering, and plants like these retreat until next spring. Top to bottom: sharp-lobed hepatica, birdfoot vi...

5 years ago

Civic Center Habitat Garden, flourishing two years after planting

Caring for plants, Community, Native plants, Planning, Planting

What a difference two years make

The Civic Center Habitat Garden marked its second anniversary this month. What started out as a weedy lawn has been transformed through good planning and hard work into a flourishing oasis for birds and pollinators. More than sixty species of plants ...

5 years ago

Native plants, Wildlife

Hidden under the buckthorn

As dense buckthorn is cleared from the banks of the North Shore Channel, other plants have a better chance. These prairie trilliums showed up recently in one of the recently cleared areas...

5 years ago

Native plants, Planning

Visualize green

With landscapes drained of color and temperatures plummeting, this is an ideal time to start planning for spring....

5 years ago

Community, Native plants, Planning

Climate action from the ground up

Evanston City Council voted unanimously to adopt an ambitious Climate Action & Resilience Plan that makes Evanston the first city in Illinois to commit to achieving carbon neutrality. ...

5 years ago