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It's not quite Fall here in Chicagoland, Illinois the Prairie State, home of Lincoln and the Bears. Yes, it is football season, but it isn't Fall yet here after scarey temperatures all summer, lots of rain after years of severe drought...our state is rich and full with greens that haven't decided to die....yet.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
I dug in my old photos for some images I haven't used before...I tend to take oodles of photos, I may only use 4 or 5 of them.
Above is the buds from one of our Tree Rose of Sharons, really the last thing that blooms in Fall, when everything else is winding down.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
This is one of the greenest photos I have from late summer. I love the peeky hole the surroundings created.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
In the 1800's most of Illinois was prairie, except in the far north where I live which was woodlands, lakes, marshes with intermittent prairie. I live in Lake County and their are oodles of lakes, hills, and marshes across the entire county and parks.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Our State or Lake and Cook County Forest Preserves also protect the prairies, woodlands, lakes, rivers, marshes and creeks. Wildlife is quite happy.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
One of our favorites to visit is Moraine Hills State Park. Vast tracks of everything Illinois has to offer as well as undisturbed woodlands over 120 years old. Huge Oaks hug hills and ravines and it is always goregeous.
Lake County Forsest Preserves manage over 31,000 acres of land, over 10% of the county. We are blessed with their conservation efforts to provide green spaces, trails and parks.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Smaller preserves such as Lakewood have had abundant wildlife.
Lakewood Preserve is currently under a 100-year transformation, they are trying to restore the original wetlands that had been improperly used for agriculture. A daunting project, these deer have moved north of the park now as the construction and rejuvenation continues.
The last years of conservation have been emphasizing restorations of native plants. Milky Weed can be annoying in the suburbs but out on the prairie, it's magical.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
In Morraine Hills State Park
you can really forget you are 50 miles from downtown Chicago in the vast prairies and marshes.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
I take photos of almost everything, even dead/dying trees which appear to have become exhausted from dancing.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
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| oldnewgreenredo |
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Clouds and light...
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Woods to walk in...
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Needles and pine...perfect bedding for deer.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Oaks are naturally prevalent in the area.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Lakewoods parking lot curb captures Maple leaves.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
In 1835 John Deere developed a plow that could cut through the prairie sod...and farming erased much of the natural prairies. The middle of Illinois is nothing but miles of corn and soybeans.
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| oldnewgreenredo |
Thank goodness, the preservation that continues to restore the wet lands, unpollute the lakes and streams, and fill the prairies with the natural plants and critters and birds, we once almost erased. It's a blessing to see herons fishing in clean streams,
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| Oldnewgreenredo |
or a huge environmental success,
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| oldnewgreenredo |
a pair of Whooping Cranes almost extinct in the 1970s, now peering at you just a few feet from the car in all the preserves.
Nature spaces to Visit in N. Illinois, most are all within fifteen miles of our home. These are all free, so this isn't advertising, but informational.
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Sandi
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