nature

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Discover the African American Heritage Water Trail

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Discover the African American Heritage Water Trail

Lake Michigan, one of Chicagoland’s great treasures, is connected to the Mississippi River by a series of waterways, including the Little Calumet River, which flows through several south-side Chicago neighborhoods, carrying nearly two centuries of African American history. The African American Heritage Water Trail honors this history and the remarkable stories of African American freedom seekers and trailblazers who traveled, lived, worked, and overcame enormous obstacles around this river and its banks. Please stop right now and visit this beautiful website, where you’ll find everything you need to understand the trail and the stops along its way.

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Q&A with Kyra Woods, Policy Advisor with the City of Chicago

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Q&A with Kyra Woods, Policy Advisor with the City of Chicago

While on staff with the Illinois Sierra Club, Kyra Woods established and facilitated The Ready for 100 Collective, a coalition of local environmental and community organizations working to ensure Chicago’s equitable transition to renewable energy. She is now a member of the Policy Team in the City of Chicago Office of the Mayor.

Q: What’s on the top of your mind these days?

A: A serious matter. I’m reflecting on the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. The issues it highlights are not new, but it underscores the need for ambitious and coordinated action. I’m grateful to have a team to work with, committed members across this department, with partners at the county level and—so essential—also at the community level. Together, we’re focused on addressing a range of environmental issues such as waste management, carbon reduction, and air and water quality.

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Sacred Wandering in Thatcher Woods

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Sacred Wandering in Thatcher Woods

For seven months now, a group of 20 people, give or take a few, have been practicing Sacred Wandering at Thatcher Woods, the third Saturday of each month. We start with some community-building conversation, a standing meditation, and then we walk slowly to our first meditation spot where we sit for about 15 minutes, focusing on the nature surrounding us.

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Forest Bathing 101: No Rubber Duck Required

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Forest Bathing 101: No Rubber Duck Required

Practicing self-care is essential in 2018. It’s been a year of soul-crushing news about the climate, the state of our democracy, and #metoo. If you enjoy walking, you might try forest therapy. Called forest bathing (shinrin yoku) by the Japanese, this beautiful practice combines mindfulness and a slow stroll in nature, under the direction of a certified guide, often in the company of others.

Sacred Wandering

Sacred Wandering

Join us as we explore meditation-in-nature with SacredWandering. Simplicity and reverence will be our guides. Join Terry Kinsey and me as we explore a new way of experiencing nature - the Sacred Wandering Way. If you yearn to be rooted down with earth's healing power, join us. Throughout the millennia, people have gone to the forests and mountains to connect with themselves and the sacred in themselves. Ascetics, monks, indigenous people, Thoreau, Buddha and even Christ went out into the wilderness to practice a form of SacredWandering. We will move slowly through the out-of-doors with an intention to connect with nature's healing power. There will be silence and discussion. The group will meet no matter what the weather so come prepared and bring something to sit upon.

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Connecting with Nature Through Stories (for children and adults)

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Connecting with Nature Through Stories (for children and adults)

I love good children’s books.  Some of my most cherished moments from my children’s growing-up years were reading stories to them that inspired and nurtured me as much as them!  So when I came across this list “16 Great Children’s Books on Nature and the Environment” I knew that I had to share it.