Stories by Patty Wetli

Snowdrop, crocus, hyacinth and other early spring bloomers are cheering up the gloomy landscape.

At least one St. Patrick’s Day tradition is alive and well in these topsy-turvy times. Animals at Brookfield Zoo received special shamrock-shaped treats on Tuesday.

Neighbors in Bucktown suggested hanging shamrocks in windows for a DIY scavenger hunt, and Lincoln Square grabbed onto the idea. Who else wants in?

Concerns over the spread of the coronavirus have a lot of people working from home, schools closed, restaurants shuttered and sports canceled. Can we even go outside? Yes, say the experts, but still practice social distance.

The annual dyeing of the river was canceled downtown, but the waterway flowed emerald green on its North Branch.

Here we are a nation on edge, the future uncertain, civilization as we know it seemingly on the brink of collapse. And our very first survival instinct is to hoard toilet paper. 

Think things are bleak on planet Earth? At lease it’s not raining metal. That’s the kind of bizarre climate scientists recently observed on an ultra-hot exoplanet they’ve dubbed WASP-76b, located 640 million light-years away.

The spotted lanternfly, oak wilt, gypsy moth and boxwood blight are among the latest threats in the plant world. And citizen scientists have a role to play when it comes to stopping the next plague.

Southwest Side residents are mobilizing to pump the brakes on MAT Asphalt’s application for a 10-year permit from the Illinois EPA, and say they don’t trust the agency to put people over profit.

The city has given up on its ash trees, but some Chicagoans refuse to let theirs die.

March’s full moon is called the Worm Moon, and it will be an extra bright supermoon.

Starbucks said it is “pausing” the use of personal cups in its stores as a precautionary response to the coronavirus epidemic.

Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead an hour on Sunday.

Lawyers began presenting evidence Thursday as the Illinois Commerce Commission weighs a petition to double the throughput of the controversial Dakota Access pipeline, which runs through the state.

Remember those endangered piping plovers that captured Chicagoans’ hearts? They’re back — as the stars of the documentary “Monty and Rose,” screening this month during the One Earth Film Festival.

Handwashing. It’s something we’ve all be doing since we were toddlers and, as it turns out, we’ve probably been doing it wrong. The World Health Organization shows us how it’s really done.

Chicago was incorporated as a city March 4, 1837, the same day Martin Van Buren was inaugurated president. What else happened in 1837? Turns out, a lot.

Small actions can add up to meaningful change in the race to avert a climate crisis. But Chicago is lagging when it comes to some of the simplest solutions.

Humans are great problem-solvers, but climate change doesn’t feel urgent enough, say behavioral scientists. They’re trying to figure out how to change that.

Satellites show a dramatic drop in pollution over China, which scientists say can be partially attributed to quarantines and an economic slowdown due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

Deborah Mercer has surprised herself by becoming a prolific documentarian of Chicago’s urban landscape. Here’s a look at her work.

JP Morgan Chase announced this week it will throw its financial weight behind the transition to a “low-carbon economy,” but environmental activists say that doesn’t make up for the damage the firm’s lending practices have already wrought on the planet.

The young crescent moon and the blazingly bright planet are in conjunction. Look to the western sky shortly after sunset Friday to see for yourself.

Chicago made national news this week when an archdiocesan official suggested plant-based “meats” are a cheat during Lent’s meatless Fridays.

A “spiritual sequel” to the 1992 horror flick of the same name, “Candyman” filmed all around Chicago last summer and fall. Anything look familiar?

A family friendly expo Saturday offers workshops, a resource fair and more for those curious about raising livestock in the city.