Stories by Patty Wetli

Biologist Carrie Albertin helped sequence the genome of the octopus while earning her Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. Now she’s made surprising discoveries about the elusive giant squid.

Hosting a more sustainable Super Bowl party can be as easy as buying snacks from the bulk bin and using cloth napkins instead of paper. Oh, and split the difference on pizza boxes.

Chicago has a target date of 2035 to transition to clean energy. On Saturday, the first of several planned community forums will gather residents’ input on how to achieve that goal.

Is it time to hit the reset button on Chicago’s beleaguered Blue Cart recycling program? The city is preparing to conduct a study of the nation’s waste management best practices as it looks for ways to improve.

Winter is about to turn a major psychological corner: For the first time in nearly three months, 9-to-5-ers will see the sun when they leave work. 

Lurie Garden's four-season approach to plantings provides a prime example of the beauty and life to be found in a winter garden.

A grant from the state will help fund creation of the Chicago Park District’s first campground and a fully accessible 3-mile trail at Big Marsh, a natural area rising up from the waste of big steel on the city’s Southeast Side.

The coyote, confirmed to have bitten a young boy, won’t be released back into the wild but will be placed in an educational setting to raise awareness of the need for peaceful coexistence.

Overuse of salt as a de-icer can contaminate waterways and harm wildlife. Learn how much is too much – and what eco-friendly options exist.

On the other hand, property owners can be fined for not shoveling.

From the Amazon to Jiuzhaigou Valley, the world’s forests are racking up hashtags. But there’s no need to travel out of Cook County in search of photogenic flora.

With 24 days of partly cloudy or straight up cloudy skies, January’s pretty bleak. Unfortunately, it takes a blast of cold northern air to get the sun to come out and play. 

Author Dan Egan had sobering words for Chicagoans at a One Book, One Chicago event this week.

Chicago is getting tough on plastic waste. A new city ordinance would, if passed, ban Styrofoam to-go containers and reduce single-use plastic utensils.

A resolution introduced at Wednesday’s City Council meeting calls for an emergency “climate mobilization” on a scale not seen since WWII.

Following what appears to have been a tragic accident, the zoo reported the death of its female African lion, Isis, less than two weeks after the loss of her mate, Zenda.