Stories by Evan Garcia

Inside a 12,000-square-foot greenhouse on the Northwest Side of Chicago, thousands of fish – and the waste they produce – are an essential part of an innovative growing method called aquaponics. 

On Wednesday night, cyclists will ride slowly and silently through downtown Chicago – and in hundreds of other cities around the world – to pay tribute to fallen riders.

Two Mexican gray wolf pups born at Brookfield Zoo last month were released into the Arizona wilderness as part of a carefully timed conservation effort. The species has been threatened by extinction for over half a century.

This fall, hunters in Illinois will be able to hunt and trap bobcats for the first time in more than four decades. But some state lawmakers are pushing for a ban on trapping the animals and selling their pelts.

The migratory birds are starting to nest in the area, but their nests don't look like those found in trees. That's because purple martins, which spend their winters in South America, now rely almost entirely on man-made nests when they arrive each spring. 

How local forest preserves are using fire to maintain the Chicago area's natural ecosystem, much like Native Americans did prior to European settlement.

The National Bison Legacy Act aims to put the largest land mammal in America on the same level as the bald eagle, the country's national bird and a cultural symbol of independence.

An injured turkey is raising mallard ducklings at a wildlife center in west suburban Elburn after a red-tailed hawk killed the ducklings' mother.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday announced initiatives to reassure residents that Chicago's water is safe and lead-free.

The bison herd at Fermilab just got a little bigger: On Tuesday, the first bison calf of 2016 was born at the particle physics laboratory in suburban Batavia.

The giant corpse plant, a titan arum, is now in bloom. See what the plant looks like via the CBG's live stream, and find out about late hours for Tuesday night.

After Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago patients, families, staff and volunteers took part in a voting contest last week, the 10-month-old penguin previously known as Chick No. 23 is now called Diego.

The Field Museum recently captured some unusual animal portraits with motion-activated cameras in the Peruvian Amazon rain forest.

The terms of the historic global pact were agreed upon by 195 countries on Dec. 12, 2015, at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, but Friday – Earth Day – marks the first day of the yearlong signing period.

If all goes as planned, the Chicago Botanic Garden is about to get very stinky in the next few days. That’s because Sprout, a titan arum–also known as a corpse flower–is very close to blooming.

Shedd Aquarium staff are watching a 28-year-old female Pacific white-sided dolphin and her newborn calf around the clock during what they call "a very crucial time."

Less than half of the plant life found in the Chicago region is native to the area. As the Morton Arboretum's tree improvement specialist, it's Joe Rothleutner's job to make sure those native plants are protected.

The snow monkey, born on Wednesday, has since clung tightly to 11-year-old mother Ono. Zoo employees have not yet named it or determined its sex. Maureen Leahy, the zoo’s curator of primates, said they prefer to give mother and infant plenty of space at this stage.

Appearing at the site of the soon-to-be-demolished Children’s Memorial Hospital in Lincoln Park, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced initiatives to respond to the city's growing rat problem.

Their annual migration from North America to Mexico has been called “one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the world,” but the monarch butterfly is not only in decline – it’s closer to extinction than previously thought, research shows.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Monday unveiled a new plan to build 50 miles of "better bike lanes" in the city over the next three years. 

Recent news coverage has suggested a spike in pileated woodpecker sightings in the western suburbs may be linked to the emerald ash borer. But according to at least two wildlife experts, it probably has more to do with the restoration of local habitat.

You don't have to be an expert birder or ecologist to enjoy songs and calls from native and foreign birds in Chicago this time of year. Here's what to listen for.

A new interactive exhibit on climate change at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum addresses “the defining issue of our time,” says Steve Sullivan, senior curator of ecology at the museum. 

Badgers are known for their elusiveness: the mostly solitary animals travel and forage at night, moving from one place to another very quickly. But wildlife biologists recently got lucky and caught one in northwest Cook County.

Rat complaints are on the rise, according to city data. Find out what Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th Ward) are doing to address the issue.