Stories by Patty Wetli

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.

Members of Chicago’s Native American community were surprised in the best kind of way on Wednesday when the Chicago Board of Education approved the change of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day in its school calendar.

The preservation organization has released its annual list of “most endangered” historic places for 2020. The Thompson Center and Jackson Park are both making their fourth appearance, which is either a good or bad sign.

More and more states are legalizing marijuana, but the number of women involved in the cannabis industry keeps dropping. What can Chicago do to buck that trend?

Chicago’s Polish bakeries have to prep for two Paczki Days: Fat Thursday, celebrated by Poles, and Fat Tuesday, celebrated by everyone else.

The daughter of former Vice President Al Gore is founder of the Center for Earth Ethics, which frames the environmental crisis in moral terms. She tells us about her work ahead of her appearance this week at a climate change forum in Chicago.

Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones was also honored with a resolution acknowledging her groundbreaking 1619 Project, prompting moving comments from several council members.

City Council approved a climate emergency resolution Wednesday, but no specific actions are on the horizon.