Spring Lake Forest Preserve, Cook County. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

Created back in 1994, the day is meant to celebrate the connection between people and the green space in their community. 

The Wabash YMCA plans to use grant funding to update its historic mural. (WTTW News)

With the grant totaling nearly $437,000, the plan is to restore what was once a safe haven for people of color who came to Chicago during the Great Migration and prepare the building for future generations.

(WTTW News)
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Monuments can be created by the stroke of a president’s pen, and undone by the same. As a national historical park, Pullman now has added protections.

The Old State Capitol in Springfield. (Google Streetview)

Between 1841 and 1872, the building served as the seat of Illinois Supreme Court, during which time justices heard several cases linked to Illinois' Underground Railroad.

U.S. Steel Midwest Plant on the shore of Lake Michigan, with the Indiana Dunes Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Trail in the foreground, in 2019. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

The Environmental Protection Agency confirmed the “reddish-orange discharge” that poured into Lake Michigan on Sunday from a steel plant in Portage, Indiana, was caused by high levels of iron, and says there’s no indication of health risks for people who may come into direct contact with the water.

U.S. Steel Midwest Plant on the shore of Lake Michigan, with the Indiana Dunes Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Trail in the foreground, in 2019. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

U.S. Steel is reporting that a “rusty colored” discharge that poured into Lake Michigan on Sunday from its plant in Portage, Indiana, was due to elevated iron levels.

Indiana Dunes National Park, with various industrial plants in the background, in 2019. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

Officials from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management are investigating a “rusty colored liquid” discharged from the U.S. Steel plant in Portage, spotted Sunday evening in the Burns Waterway.

Yosemite park ranger Shelton Johnson makes a strong case for representation and inclusivity. (The Nature Conservancy / YouTube)

The weeklong social media campaign coincides with the 104th anniversary of the creation of the National Park Service on Aug. 25.

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Japan (Daniel Peckham / Flickr)

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.

The first national park quarter to be released for circulation in 2020 will feature the National Park of American Samoa, home to giant fruit bats. (Credit: United States Mint)

In just a few weeks, there’s a very good chance you’ll have fruit bats in your pocket. The United State Mint will release a quarter on Feb. 3 featuring the National Park of American Samoa, which is home to giant bats.

Mikah Meyer visits the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Monday, April 29, 2019. The national park site was his final stop on a three-year journey visiting all 419 national park sites. (Courtesy of Mikah Meyer)

Mikah Meyer’s cross-country trip came to an end this week when he ascended the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. He’s the first person to visit all National Park Service sites in one continuous trip – and is challenging stereotypes along the way.

(Courtesy Mikah Meyer)

Trip Includes Stop in Chicago, Expected to Take 3 Years

When most people visit a National Park Service site, they visit the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone. Not many realize that there are more than 400 National Park Service sites. But that’s one thing Mikah Meyer hopes to change as he travels cross-country visiting all 412 of those sites.