A 1,300-acre restoration project at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie has ground to a halt after federal grant funds, awarded in 2023, were frozen by the Trump Administration.

Nature was on the ballot in several suburban counties, with forest preserve and conservations districts in DuPage, Kane, Lake and McHenry asking for funding increases to support land acquisition, habitat restoration and ongoing maintenance.

Forest preserve districts in DuPage, Kane and Lake counties, along with the McHenry County Conservation District, are all asking either for tax increases or the ability to issue bonds to pay for land acquisition, habitat restoration and ongoing maintenance.

“The reality of climate change can be debilitating, it’s hard to know where to even start,” said state Rep. Laura Faver Dias (D- Grayslake), who introduced the bill in the General Assembly. “But now anyone can help restore native habitat right in our own yards.”

The nearly 20-acre parcel will expand the existing Fort Sheridan Forest Preserve.

Chicago’s tree canopy is in decline and ranks far below the national average, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which also indicates a disparity in trees on the city’s South and West sides. The local conservation organization Openlands has been working to reverse these trends.

While financing for the Chicago Bears’ proposed new lakefront stadium remains in doubt, opponents of the plan have sent an unequivocal “hands off” message regarding any use of lakefront property for private interests.

The Conservation Fund, Illinois Audubon Society and Openlands announced the purchase of the 985-acre Tamarack Farms, which will now become the single largest property within McHenry County’s Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge.

Chicago has touted the tens of thousands of trees it’s planted in recent years. But the city’s volunteer TreeKeepers say too many saplings die for lack of a maintenance plan.

The grant was awarded through the America the Beautiful Challenge. The program, now in its second year, is funded in part by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The last time the conservation organization experienced a changing of the leadership guard, the year was 1988, Ronald Reagan was president, Mike Tyson was heavyweight champ, and floppy disks were still a thing.

Pending final approval, Openlands will transfer the Lakeshore Preserve to the Lake County Forest Preserves, which owns the adjacent 250-acre Fort Sheridan preserve.

Openlands is hosting guided paddling trips through the African American Heritage Water Trail on the Far South Side. It’s a way to experience how Black history and nature intersect.

A dense green tree canopy can reduce the effects of air pollution and climate change. A 2019 study by the city found Little Village was among communities burdened by higher air pollution — and now, the neighborhood is planting the seeds for change.

The Great Lakes was named a global “Hope Spot,” joining the Galapagos Islands, the Great Barrier Reef and the Bering Sea as a place identified as critical to the health of the ocean.

The six recommended appointees to the board, which was created in June 2021, all received unanimous support during a key committee hearing. Next up is a full Chicago City Council vote.