#18 in our “26 in 2026” hikes: Shepard Prairie at Knox College’s Green Oaks Research area (Victoria, IL -Knox County). Second oldest institutionally planted prairie in the world (1950s). Beautiful! #prairie #hiking #nature #illinois #midwest

Glad for the garden right now… #gardening #recalls #lettuce #buttercrunchlettuce #sustainability #homegrown

Dragonfly Blitz at Emiquon in Lewistown, IL, today! Gorgeous weather, lots of odes flying, incredible site. #dragonflies #odonates #insects #wetlands #midwest #nature

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! Kudos to Mother for featuring prairie restoration on the front cover! Enjoy a scoop of moose tracks ice cream while you read (don’t forget the whipped cream!) and have a great week. #prairie #nativeplants #gardening #nature @motherearthnews.bsky.social

Backyard prairie and traditional garden plants in bloom! #nativeplants #prairie #gardening

Today in the Chicago region. #smoke#wildfires #airquality

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday ! Fascinating memoir combining ethnobotany, indigenous people, Indiana Dunes, and marine biology. Enjoy it with a sparkling Gatorade, topped with whip and a mint sprig, and stay cool this week! @milkweededitions.bsky.social #books #nature

Wow.Hope and Resilience are the themes at The Obama Presidential Center. Far exceeded my expectations. #obama #hope #bethechange

Queen of the Prairie is blooming in my backyard native garden. Think Pink! #prairie #nativeplants #gardening #nature

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! I thoroughly enjoyed this chef’s memoir on seasonal cooking and eating, buying food locally, gardening, and foraging. Pair it w/a sparkling orange juice (topped with a strawberry and plenty of whip, of course) and stay cool this week! #cooking #memoir #books #drinks

#17 in our “26 in 2026” hikes—Prairie Ridge State Natural Area in Jasper County (Newton, Illinois). Four thousand-plus acres! Tallgrass prairie! Prairie Chickens! (Although we didn’t see them). Hot day, great place. Beautiful. #prairie #wildlife #hiking #illinois #birding #nature

This guy spent most of the day under our bed. Not happy about all the thunderstorms rolling through Illinois tonight, with fireworks set off between the showers. 🐈‍⬛ #cats #weather #illinois

#16 in our “26 in 2026” attempt to hike 26 natural areas new to us in 26 Illinois counties this year—Crawford County Forest Preserve (Robinson, Illinois). Thousands of dragonflies out, w/a heat index off the charts. Short sweaty hike but beautiful! #hiking #illinois #nature #odonata

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! Just started this thoughtful, well-written look at the evolutionary history of birds & I am learning so much! Pair it w/ an iced coffee, topped w/m&ms & stay cool this week! #history #birds #nature #evolution #books @marinerbooks.bsky.social @stevebrusatte.bsky.social

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! A thoughtful, well-written book you won’t want to miss. Pair it with my new favorite sparkling drink (LaCroix, cranberry juice, gatorade) topped with fruit and plenty of whip, and have a great week. @marinerbooks.bsky.social #nature #wildlife #books #prairie #bison

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! A fascinating true story of adventure, history, and obsession in the Amazon jungle. Pair it with an iced coffee (add chocolate-covered espresso beans & plenty of whip) & enjoy the week. @vintagebooks.bsky.social #books @davidgrann.bsky.social #nature #coffee

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! A good summer adventure book, featuring the Grand Canyon, risk-taking, rafting, and natural history. Pair it with a strawberry lemonade (don’t forgeg the whipped cream!) and have a great week. #books #rafting #nature #nationalparks @simonandschuster.bsky.social

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! Classic adventure read. Riveting! Pair it with a blackberry lemonade (don’t forget the whipped cream!) and enjoy the week. #books #summerdrinks #arctic @basicbooksgroup.bsky.social

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! An iced coffee with homemade vanilla cold foam, an absorbing Alaskan Arctic adventure story, and a cat asleep on my lap. What a good Wednesday. Hope yours is, too! #books #nature #alaska #arctic #travel #science #coffee @littlebrown.bsky.social #hiking #wednesday

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! What a delightful read, full of joys and mishaps. Pair the book with some hot java (topped with chocolate drizzle and plenty of the good stuff). Mug a gift from friends Vicki and Scott. 💕 Cheers! Have a great week! #books @simonandschuster.bsky.social #hiking #nature

A good week for re-reading the poetry of Mary Oliver, and drinking blueberry lemonade with mint from the garden (topped with plenty of the good stuff). Cheers! #poetry #books #nature @beaconpress.bsky.social @maryoliverdaily.bsky.social

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! Although her wonderful column will no longer appear in the NYT, I’m grateful to have Renkl’s books to re-read. Enjoy w/coffee topped w/whipped cream & M&Ms. Keep writing, MR! Cheering you on. @margaretrenkl.bsky.social @nytimes.com @milkweededitions.bsky.social #books

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! Just started this thoughtful 2011 global natural history library check-out about the coasts, braiding together ethics, story and science. I’m enjoying it with a mug of java, topped with sprinkles and the good stuff. Happy reading! @henryholt.bsky.social #nature #books

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! (A little late). A great resource for identifying emerging prairie plants in the home garden or on the prairies. Pair it with some chocolate drizzle and whipped cream on your coffee and have a great week! #coffee #prairie #nativeplants #gardening #nature

Have you noticed Venus and the crescent moon in the evening? So lovely! #planets #moon #nightsky #nature

Happy sparkling spring! #cats #spring

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday!! This is a tribute to gardening in your wildest dreams—lush photography, over-the-top plants (both native & introduced). Enjoy it with a raspberry lemonade, topped with plenty of the good stuff, and have a great week! #books #gardening @timberpress.bsky.social #nature

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday!! Gorgeously-photographed inspiration for a sustainable landscape. Pair it with a mug of java, topped with the good stuff (and a swizzle of chocolate) and enjoy the week. (Illinois friends-Jack Pizzo’s prairie featured!!) #prairie #books #gardening #coffee #nature

Happy Whipped Cream Wednesday! An epic journey through wildlife environmental history in North America (no fooling!). Enjoy your coffee with the good stuff on top today and have a great week. #coffee #books #environment #nature

No Kings in Glen Ellyn, Illinois today. Great turnout! #nokings #democracy #midwest