Podcasts Archives

May 21, 2017 – Name This!

May 20, 2017May 23, 2017 Mike Nowak Bartlett Tree Experts, Dr. Allan Armitage, environmment, gardening, Isabella Woods, mulch, MWRD, Noreen Edwards Metz, plant names, The Mike Nowak Show, tree care

Mike and Peggy talk to the renowned Dr. Allan Armitage about his new book, Of Naked Ladies and Forget-Me-Nots, report on a victory for a natural area on the border of Evanston and Wilmette, and get tree care questions answered by Skeet of Bartlett Tree Experts.

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May 20, 2017 – Saving the Monarch

May 20, 2017May 23, 2017 Mike Nowak chrysalis, citizen scientist, environment, gardening, habitat, insects, Kylee Baumlee, migration, milkweed, monarch butterfly, native plants, pesticides, The Mike Nowak Show

Mike and Peggy welcome citizen scientist and author Kylee Baumlee, who talks about her new book, The Monarch: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly.

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May 14, 2017 – Bees, Conservation, Green Buildings and More

May 13, 2017May 23, 2017 Mike Nowak bees, Camp BreakDown Break Down, Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards, Conservation at Home, environment, Heather Holm, Illinois Extension, retrofitting, The Conservation Foundation, The Mike Nowak Show, USGBC Illinois

Mike and Peggy start with a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT GARDENING IN CHICAGO. Then they welcome a slew of guests and talk about bees, a camp about reconnecting with the earth, a conservation program coming to Cook County, and the work of the Illinois Chapter of the US Green Building Council.

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May 13, 2017 – Urban Nature

May 12, 2017May 23, 2017 Mike Nowak bird migration, Chicago, coyotes, Dan Protess, environment, habitat, Marcus Kronforst, monarch butterflies, New York City, The Mike Nowak Show, Urban Nature, WTTW

Urban Nature is a 16 part online series from WTTW in Chicago. Mike and Peggy welcome its host, Marcus Kronforst, PhD, and writer and producer Dan Protess, to talk about their adventures in the wilds of New York, San Francisco and, of course, Chicago.

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May 7, 2017 – The Future of Natural Areas

May 6, 2017May 23, 2017 Mike Nowak Arthur Melville Pearson, blueberries, Bushel and Berry, commercial composting, environment, gardening, George Fell, Illinois International Port District, Lake Calumet, Patriot Acres LLC, The Mike Nowak Show, The Nature Conservancy

Mike and Peggy interview Arthur Melville Pearson, author of a new biography about George Fell, founder of the natural areas movement; discuss the future of Lake Calumet on Chicago’s southeast side; give away some Bushel and Berry™ plants; and more.

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May 6, 2017 – Counting Birds

May 5, 2017May 23, 2017 Mike Nowak bird migration, conservation, Cook County Forest Preserves, environment, gardening, habitat, International Migratory Bird Day, The Mike Nowak Show, urban wildlife, US Fish and Wildlife

Louise Clemency from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Chicago Illinois Field Office and Nina Baki of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, join Mike and Peggy to talk about spring migration and the various bird count activities happening this month.

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April 29 & 30, 2017 – A Sunday Kind of Show

April 28, 2017May 23, 2017 Mike Nowak bobcats, Brad Temkin, coyotes, Dan Egan, environment, gardening, Great Lakes, Humane Society, invasive species, Logic Lawn Care, Marc Ayres, Professor Mike Bryson, St. Lawrence Seaway, The Mike Nowak Show

Starting this weekend, Peggy and Mike are on 1590 WCGO on Saturdays from 10 to 11am and on Sundays from 9 to 11 am. This week, they talk green roofs, green and natural lawns, keeping the Great Lakes healthy, and keeping predator hunting in Illinois ethical.

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April 22, 2017 – Earth Day!

April 21, 2017May 23, 2017 Mike Nowak climate change, Earth Day, environment, gardening, Growing a Greener World, Joe Lamp'l, March for Science Chicago, Rain Bird, Rick DiMaio, The Mike Nowak Show, water conservation

On Earth Day 2017, Mike and Peggy welcome Joe Lamp’l from the PBS show Growing a Greener World, who has lessons on conserving water in your backyard. Kathleen Thompson and Meteorologist Rick DiMaio report at separate times from the March for Science Chicago.

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April 15, 2017 – Wha’d Life Be Without Homegrown Tomatoes?

April 14, 2017May 23, 2017 Mike Nowak Craig LeHoullier, Earth Day, environment, Epic Tomatoes, film festival, Focus on Energy, gardening, heirloom tomatoes, Kay McKeen, plastic bag recycling, SCARCE, The Mike Nowak Show

Mike and Peggy talk to tomato expert Craig LeHoullier, then look forward (or wistfully, if you’re paying attention to our current administration) to Earth Day commemorations next week.

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April 8, 2017 – Siting compost, sighting endangered species

April 7, 2017September 8, 2018 Mike Nowak Carol Freeman, compost, compost odors, endangered species, environment, Illinois, landfills, Patriot Acres, photography, soil, The Mike Nowak Show

Mike and Peggy talk about a battle over a proposed compost operation in unincorporated Cook County and how one woman is fighting to document all of the endangered plant and animal species in Illinois.