Read my outdoor column for more on the Reed-Turner Woodland and Baltimore orioles. Photo of Baltimore oriole by John Heneghan. All rights reserved.
Quote of the week: Knowing our history helps us understand ourselves and our ability to survive difficult times — whether during the Civil War of 1861-1865 or the current pandemic — both events give us perspective to help us understand and to have hope.
Quote from Lake County historian Diana Dretske about creating a historical account of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Read the story here.
Quote of the week: The birds are coming. The blooms are opening. And that makes for a grand colorful sight in May.
Read my outdoor column on the merry month of May. The photo below is of great white trillium taken by the author at Wright Woods in Vernon Hills.
Quote of the Week: “You have the waves and you have that calming ebb and flow. I feel like it almost sinks in with your heartbeat and it helps calm your inner being. A lot of people are drawn to the water, whether or not they know why.
This story explains why beaches are so important to us during the coronavirus pandemic and which shoreline parks and local beaches are open and which ones are not. Photo below by Sheryl DeVore taken at Diamond Lake Beach.
Quote of the week: The 2020 coronavirus pandemic may lead to a deeper understanding of the ties that bind us all on a global scale and could help us get to grips with the largest public health threat of the century, the climate crisis.
–Arthur Wyns, climate researcher for WHO: Read about Earth Day’s 50th anniversary related to the pandemic here in my column.
Photo by Sheryl DeVore
Quote of the day: I felt how insignificant we all are, and how privileged we all are as humans.
Capt. James Lovell speaks on the 50th anniversary of the splashdown of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission and how it relates to the coronavirus. Photo below is a NASA photo showing Capt. Lovell in 1970 during the mission. 
pandemic. For the story, click here.
Quote of the Week: It’s a trying time. We worry about the mental health about our farmers and their ability to survive. A lot of them are one- or two-men operations. We want them to stay healthy.
Greg Koeppen, executive director of the Lake County Farm Bureau, on how farmers are faring during the coronavirus epidemic. Read more here. 
Quote of the week: Growing my own food gives me a sense of empowerment and pride, and I love the beautiful, delicious results.
Learn easy ways to get started on vegetable gardening with this story.
Quote of the week:“There’s a lot of research that shows spending time outdoors, especially in nature helps to relieve stress.
Story published in the Chicago Tribune reveals how walking is healthy during the coronavirus pandemic, but keeping the appropriate distance is not easy.
Quote of the week: It was a very confusing new world at first.
Amanda Majeski first learned about the world of opera singing when studying voice music in high school. Today she is an international opera star. For more, read this story.
