Learn more…
Did you know that Lake County boasts Illinois’s most diverse population of native plants and animals? Within Lake County, Mettawa remains a jewel of rural and natural open space, with five forest preserves thriving within Village boundaries. Learn more at the following organizations and links:

Local Organizations
Chicago Botanic Garden: Promoting the enjoyment, understanding, and conservation of plants and the natural world
Chicago Wilderness: A regional alliance dedicated to protecting nature and enriching life
Conserve Lake County: Preserving open land, restore natural areas, and inspiring land conservation
Lake County Audubon Society: Education, conservation and restoration of natural eco-systems focusing on birds
Lake County Forest Preserve District: Preservation, restoration, education & recreation
Lake Forest Open Lands Association
Morton Arboretum
Village of Mettawa

Oak trees
Project Querus: A coalition addressing oak canopy loss headed by the Land Conservancy
Maintaining Oak Canopy Dominance: A region-wide collaboration headed by Morton Arboretum Forest Ecology Lab

Native landscaping
Bringing Nature Home: List of best bets of what to plant (and numbers of species supported by each plant)
Conservation@Home: Free consultations & certifications for Lake County residents. Bring nature home with eco-landscaping! A program of Conserve Lake County.
Native Plant Garden (Chicago Botanic Garden)
Landscaping Alternatives for Invasive Plants of the Midwest (Purdue University, PDF)

Wildflowers and native plants
Illinois Wildflowers
Wildflower directory (University of Illinois Extension)

Birds
All about Birds: Online bird ID, with songs (Cornell University)
Online Guide To North American Birds (Audubon Society)

Wildlife
Living with wildlife (University of Illinois Extension)

Invasive species
Buckthorn, an aggressive pest (Chicago Tribune, 2012)
Invasive plants in the Chicago region (Chicago Botanic Garden)
Northeast Illinois Invasive Plant Partnership
Landscaping Alternatives for Invasive Plants of the Midwest (Purdue University, PDF)