Chicago Nature: Grander Than the Grand Canyon
(and Every U.S. National Park)
Pembroke Savanna in Hopkins Park is home to over five hundred native plant species. In May, spring begins with blooms of white sand phlox and the rare birdfoot violet.
Today, February 26, marks the anniversary of the establishment of Grand Canyon National Park in 1919, which is home to 1,544 (vascular) native plant species—the most of any of our national parks. This also marks the day that I’d like to remind you that Chicago nature is grander than the Grand Canyon, with 1,706 species! And this means that the Chicago region tops every U.S. national park in native plant biodiversity. In 2018, I tallied the numbers and published the two articles in this blog:
– Chicago Region Tops U.S. National Parks in Native Plant Biodiversity! – Part 1
– Chicago Region Tops U.S. National Parks in Native Plant Biodiversity! – Part 2
For years, I’ve been cheering from the oak tops about the beauty of Chicago nature. Yet, my voice only carries so far, and most Chicagoans have yet to hear the great news. Very few people know that there is nature around Chicago. And unfortunately, you can’t fall in love with nature if you don’t know it’s there!
This website was created to market Chicago nature to the masses and to inspire people to participate in its rehabilitation using this strategy:
Frame the conversation by comparing Chicago’s natural beauty and biodiversity to the famed and revered national parks. Then back it up with stunning images and that data to prove it.
Right now, Chicagoland’s nature preserves are being overwhelmed by invasive species. Yet a vast majority of our nature preserves have no volunteers to restore them. Most preserves with a volunteer steward in charge have only a handful of helpers. Most are getting on in years. Few are under thirty. Lucky for us, we have more than nine million neighbors to draw from to help with restoration and preservation. The potential for growth is remarkable! The challenge is that Chicago isn’t like Denver or Seattle, where residents are constantly reminded of and lured into the great outdoors by looming mountains, and where a large portion of the population owns a pair of hiking boots. We live in a place that was flat from the start, with no iconic reminders of the kaleidoscopic prairie and its endless horizon. Therefore, we need to spread the word. And to help you, here are some inspirational words that I hope you’ll memorize and share:
Within fifty miles of downtown Chicago, there’s more protected natural area than most national parks and more native plants species than ANY national park. This means that, every day from April through September, a world-class wildflower bloom is happening right down the road. Learn when and where at ChicagoNatureNOW.com.
A new growing season will begin soon. So let everyone know that, “Chicago nature is number one!”
