October marks Oak Awareness Month, affectionately known as OAKtober, in Illinois. It’s a special time to appreciate oak trees and the vital role they play in supporting wildlife and enriching
Do you have a Black Walnut tree in your yard? Black walnuts are known for being tricky to plant under—but fear not, many native plants are used to sharing space
Spring wildflower season is a special time of year. For a short window from about mid-April to mid-May, native wildflowers bloom across the woodlands and delight our local nature lovers.
When you clean up leaves, you clean out habitat for overwintering bees, butterflies, and many other critters. On the flipside, leaving leaves in place will give them the shelter they
Any day now we’re expecting the arrival of the 17-year cicadas in Northern Illinois. Whether you’re excited or uneasy, it will without a doubt be a sight to see (and
Invasive plants are a major threat to the health and diversity of Illinois’ native wildlife. Introduced from faraway lands and lacking natural predators, non-native species have spread into woodlands, prairies,
Conservation@Home Conservation@Home Spring Lookbook Explore our Spring Lookbook for ideas that help birds and butterflies, conserve clean water, and ultimately make your home a healthier place to live. Like many
Spring has sprung in northeastern Illinois, and nature in our neighborhoods is beginning to wake up. From bird migrations to the first appearances of woodland flowers, these spring happenings don’t
Being Salt Smart means using winter deicing salt responsibly to minimize its negative impacts. This approach ensures that we maintain winter safety while protecting waterways, landscaping, pets, infrastructure, and even
A little-known environmental issue is affecting our communities in northeastern Illinois: salt. Specifically, rock salt—the kind we spread on our roads, parking lots, and sidewalks in the winter. Of course,
Meet the newest addition to our Garden Refresh project at the McDonald Farm: a rain barrel! For those of you who are just joining our journey, we’re giving our disheveled
How healthy is your local stream, lake or pond? Finding the answer requires looking at the three major components of water quality: chemical, physical and biological. Chemical is the one
Imagine a garden with few pests and weeds, lush plant growth, and soil that maintains its moisture. Of course, it is buzzing with bees and aflutter with butterflies too. Here’s
There are two ways of thinking when it comes to preparing your native perennial garden beds for winter: tidy things up or do nothing at all. Cleaning up gardens and
Instead of sending food scraps and yard waste to the landfill, why not compost them? Composting returns nutrients back to the soil and gives your garden a boost too! In
McDonald Farm
10S404 Knoch Knolls Road
Naperville, IL 60565
Phone: (630) 428-4500
Fax: (630) 428-4599
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: 9:00am to 5:00pm
Directions/Map
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