Category Archives: Land use

Burning Rock Run: Fire Management in a Will County Marshland

Posted on March 4, 2013 by Michael Bryson

From my perch this morning at the Joliet Public Library’s West Branch, I’m looking out at the Rock Run Forest Preserve of Will County, which is adjacent to the library. Looks like folks from the FPDWC are doing a prescribed … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity, Land use, Parklands, Sustainability, Urban ecology, Wetlands | Comments Off

Junior’s Fall from Grace: More Bad News for Peotone

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Michael Bryson

You’d think that Jessie Jackson Jr.’s stunning fall from political grace last week would have opponents of the Great Imaginary Airport in Peotone doing cartwheels of joy out in the cold autumnal winds of eastern Will County. After all, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Joliet, Land use, Peotone, Politics, Transportation | Comments Off

Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge Proposal Wins Federal Approval

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Michael Bryson

This past week saw some great news this week for citizens of the greater Chicago region as well as southeast Wisconsin. The US Dept of the Interior has announced the approval of the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, a constellation of … Continue reading →

Posted in Biodiversity, Land use, News, Parklands, Wildlife | Comments Off

Urban Farms in Silicon Valley

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Michael Bryson

The key litmus test of a good professional conference for me is this: are there cool field trips planned? If the answer is yes, the gathering is likely to be an enjoyable and fruitful occasion. That was definitely the case … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Biodiversity, Conferences, Faculty, Field Trips, Food, Land use, Wildlife | Comments Off

Bulldozing the Rights of the People: That’s the Illiana Way

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Michael Bryson

Remember the Prairie Parkway? Just a few years ago, it was the Big New Road Project of choice in northeastern Illinois. A monumentally dumb idea for a whole host of reasons, the Prairie Parkway fortunately fizzled after the recession of … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Economics, Joliet, Land use, Peotone, Politics, Social justice, Transportation | Comments Off

From the Chicago Portage to the Iron Street Farm: An Urban Landscape Exploration

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Michael Bryson

Last Saturday was the first field trip opportunity of the summer for my PLS 392 Seminar in Humanities class at Roosevelt, the focus of which is “Representing the Urban Landscape.” After last summer’s trip to Canal Origins and Stearns Quarry … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Chicago, Field Trips, History, Land use, Rivers, Urban nature, Water | Comments Off

Nature and Culture Explorations in Chicago and Joliet

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Michael Bryson

This weekend I’m schlepping my two children around the Chicago region from one interesting bit of landscape to another. I’m testing their patience, as Lily and Esmé are only ten and five years old, respectively; but the beautiful weather and … Continue reading →

Posted in Chicago, Family, Field Trips, Joliet, Land use, Urban nature | Comments Off

The Airport Nobody Wants or Needs

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Michael Bryson

The Saturday before Earth Day, Jesse Jackson, Jr. and a contingent of political supporters rode down to the farmlands of eastern Will County to spade up a little dirt in a pious promotion of the ill-fated Great Imaginary (aka Peotone) … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Economics, Joliet, Land use, Peotone, Social justice, Transportation | Comments Off

Peotone Airport Controversy Takes Off

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Michael Bryson

Today US Representative (IL-D) Jesse Jackson, Jr. will visit eastern Will County with a contingent of supporters and symbolically turn over a few spadefuls of earth in a supposed “groundbreaking” ceremony for the long-contested South Suburban Airport. Airport critics, I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Chicago, Land use, Peotone, Transportation | Comments Off

Urban Agriculture in Joliet

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Michael Bryson

The phrase “urban agriculture” might seem like an oxymoron. But this burgeoning social and economic movement is revolutionizing food production, land use, K-12 education, and community development in big cities like Chicago, Detroit, and Oakland. But smaller cities like my … Continue reading →

Posted in Agriculture, Chicago, Education, Joliet, Land use, Students, Sustainability | 2 Comments