The Mike Nowak Show: Recent Episodes
Mike Nowak
Mike and Peggy cover ever a little bit of everything green under the sun—the environment, gardening, local food, sustainable living and more—in a style that is casual, accessible, entertaining, informative and fun.
On our final show (for awhile), we talk about the Depave Movement across the world. Katya Reyna from Depave Portland and Mary Pat McGuire of Depave Chicago report on their respective programs. Judy Pollock and Bob Fisher from the Bird Conservation Network comment on the results of a 22-year study of breeding bird trends in the Chicago region. We'll also play some music from Birdsongs, Volume 1-Sounds of the Mississippi Flyway by Micky Torpedo.
Tomato experts Craig LeHoullier ("Epic Tomatoes") and Keith Mueller ("KC Tomato") return yet again to impart their wisdom about America's favorite fruit in Tomatomania V. They talk growing strategies and favorite varieties...including some they have developed themselves.
The monarch numbers from Mexico were just released and they're...okay. Which means that the iconic species is still threatened. Horticulturist Dolly Foster returns to the show to talk about choosing plants--including milkweed--to attract monarchs and other pollinators to your yard. Bob Benenson of Local Food Forum reports on the start of summer farmers market season and some developments for small farms and growers.
What's it like to "discover" a high-quality natural area in the Midwest? We talk to naturalist Steve Sass, who helped identify Indiana's Lydick Bog in 2014. He is joined by fellow naturalist Amanda Smith. The two are responsible for the educational website Indiana Nature and for the very popular Facebook page IN Nature. We talk about the variety of plants and animals in northwest Indiana and their efforts to teach the public how to be good stewards of the land.
ISA certified arborist Megan Kacenski from Bartlett Tree Experts stops by to talk about how she became an arborist representative and what kind of opportunities exist for women in the tree care industry. She is joined by show regular Skeet from Bartlett. Diveheart, which helps disabled children, adults and veterans gain confidence and independence through scuba diving, is coming out with a documentary. Executive Director Tinamarie Hernandez previews the world premiere showing on May 18.
Thousands of artificial turf fields have popped up across the country in the past few decades. The argument is that they're cheaper, easy to maintain and perfectly safe. Really? We talk to a group of concerned Lake Forest, IL citizens from Go Real Go Grass, who reveal the dark side of artificial turf. Meanwhile, Ryan Anderson explains how you can grow real turf without using pesticides. He also announces a new certification program for healthy turf. Bob Dolgan from This Week in Birding talks about the latest chapter in the Monty and Rose saga and reports on World Migratory Bird Day.
The Mike Nowak Show with Peggy Malecki helps the Illinois Food Scrap Coalition kick off International Compost Awareness Week. Merleanne Rampale from SWALCO, James Kim from Vernon HIlls Park District, and Vytas Papedinskas of Save Our Soil LLC report on a pilot program that is helping communities utilize the regeneration properties of compost. John Bates from Field Museum Birds helps clear up some confusion regarding use of backyard bird feeders during the current avian influenza outbreak in the U.S.
The Marvelous Melinda Myers returns to talk spring gardening. We learn about the changes in the latest version of her "Midwest Gardener's Handbook," As always, we'll answer as many gardening questions as time allows. Mike and Peggy dip into the latest environmental stories during their "Green Dispatch" segment. And meteorologist Rick DiMaio returns to talk about inconsistent spring weather (what else is new?)
Author and educator Doug Tallamy returns to the show to talk about the importance of protecting and creating spaces to promote biodiversity. Jeannette Hoyt from Save Jackson Park and David J. Nowak from the USDA Forest Service in Syracuse, New York, discuss the damage done to local ecosystems--and urban neighborhoods--by removing large swaths of trees, which is happening with the construction of the Obama Presidential Center on Chicago's south side.
The subject is native plants and the instructors are brothers Kelsay and Tristan Shaw, who, between them, have put in about 50 years' work at Possibility Place Nursery in Monee, Illinois. On this show we talk about why natives are important and get some cold, hard truth from a couple of guys who aren't afraid to call 'em as they see 'em.
If it's spring, it's time to talk once again to Bob Benenson from Local Food Forum. He reports on as many issues as he can get to in about 20 minutes, They include the reasoning behind Chicago's Green City Market's decision to open a month earlier. Author Emily Murphy returns to the show to talk about her new book, GROW NOW. In it, she shares the gospel of regenerative gardening, no-till, and what it means to go beyond organic.
Farmer Gary Fehr returns to the show to give Mike and Peggy a tour of his small farm near Lincoln, Nebraska. He is a commuter farmer who believes in working to connect kids and adults with local, healthy food.
If you're not familiar with the concept of phenology, we hope to give you an introduction on today's show. Alyssa Rosemartin from the USA National Phenology Network and citizen scientist Jean Linsner, who has worked on The 606 in Chicago, talk about the importance of keeping track of nature's calendar. Petra Page-Mann from Fruition Seeds returns to explain why her company focuses on organic heirloom seeds.
With the start of the 2022 gardening season upon us, we look at the business end and the personal side of great growing. Chris Beytes from Ball Hort's publication GrowerTalks reports on the state of the industry. LaManda Joy previews the Great Grow Along with presenter Nicole Burke of Gardenary and Rooted Garden.
Lisa Hilgenberg is horticulturist for the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden. There, she is responsible for some 50,000 plants, including 400 types of edibles. Today she has advice on when and how to get your seedlings started for the Midwest growing season. We also talk about The Orchid Show: Untamed at the Garden.
Mike and Peggy welcome back MWRD Commissioner Kim Neely du Buclet to talk about recent green infrastructure water projects and even ways to trace coronavirus in our water supply. Raj Patel, director of The Ants & the Grasshopper explains the food and social justice components of his film about climate change. Annette Prince from Chicago Bird Collision Monitors and Skokie resident Kim Polka report on their efforts to stop a potentially bird-killing Carvana Tower in that Chicago suburb.
We talk animal welfare on today's show. Ryan Anderson from Midwest Grows Green previews "Hounds & Grounds," an event that will feature agility training for dogs and advice about natural lawn care for their owners that will keep their pooches healthy. Jodie Wiederkehr of Chicago Alliance for Animals is fighting to stop animal sales in the Chicago area. She explains the new state law to stop so-called "puppy mill" sales that is a step in that direction.
We don't know if backyard composting can change the world, but it's a heck of a good start. Composting experts Amy Bartucci and Kate Caldwell walk you through how to set up your pile, bin or tumbler and explain why composting is such a good idea for everyone.
Yes, it cold and there's snow. But if you live in the Chicago region, those are two excellent reasons to get out to a nearby forest preserve. Nina Baki from the Cook County and Rebekah Snyder from Lake County talk about the activities they have to offer and why a visit to nature--even in winter--can be so rewarding.
Entomologist, ecologist and author Doug Tallamy returns to the show. He discusses his latest book, The Nature of Oaks and his work to create Homegrown National Park. But he will also talk with Kerry Leigh, executive director of the Natural Land Institute about the continuing threat to Bell Bowl Prairie in Rockford. On the good news front, we'll chat with Debra Behrens from The Prairie Enthusiasts about a grant they just received to expand Mounds View Grasslands Preserve near Madison, Wisconsin.
The 2020 Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is coming to Chicago this week. We talk to its founder, Blair Thomas, and to artist Robin Frohardt, who has created an installation called The Plastic Bag Store. It is stocked with food-like items that are handcrafted from discarded, single-use NYC plastic trash. Marta Keane from the Illinois Recycling Foundation joins the conversation to talk about how we deal with what is a world-wide plastic crisis. Meteorologist Rick DiMaio reports on snowstorms in America and exploding volcanoes in the Pacific Ocean.
We start a brand new year with a brand new book. The Healthy Garden: Simple Steps for a Greener World is written by a couple of gardening pros--Kathleen Norris Brenzel and Mary-Kate Mackey. We'll talk about how and especially why you should become a friend of the earth. Then Mike and Peggy talk about some of the environmental stories making headlines. And meteorologist Rick DiMaio has his first report of the year, following Chicago's first snow of the year.
Mike and Peggy wrap up 2021 with their annual presentation of It's a Wonderful Slice of It's a Wonderful Life, featuring an all-star cast of friends of the show. Cindy Crosby talks about her book Chasing Dragonflies and why getting out into the natural world is important in winter. She is joined by Illinois Master Naturalist Mac Austin.
This Sunday we explore how different groups work to provide healthy, local food to the Chicago region, while sometimes improving the lives of the people who grow that food. We talk to Bob Kopach from the Eco-Friendly Farm Stand Project and Tucker Kelly, lead grower at Growing Solutions Farm, which is part of Urban Autism Solutions. Mike and Peggy will have some advice giving during the holiday season. And meteorologist Rick DiMaio follows up on the devastating tornadoes in the middle part of our country.
On Sunday's show, we look at how to grow food sustainably. Is that permaculture? Or regenerative gardening? How about appropriate horticulture? We'll ask Robert Kourik, author of the just-released Sustainable Food Gardens: Myths and Solutions. Then Mike and Peggy dip into the grab bag of environmental news. Also, meteorologist Rick DiMaio is back and we'll talk about why it won't snow in Colarado but it will in Hawaii.
As the weather gets cooler and we head into the holiday season, Mike and Peggy chill literally and figuratively. They discuss the latest environmental stories while playing music by friends of the show--singer Bruce A. Henry and guitarists Judy Handler and Mark Levesque.
Two months ago, not many folks had ever heard of Bell Bowl Prairie in Rockford, Illinois. Now, it is at the forefront of a prairie uprising. Amy Doll from Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves and Chris Benda, the Illinois Botanizer, bring us up to speed on the latest developments to save this valuable remnant prairie. Dan Kosta from Vern Goers Greenhouse in Hinsdale, Illinois, has advice on which holiday plants to buy and how to keep them healthy.
Scott DeFife from the Glass Packaging Institute and the Glass Recycling Foundation reports on efforts to increase the glass recycling rate in Chicago and the U.S. Jill Bondi of Bartlett Tree Experts explains how more and more women are getting into the tree care industry.
Horticulturist Allan Armitage stops by to talk about his latest book, which isn't about gardening at all. The latest attempt to stem the tide of climate change is happening at the COP26 Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. Mike, Peggy and Rick DiMaio will attempt to make sense of the proceedings, not that anyone can. GreenTown Rockford happens next week, and we'll preview it with Brad Roos from Sustain Rockford.
Hog CAFOs in Illinois and other states continue to be a threat not only to the animals confined in them, but to the well-being of rural communities. In Illinois, one proposed factory farm could threaten Mahomet Aquifer, which provides water for at least 500,000 citizens in the center of the state. Members of the Socially Responsible Agriculture Project and Illinois Coalition for Clean Air & Water talk about the dangers of CAFOs and whether citizen action can stop them in their tracks.
Time is running out for Bell Bowl Prairie at Chicago Rockford International Airport. Kerry Leigh from the Natural Land Institute, landscape designer Domenico D'Alessandro, and Jen Kuroda from Sinnissippi Audubon talk about how--and if--the prairie can be saved. Kim Hankins previews the McHenry County College Green Living Expo on November 6.
Mike and Peggy welcome gardeners representing three gardens that were recognized by the Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards' 2021 60-Second Garden Video Challenge. They also update the #SaveBellBowlPrairie situation. Meteorologist Rick DiMaio previews a La Nina-influence winter.
Nina Kraus, PhD, is director of the Brainvolts Lab at Northwestern University. She joins us today to discuss her decades of work exploring hearing and the brain. That research has led to her new book, "Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World."
An expansion at Chicago Rockford International Airport threatens a valued prairie remnant. Thanks to the sighting of an endangered rusty patched bumble bee, the construction is on hold...for the moment. We talk to Kerry Leigh from the Natural Land Institute and naturalist/artist Robb Telfer about what this means for natural areas across the state. Bob Benenson from Local Food Forum returns to preview the remainder of the farmers market season.
Katie Parker from Tamerlaine Sanctuary and Preserve in New Jersey, and Erin Yanz of Erin's Farm in Hobart, Indiana give virtual tours of the lands on which they give abused and neglected farm animals a chance for a future.
Mike and Peggy travel Illinois to talk about farming, pumpkins, chickens, music festivals and beer. Guests are Jeff Hake from FarmFED Co-op, Jennifer Murtoff of the 11th Annual Windy City Coop Tour, and Katie Troccoli, Christina Eltrevoog and Tom Gaffney from the WRWO 94.5 FM "Fresh from the Midwest" music festival.
Who could have known that autumn would follow summer? Gardening expert Melinda Myers, that's who! She brings a wealth of fall gardening tips to the show. Katherine Tellock is launching the Guerrilla Recycling Project and she needs volunteers. Rev. Brian Sauder from Faith in Place previews their annual Green Team Summit.
The Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to return to Springfield this week for a special session. Will they finally pass a clean energy bill for the state? Or will there be more roadblocks? J.C. Kibbey from the NRDC, Lisa Albrecht from All Bright Solar, and Dave Kraft from the Nuclear Energy Information Service discuss the prospects for real energy progress in our state.
It was a bad week for the Chicago Park District and transparency in government. Juanita Irizarry, executive director of Friends of the Parks, reports on several pressing issues that affect the future of Chicago's Parks. Marianne Willburn talks about her new book, "Tropical Plants and How to Love Them."
The Mike Nowak Show with Peggy Malecki is on the road (again) after two years. Today we're streaming live from The Growing Place in Aurora, Illinois. We'll talk hydrangeas with Michael Massat, and Skeet from Bartlett Tree Experts will look at the trees on site and offer tree care advice.
In a victory for clean water, Dynegy recently agreed to remove toxic coal ash from the floodplain of the Middle Fork of the Vermillion River in east central Illinois. Pam Richart from Eco-Justice Collaborative, Jenny Cassel of Earthjustice, and Andrew Rehn from Prairie Rivers Network explain how that happened only after years of work from a broad coalition of concerned groups and citizens.
Where local food is concerned, it was a good spring session in the Illinois General Assembly in 2021. Molly Gleason from the Illinois Stewardship Alliance talks about the various local food and conservation programs that were passed by the Illinois General Assembly. Bob Benenson joins the conversation and promotes National Farmers Market Week. Edith Makra and Geneva, Illinois Mayor Kevin Burns from the Metropolitan Mayors Council discuss the roll out of the Climate Action Plan for the Chicago Region.
Commissioner Debra Shore of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago explains the connections involving climate change, extreme weather events and clean water. She and science and policy advisor Justin Hart talk about the ongoing battle to keep the water supply in Chicago safe as well as its historical back and forth battles with Lake Michigan and the swamp land on which it was established.
Doug Taron is a PhD, Chief Curator of the Chicago Academy of Sciences at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, director of the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network and much more. But we prefer to call him The Butterfly Whisperer. At least this week. He joins us on the show to talk monarchs, regal fritillaries, insect decline, and whatever else comes up in the realm of entomology.
Following a June 2021 that featured drought, excessive rain and destructive storms, homeowners and municipalities are assessing the damage done to their trees. Skeet from Bartlett Tree Experts and Julie Janoski, Plant Clinic Manager at The Morton Arboretum, offer advice on how to cope with severely compromised trees. Bob Dolgan from This Week in Birding reports on construction work at Chicago's famed Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary and why it has some conservationists perplexed.
Nancy Lawson has written an exceptional book called The Humane Gardener. On today's show, she talks about strategies for encouraging critters of all types, whether they are reviled or not, to become part of your local ecosystem. Her sister, Janet Crouch, then reports on how she took on her HOA to protect her native plant garden, and not only won the case, but got state law in Maryland changed.
Tomato experts Craig LeHoullier and Keith Mueller (KC Tomato) return to celebrate Tomatomania III: The Looming Drought. They talk about their work growing and breeding tomatoes and offer tips for backyard gardeners during dry conditions. Meteorologist Rick DiMaio then continues the conversation about the 2021 U.S. drought across most of the West and some of the Midwest.
In a special 90-minute deep green dive, Mike and Peggy welcome former City of Chicago department heads Suzanne Malec-McKenna and Sandra Henry. They will talk about the current "Chicago State of the Environment"--the good, the bad, and where we go from here.
Bob Beneson from Local Food Forum stops by to talk about the explosion of farmers markets in Illinois, and offers some tips for shopping in hot weather. Jessica Chipkin from Crate Free USA attempts to explain why Aldi USA continues to resist attempts to forego sourcing of meat from factory farms that use gestation crates. Guy Sternbergs say there might be hope for blue ash trees in central Illinois in the battle against emerald ash borer.
Garden writer and author Beth Botts returns to the show after a long absence to offer basic gardening advice. Colleen Smith, Deputy Director at the Illinois Environmental Council, weighs in on the chances of passing clean energy legislation for the state in the waning days of the Illinois General Assembly's spring session.
Will County Recycling Program Specialist Marta Keane returns to talk recycling failures and successes. Dennis Warnecke from Tainio Biologicals Inc also returns to instruct us on the importance of soil biology in growing plants.
When May starts, so does the farmers market season. Food aficionado Bob Benenson explains why he started his newsletter Local Food Forum. Farmers market manager Elsa Jacobson joins the conversation to talk about the state of 2021 farmers markets. Mike talks about his visit to see Monty & Rose at Montrose Beach in Chicago. Meteorologist Rick DiMaio reports on unusually cool and dry spring weather.
Nicole Virgil returns to the show with good news about her Right to Garden campaign in the Illinois General Assembly. She is joined by Ari Bargil from the Institute for Justice. Benjamim Krumstok from the Illinois Food Scrap Coalition (IFSC) and Mike Dimucci from Garden Prairie Organics talk composting and promote International Compost Awareness Week. May 2-8.
Like it or not, many homeowners think that gardening means maintaining a lawn. Alec McClennan from Good Nature Organic Lawn Care and Dan Dinelli, superintendent of North Shore Country Club in Glenview, discuss non-toxic ways of keeping lawns healthy. Taran Lichtenberger from Budburst at the Chicago Botanic Garden wants you to grab your camera and participate in next week's City Nature Challenge 2021. Leslie Graham and Chris Crone explain how the North Shore Plant Club can help folks save money on all kinds of plants.
Garden expert Melinda Myers returns to offer advice about spring gardening, even as the potential for yet another April snow event looms. Mike and Peggy list some Earth Week events, including the One Earth Film Festival. Then, they report on the return of the CEGA 60-Second Video Challenge.
This week, we talk about efforts to protect butterflies and birds in Chicago, and what that means for the populations of monarchs, piping plovers and other species. Erika Hasle, Izabella Redlinski and Douglas Stotz from The Field Museum, and filmmaker Bob Dolgan join us.
How does a food co-op get off the ground? Representatives from Food Shed Co-op in McHenry County, Prairie Food Co-op in DuPage County, and Chicago Market: A Community Co-op in Chicago tell their stories. Architect Nate Kipnis returns to the show to talk about high design/low carbon sustainable buildings.
Certified arborist Evan Shorr from Bartlett Tree Experts returns to the show to talk about spring tree and shrub care. Mike and Peggy do a round up of environmental headlines. Meteorologist Rick DiMaio reports on the return of bald eagles and science to America.
Garden Rant is celebrating its 15th year of poison pens and killer wit about all things gardening. Ranter Marianne Willburn and co-founder Susan Harris stop by to talk about their work...and fun. Alaina Harkness of Current Water returns to talk about World Water Day 2021 and protecting water quality in the age of climate change and coronavirus.
Julian Hoffman has written an exceptional book about the crises our natural areas and iconic species face. Called "Irreplaceable," it chronicles his visits to the far corners of the planet in search of the ordinary people who will ultimately save our planet, if it can be saved at all. Karen Taira from the Evanston Environmental Association (EEA), previews the Wild & Scenic Film Festival.
Landscape designer Marie Chieppo examines why can't we figure out what to do with horticultural plastic. Jana Kinsman from Bike a Bee and Qae-Dah Muhammad of Arthur Ashe Beach Park Advisory Council talk about raising honey bees in Chicago. Nicole Virgil returns to talk about the Right to Garden bill. She's joined by Ari Bargil from the Institute for Justice, which is supporting her effort to grow food in her Elmhurst hoop house.
Lisa Hilgenberg from the Chicago Botanic Garden's Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden prepares for the 2021 season with less uncertainty than in 2020. "The Plant-Based Boss" Elysabeth Alfano returns to talk about innovations in plant-based foods.
The One Earth Film Festival celebrates "10 Years of Inspiring Change" with a fully virtual event. Mike and Peggy welcome filmmakers Christi Cooper and Shannon Germaine. On the heels of her company's own 10th anniversary celebration, Erlene Howard from Collective Resource Compost hopes for an uptick in food scrap collection in 2021.
The 2021 Wild Things Conference is back and we preview three of the more than 50 presentations that will be available starting February 19. Charlie Nardozzi talks about his new book, The Complete Guide to No-Dig Gardening.
As Chicago finally gets its share of winter weather, we welcome back ISA certified arborist M.D. Skeet (aka "Skeet") back to the show to talk about winter care for your trees and shrubs. Speaking of winter, if you're using salt products on your sidewalks and driveways, you're putting your pets and your groundwater at risk. Mitch Vestal, president of PlaySafe, explains how you can prevent ice and do it safely.
Nicolaas Mink, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Sitka Salmon Shares, returns to the show to talk about how his company is working to sustain fish populations in our increasingly threatened oceans. Christine Esposito, project director of "Third Coast Disrupted: Artists + Scientists on Climate" joins artist Barbara Cooper and Tyrone Dobson from Alliance for the Great Lakes to talk about the environmental and existential threats posed by our insatiable plastic production and consumption.
Horticulturist Ken Williams and Sarah Michehl of The Land Conservancy of McHenry County preview a three-part series about planning native gardens in your own yard, sponsored by West Cook Wild Ones. Peggy Salazar from Southeast Environmental Task Force (SETF) and Nancy Loeb from Bluhm Legal Clinic at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law continue to fight the relocation of an iron recycling company in Chicago's 10th Ward.
Roger Hartwell from Seed Savers Exchange and Petra Page-Mann of Fruition Seeds explain how there has been an explosion of gardening in the past year and why you might want to get your seed orders in early. Kirsten S. Traynor, PhD explains how, in an age of online publications, it's still possible to create a quality quarterly print magazine--about pollinators!
Ariel Pressman from the Real Organic Project explains how his organization is attempting to go beyond USDA Organic certification by getting back to organic basics. Mike and Peggy talk to two backyard gardeners who are among many who have used the pandemic to discover how to grow their own food.
On the first show of Not 2020, Mike and Peggy welcome back Dr. Harry Klee from the University of Florida, who is breeding tomatoes that are prolific, ship well, and actually taste great. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Mary Mitsos from the National Forest Foundation and Mike Redmer from Midewin tell us about a year full of activities.
Mike and Peggy welcome an all-star cast to the 2020 version of It's a Wonderful Slice, including horticultural expert Melinda Myers! Elysabeth Alfano returns to the show to talk about her plantbased business predictions for 2021. Joan Murray from City Grange has advice on keeping your holiday and indoor plants healthy.
It will be a difficult winter for restaurants, taverns and the associated businesses. We talk to Michael Cameron from Uncommon Ground, Michael Roper of Hopleaf, and Marty Travis from Spence Farm about how people in the food industry expect to cope. Lisa Albrecht says that funding for Illinois solar energy projects is about to run out, and what can be done about it.
Last week, the Chicago Office of Inspector General issued a scathing report concerning the City's inability to properly monitor and execute its high rise recycling program. Ald. Michele Smith from the 43rd Ward and Ald. Scott Waguespack from the 32nd Ward stop by to comment on those findings.
Andrew Rehn from Prairie Rivers Network reports on the fight to keep coal ash from leaking into the Vermillion River in central Illinois.
Niki Jabbour returns to the show to talk about her new book, "Growing Under Cover: Techniques for a More Productive, Weather-Resistant, Pest-Free Vegetable Garden." Sean Ruane from Advocates for Urban Agriculture says you have one more day to be part of AUA's "Grown in Chicago" campaign.
Chad Rigsby from Bartlett Tree Experts talks about the importance of inspecting your trees during the winter months. Jessica Chipkin from Crate Free Illinois and Tyler Lobdell of Food & Water Watch report on the progress of the Farm System Reform Act and other fights against the inhumanity of factory farms in the U.S.
Dr. Allan Armitage returns to the show to talk about the 4th edition of his book, Herbaceous Perennial Plants. Filmmaker Bob Dolgan of "Monty and Rose," and Stephanie Beilke from Audubon Great Lakes discuss the future of birds in the Midwest.
Renowned pet expert Steve Dale joins Mike and Peggy to talk about pet wellness issues. Jodie Wiederkehr from Chicago Alliance for Animals joins the conversation when it turns to inhumane puppy mills. Juanita Irizarry returns to the show to talk about the efforts of Friends of the Parks to stop a proposed Confined Disposal Facility (CDF) from being expanded at the mouth of the Calumet River.
Chris Beytes from Grower Talks explains how the pandemic might be responsible for millions of people deciding to start gardens. Tony Abruscato of Get Growing Foundation joins us from Plant Truck Chicago, which is motivating the next generation of gardeners in Chicago neighborhoods. Mac Austin reports on ways you can help get out the vote this Tuesday.
Kay McKeen from SCARCE and Amy DeLorenzo from Illinois Extension explain the importance of rescuing Halloween pumpkins from landfills. Jerry Adelmann of Openlands reports on environmental issues affecting our region. Mike and Peggy welcome a couple of winners from the Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards 60-Second Garden Video Challenge.
Herpetologist Grace Wu talks about the snakes of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. Cassandra West previews the Forest Preserve Foundation 2020 Symposium, A conversation about Racial Equity and Access to Nature. Green Diva Meg and Green Diva Lisa talk environmental politics and make an announcement about a collaboration with The Mike Nowak Show with Peggy Malecki.
The Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA) annual IMPACT Conference will be virtual this year. Mike and Peggy talk to presenters Jack Pizzo of Pizzon & Associates and Kim Eierman from EcoBeneficial. The sad saga of Nicole Virgil and her fight to be able to have a hoop house in suburban Elmhurst continues. She returns to talk about the latest developments
Sheri Doyel, director of McHenry County College's new Center for Agrarian Learning Center (CAL) is joined by farmer and activistt Lisa Kivirist to promote the upcoming Forefront Speaker Series, which has free online events planned the second Sunday of each month between now and December. Horticultural expert Melinda Myers returns to the show to offer fall gardening tips.
The New Sustainable Reality refers not only to trees and water, but Mike and Peggy's new Internet-only show. They talk to Skeet from Bartlett Tree Experts about fall tree care. Alaina Harkness is executive director of Current, which calls itself a “water innovation hub.” She talks about the first ever Chicago Water Week, taking place virtually from September 28 to October 2.
In Hour 2, Rev. Brian Sauder from Faith in Place reports on the upcoming online Green Team Summit 2020 from September 13-17. We talk to Dr. Jalees Rehman, who will be hosting a workshop called COVID-19 and A Just Recovery. In Hour 1, we chat with Alec McClennan, founder and owner of Good Nature Organic Lawn Care in Ohio. He'll explain why fall is the best time to work on your lawn and why using most lawn chemicals is a bad idea.
Marty Travis from Spencer Farm and filmmaker Matt Wechsler report on the opening of Village Farmstand, a way to keep farmers in business and give consumers access to local food. Rodney Williams Sr., Azariah Baker and Keith Tankson explain how the Austin Harvest pop up store will provide fresh food to their neighborhood. NRDC's Gina Ramirez and Peggy Salazar of the Southeast Environmental Task Force are fighting for environmental justice on Chicago's southeast side.
Meteorologist Rick DiMaio, journalist Lyz Lenz, Daniella Pereira of Openlands and Alder Scott Waguespack report on the Midwest Derecho Aftermath in Chicago and the rest of the Midwest. Diane Blazek, Executive Director of the National Garden Bureau, talks about their 100th anniversary and what the future has to offer. Ryan Anderson from Midwest Grows Green joins Alec McClennan of Good Nature Organic Lawn Care to explain why fall is lawn care season and how your community might get free advice on how to create two naturally treated fields.
In Hour 2, we look at what we are calling the "Chicago's War on Community Gardens." Why in the world would the City spring new regulations on urban farms and community gardens that call for huge fees for accessing water? And then barely back off of those demands during the COVID pandemic? We'll talk Sean Ruane, Executive Director of Advocates for Urban Agriculture, as well as representatives of a couple of community gardens. Hour 1 features a look at National Farmers Market Week with Janie Maxwell from the Illinois Farmers Market Association, Jonathan Pereira of Plant Chicago and Nebraska farmer Gary Fehr.
Erlene Howard returns to the show to celebrate ten years of Collective Resource Compost. Mike and Peggy welcome "Tomato Joe," who reports on historically interesting tomatoes. Jared McKenzie from Headline Solar and renewable energy consultant Mark Burger discuss the future of solar energy in Illinois.
Ron Cowgill from Mighty House Home Improvement Radio stops by to talk about how he helped Mike radically improve his energy conservation by adding insulation and new windows. Chad Rigsby from Bartlett Tree Experts has advice on how to keep your trees healthy in summer heat, following a cool, rainy spring.
Paul Wheaton and Shawn Klassen-Koop are the authors of Building a Better World in Your Backyard Instead of Being Angry at Bad Guys. It might be called an essential extreme permaculture primer. Garden expert Melinda Myers returns to the show to talk about keeping your plants healthy in summer, and to promote the lesson of patience in the garden.
Nicole Virgil returns to the show as she continues her fight to grow vegetables in a hoop house in her own, Elmhurst, Illinois backyard. Debbie Trueblood from the Illinois Park and Recreation Association reports on their second annual Unplug Illinois Day. Holly and Joey Baird, The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener, have advice on mid-season veggie crops. Doug Taron, PhD of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum says it's a great year for fireflies and reports on raising Baltimore Checkerspots on his porch during the pandemic.
Liz Kirkwood from For Love of Water (FLOW) and Mitch McNeil of Surfrider Chicago talk about shutting down the Enbridge 5 oil pipeline, which runs under the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan. Mary Phillips, Senior Director of Conservation for the National Wildlife Federation Garden for Wildlife program, and Jill Utrup from Region 3 of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Bloomington, Minnesota talk about how to make your garden pollinator friendly.
Entomologist Dr. May Berenbaum from the University of Illinois explores the question of an insect apocalypse on our planet. Bill Stengel of Summit Responsible solutions has answers for your mosquito, flea and tick problems. Jim Elliott and Tinamarie Hernandez from Diveheart explain how they make the lives of veterans and the disabled richer via scuba diving.
KC Tomato and Craig LeHoullier return to the show to participate in Tomatomania II. If they can't answer your tomato questions, nobody can. Karen Lehman from the Chicago Region Food System Fund says they are looking to provide grants to organizations that are responding to the immediate pandemic impacts on communities in Chicago and on food producers, processors, and distributors.
Part of the national conversation about the death of George Floyd involves how social justice is tied to environmental justice. We welcome Veronica Kyle from Faith in Place, scholar and activist Mila K. Marshall and Michael Howard from Eden Place Nature Center to talk about how we move forward. Then, four businesses from our Keep Eating Healthy campaign stop by to talk about what the COVID Spring season has been like.
Skeet from Bartlett Tree Experts, one of our favorite arborists (we know many), returns to the show to talk about the effect of heavy spring rains and sudden cold snaps on our trees. Robert Luo of Mi Terro is creating sustainable clothing from upcycled milk and he tells us how how they're doing it.
Tom Ogren, who has been studying how to create allergy-free gardens for more than 25 years, returns to the show to talk about the explosion of pollen and allergies as the world heats up. Bob Bertog of Bertog Landscape Co. and Roger Tietz. from Gillen Marine Construction are working together to prevent beach erosion in the face of unprecedented high Great Lakes water levels.
Can farmers markets open safely during the COVID-19 and still survive? Janie Maxwell, executive director of the Illinois Farmers Market Association hopes to answer that question. Dennis Warnecke from Tainio Biologicals explains why soil health is all about biology. Sean Ruane of Chicago's Advocates for Urban Agriculture announces the second round of COVID-19 Farmer Support Grants.
Alyssa Hartmann, Executive Director of the Artisan Grain Collaborative, and Ellen King, co-owner and head baker of Hewn in Evanston, talk about the Neighbor Loaves program to bring bread to people who need it. Backyard birders became citizen scientists on the annual Global Big Day on Saturday, May 9. Josh Engel of Red Hill Birding, writer Sheryl DeVore and birder Pam Karlson join us to celebrate the occasion.
Gary Oppenheimer from AmpleHarvest.org returns to the show to talk about his organization has teamed with Bonnie Plants to provide fresh produce to food pantries across the country. Architect Nate Kipnis talks about what a healthy home means in the time of COVID-19 and into the future.
Debra Shore, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, returns to talk about the importance of keeping our water systems functional during a time of pandemic. Nic Mink, founder and CEO of Sitka Salmon Shares, reports on the disruption to fisheries during the COVID-19 crisis.
With COVID-19 as a backdrop, Kim Eierman discusses her new book, The Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening. Ty Benefiel from Hero Power talks about how clean energy programs might be affected by the pandemic. Joel Barczak of Blumen Gardens in Sycamore, Illinois explains why he thinks garden centers need a little more consideration during the the stay at home order. Sean Ruane, new executive director of Advocates for Urban Agriculture, has information about the COVID-19 Farmer Support Grant. Tom Szaky from Terracycle and Marta Keane, Will County Recycling Program Specialist, talk about the difficulties of continuing recycling and reuse programs during the COVID-19 outbreak.
What's Easter Sunday in the Church of Green? It's a visit with garden expert and author Dr. Allan Armitage to talk about how COVID-19 has changed the way we grow things. Then it's a visit from J.C. Kibbey and Mark Nabong from the NRDC, who report on the ways that our own government has forsaken the environmental health of its own lands, water and air for...what?
Lisa Hilgenberg from the Regenstein Fruit and Vegetable Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden explains how 50,000 plants get maintained during a coronavirus outbreak. Scott Jamieson from Bartlett Tree Experts reports on the kind of essential tree care work that can still be done during a stay-at-home order. Jody Osmund from Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm CSA, Leslie Cooperband and Wes Jarrell from Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery, and Melissa Flynn of the Chicago Green City Market are all working to keep local farmers in business during this crisis.
Pandemic or no pandemic, spring is here. Gardening expert Melinda Myers returns to the show to talk about how to get your garden ready. B.J. Miller from Happy Leaf explains why modern LED technology beats the pants off of growing your seedlings under florescent tubes. Lisa Haderlein talks about how oaks in McHenry County can be protected with the help of The 5,000 Acre Challenge.
The Virtual Chicago Flower & Garden Show comes to The Mike Nowak Show. With the cancellation of the event at Navy Pier, Mike and Peggy invite Show Director Tony Abruscato and scheduled presenters to share their horticultural knowledge safely on the radio. Liz Moran Stelk and Jen and Jeff Miller of Prairie Wind Family Farm talk about the near-term future of local food. Sarah Anderson from the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum explains how they're bringing the museum into people's homes.
Mike and Peggy explore ways to connect with nature during a worldwide pandemic. Benjamin Futa, Jennifer Jewell and Rebecca McMackin from the canceled Spring Symposium at Allen Centennial Garden in Madison, Wisconsin talk about the refuge of your backyard in this crisis. Dr. Teresa Horton of the Nature, Culture, and Human Health Network explains how social distancing can affect communities. On a different note, Jodie Wiederkehr from the Chicago Alliance for Animals explains how carriage horses might be on verge of disappearing from Chicago, and why that's a good thing.
Nicole Virgil has taken her battle to construct a hoop house in her suburban Elmhurst yard to the Illinois General Assembly. She joins us, along with State Representative Sonya Harper, primary sponsor of the "Right to Garden" bill, and Eliot Clay from the Illinois Environmental Council. Jessica Chipkin from Crate Free Illinois previews Chicago's first Factory Farmed Animal Welfare Town Hall, along with Tyler Lobdell from Food and Water Watch and Erin Kwiatkowski from Mercy for Animals.
The theme of the 9th Annual One Earth Film Festival is The Power of We. Mike and Peggy welcome three filmmakers from the event, which runs March 6-15. Dan Gibbs, the Chicago Backyard Farmer, returns to talk about preparing for (very) early spring crops.
Michelle Hoffman Trotter, educator and director of the film Microcosm, promotes next week's Wave Film Fest, which celebrates our oceans and lakes through film and visual arts. MWRD Commissioner Cam Davis returns to the show to talk about the myriad issues surrounding that little appreciated and even less understood regional agency.
William Moss The Garden Boss returns to the show to talk about the challenges, horticultural and legal, of growing Cannabis in Illinois. Dr. Matthew Goldberg reports on the mission of Yale Climate Connections, a new addition to The Mike Nowak Show with Peggy Malecki. "Leap Year" has more than one meaning, as Trevor Edmonson from The Wetlands Initiative explains about his work with frogs at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.
Doug Tallamy returns to the show to discuss his new book, "Nature's Best Hope," about how our planet's salvation will be via native plants and the insects they support. The Chicago Botanic Garden's Jim Ault talks about Brilliance: The Orchid Show, which runs through March 22.
Scott Jamieson from Bartlett Tree Experts returns to the show to talk about winter tree care and, yes, even how arborists are sometimes called upon to rescue cats from trees. Robert Grillo from Slaughter Free Chicago and Balaji Venkatesan from Slaughter Free Milwaukee explain why they are fighting to stop slaughterhouses across the nation.
Justin Fluck was a winner in the 2019 Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards for the work at his Fluck Farms Chicago. He stops by to talk about his plans for 2020 and how the award affected him. Dr. Nicolaas Mink, CEO and founder of Sitka Salmon Shares, returns to talk about the future of sustainable fishing in our oceans.
Meteorologists Rick DiMaio and John Lee examine social and legal issues of last year's weather and climate events. Curtis Leopaldo, from Leopardo Energy division, has a plan for funding green municipal infrastructure upgrades. Ryan Anderson says Midwest Grows Green is about to unveil a tookit for municipalities who want to switch to natural lawn care.
Daniella Pereira from Openlands talks TreeKeepers, green infrastructure and jobs. Robert Nevel previews the MLK Food Justice & Sustainability Weekend at KAM Isaiah Israel. Elysabeth Alfano talks about the premiere of her new show on WCGO Radio, Sundays at 3pm.
One year after hemp production was allowed in Illinois, Mike and Peggy talk to Liz Rupel from the Illinois Stewardship Alliance and hemp advocate Rachel Berry about the state of the industry. Ty Benefiel from Hero Power explains how you can purchase clean energy for a reasonable rate in Illinois.
Mike and Peggy welcome Scott Jones and Megan Wells back to the show. They are the director and actor, respectively, for the play, Turn Here Sweet Corn, which will run through January in Chicago. Atina Diffley, who wrote the book on which the play is based, is part of the conversation, too.
Since 1988, Mike has presented a truncated version of the Hollywood holiday classic, "It's a Wonderful Life" in one form or another. "It's a Wonderful Slice" is back, with help from Peggy Malecki, the WCGO shows Gabby Road and Playtime with Bill Turck & Kerrie Kendall, and staff members Ellie Sanchez and Andrew Moerschel. You'll never again view the movie the same way.
It's a Wonderful Slice 2019! Mike, Peggy and an all-star WCGO Radio cast perform the 10 (or 12 or 14) minute version of the Hollywood Holiday Classic. Lisa Eldred Steinkopf talks about her new book, Grow in the Dark: How to Choose and Care for Low-Light Houseplants. Mike reprises his own holiday classic, A Gardening Xmas Carol.
Chicago area architects Nathan Kipnis and Tom Bassett-Dilley return to the show to discuss the importance of passive houses and concepts like embodied carbon, global decarbonization, and net zero energy use.
Pete and Noreen Czosnyka, who live on Chicago’s northwest side, just accomplished something special--they beat the City of Chicago in a court case involving native plants in their yard. Pete and his lawyer Jeff Smith join us in studio. Then, Adam Minter, author of Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale, talks to us about an unexpected but thriving economy of secondhand stuff.
Show regular Skeet from Bartlett Tree Experts returns to talk dormant season tree care. And he promises to bring more critters into the studio. (Yay?) Chris McCarthy from EarthPaint explains how you CAN recycle paint and do it for good causes at the same time. BTW, he'll sell you some great quality paints, too.
Jeanne Nolan from The Organic Gardener visits the WCGO Studios to talk about their new service that helps people grow microgreens indoors. Hannah, Justin, and maybe even Fred from Gabby Road join Mike and Peggy to talk about their new show.
Wieteke Holthuijzen might be a Northern Illinois University student, but she spends a lot of time studying the albatross on Midway Atoll and why they are threatened by house mice. Lisa Albrecht returns to the show to talk about the state of solar energy in Illinois.
Dr. Robert Coulson from Texas A&M University explains how they are studying "hot spots" where migrating monarch butterflies have high mortality rates along Texas roads. Dr. Elaine Evans, Assistant Extension Professor with the University of Minnesota Extension, says "leave the leaves" on your lawn and garden this season to help overwintering insects. Pat Stone explains how Greenprints Magazine reveals the joy, the humor, the headaches, and the heart of gardening. Commissioner Kim du Buclet promotes the MWRD "Road Show."
Kelsay Shaw from Possibility Place Nursery returns to the show to talk about the benefits of untidy gardens. Jodie Wiederkehr also returns to report on a proposed ordinance to ban carriage horses in Chicago that has now been stalled for two years in City Council.
Dr. Allan Armitage returns to the show to talk about his concept of "solution gardening," his books, upcoming classes and more. Sarah Batka from Illinois Extension and volunteer Ivy Tzur talk about how "pumpkin smashes" are keeping organic matter out of landfills. McHenry County College Sustainability Director Kim Hankins previews next week's Green Living Expo.
Scott Jamieson from Bartlett Tree Experts joins Mike and Peggy to talk about fall tree care and how to get your trees ready for winter. U.S. Army Reservist Sgt. Jessica Klinge explains why she is trying to establish an Illinois chapter of Green Veterans. Mike and Peggy preview this Thursday's Midwest Grows Green 4-year anniversary with Benjamin Krumstok of Composting Partners and the Illinois Food Scrap Coalition.
Gardening expert and show regular Melinda Myers returns to talk about the arrival of fall and perhaps a little bit about the horticultural industry. It's also the day after the 2019 Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards ceremony and Mike and Peggy welcome two of the winning gardeners to the WCGO studios.
Christine Nye, who recently retired as horticulture manager at the Shedd Aquarium, stops by to talk about the gardens she created there. She is joined by Pam Karlson, Annamaria Leon and Ken Williams to promote the upcoming ILCA IMPACT Conference. Pete Czosnyka explains how he faces a $675 fine for growing native plants in his front yard.
Guy McPherson, professor emeritus at the University of Arizona, returns to the show to talk about his blog Nature Bats Last. He believes we are in the end days as a species, and has paid the price for being so outspoken. Laura Calvert from Advocates for Urban Agriculture and Martha Boyd of Chicagoland Chicken Enthusiasts report on their opposition to a proposed ordinance that would ban roosters and impose fees and fines on people raising livestock in the city.
Entomologists Doug Taron and Allen Lawrance from the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum stop by the studio to discuss monarch butterflies, dragonflies, spiders and more. Orin and Manjula Martin talk about the organic approach of their book Fruit Trees for Every Garden.
Tom Shepherd and Jerry Brown from the Lake Calumet Vision Committee return to the show to discuss more harebrained schemes for the area (like casinos--yeesh!) and what really needs to be done. Amy Cox of Pro Time Lawn Seed talks about wonderful solutions for your yard that you never even dreamed of.
Evan Shorr from Bartlett Tree Experts answers questions about fall tree care. Pastor Scott Onque’ of St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago previews the Faith in Place Green Team Summit. Rich and Susan Eyre from Rich's Foxwillow Pines in Woodstock, IL, report on the closing of their conifer nursery after 31 years.
LaManda Joy and Joan Murray from City Grange talk about fall vegetables and containers. Tony Abruscato of the Get Growing Foundation is bringing Plant Truck to underserved neighborhoods. Jessica Chipkin of Crate Free Illinois and Josh Richards of The Humane League are working to make meat purveyors more responsible for the products they serve.
Ryan Anderson from Midwest Grows Green returns to the program to talk about a more responsible way of having a lawn. He is joined by Brandon Losey of Ringer's Landscaping. Rebecca Boehm from the Union of Concerned Scientists explains why researchers and their work at the USDA are under threat from the current administration.
Like it or not, jumping worms are moving into Illinois and the Midwest. Illinois Extension Forestry and Research Specialist Chris Evans has more on the latest headline-grabbing invasive species. Tom Nowak talks responsible--which means sustainable--investing. Julie Nowak (yes, related to Tom but not to Mike), reports the work of Citizens' Climate Lobby and their push to get a climate change bill through Congress.
Mike and Peggy welcome back Dan Gibbs, The Backyard Farmer, and Holly and Joey Baird, The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener, to talk about mid-summer problems in the vegetable garden. Alan Shannon and Jen Nelson from Seven Generations Ahead explain how the Oak Park Micro Brew Review achieves its goal of zero waste.
Mike and Peggy are on the Calumet area of Chicago this morning, hoping to track down a plant that hasn't been seen in more than 100 years! It's the Thismia Hunt! A Calumet Celebration Day! It's family friendly and we will be talking to scientists, restoration ecologists, birders, activists and volunteers who are hoping to make science history. Join us!
Skeet from Bartlett Tree Experts returns to the show with his traveling critter carnival. He talks to Mike and Peggy about summer tree issues. Dan Kosta from Vern Goers Greenhouse previews the Prairie State Bonsai Society annual show at the Morton Arboretum.
World-renowned perennial plant experts Roy Diblik and Piet Oudolf join Mike and Peggy to talk about plant communities and good design. On the heels of the discovery in the Midwest of P. ramorum, a pathogen that has the potential to kill oak trees, Tom Buechel returns to the show to explain how the Plant Sentry program can protect states from diseases, pests and invasive plants. Martie Sanders and the actors at Green Team Chicago are back with a report on this summer's production, "...not for all the tea in China!" (Hint: it's about the history of tea.)
Patrick Williams from Openlands discusses their new "Get Outside Map" for the Chicago area, as well as the demise of the Route 53 extension and flooding forums in Lake County. Danielle Perry, new executive director at Growing Home, talks about their mission to grow organic produce and help Chicagoans find jobs. Another report on the threatened MAMBY concert on Montrose Beach, this time from neighborhood leader Marianne Lalonde. Bill Stengel from Summit Responsible Solutions tell you why Mosquito Dunks are the best way to deal with that insect pest.
Chicago area architects Tom Bassett-Dilley and Nate Kipnis join Mike and Peggy in studio to talk about the potential for net zero--and possibly net positive-energy design projects. Show regular Melinda Myers returns to talk native plants and getting a late start on veggie planting in the Midwest.
Mike and Peggy follow up on last week's conversation about the return of the piping plover to Chicago's Montrose Beach, and how its progress is being threatened by the scheduled MAMBY concert event. Paul Fehrenbacher from the Montrose Lakefront Coalition (MLC) and Douglas Stotz, senior conservation ecologist in the Keller Science Action Center at the Field Museum are working to save an endangered species. Kathleen Thompson reports from the "Recall Desk." You won't want to miss it.
Scott Stringer from Bartlett Tree Experts answers your tree care questions. Christine Esposito of Terracom and Dr. Liam Heneghan from DePaul University explain how Third Coast Disrupted: Artists + Scientists on Climate can make people more aware of the threat to our planet posed by the climate crisis. Montrose Beach Dunes steward Leslie Borns and Carl Giomettil from the Chicago Ornithological Society have the latest on the battle to preserve a fragile ecosystem on Chicago's lakefront from a proposed rock concert.
WCGO Radio is broadcasting live from Evanston's Custer Fair. Mike and Peggy welcome Louise Rosenberg from Cultivate Urban Rainforest and Gallery, and congratulate the Chicago Botanic Garden's Kayri Havens, Ph.D. on her lifetime achievement award from the American Horticultural Society.
Arnold Randall, General Superintendent of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, explains how they are preparing to adapt to and to attempt to mitigate climate change. Thad King, Crystal Clair and Karen Hudson follow up on the threat posed by a CAFO to a downstate organic farm. Rick DiMaio reports on the continuing wet, cool weather.
Tomato experts Craig LeHoullier, author of Epic Tomatoes, and tomato breeder KC Tomato (not his real name), join Mike and Peggy to talk about getting the tomato season started. Fred Braun, Director of Public Works for the Village of Niles, talks about how their snow and ice removal system just won an award from the American Public Works Association (APWA).
David J. Zaber is your instructor for Garden Chemicals 101, a look at the pesticides and fertilizers that we put in our yards and the consequences of using them. Rick Moskovitz from A Plus Pest Control returns to talk about how to deal safely with indoor pests. He might sing a song, too. Be prepared.
Mary Phillips from the National Wildlife Federation reports on how the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge is creating wildlife habitat in backyards. Ryan Anderson promotes Chicago Grows Green Week, presented by Midwest Grows Green. Madison Hopkins returns to the show to talk about her most recent article for the Better Government Association about Chicago's failing recycling system.
Skeet from Bartlett Tree Experts returns to talk about tree issues for a colder and wetter than normal spring. Dick Peach from the Evanston Environmental Association previews Nature's Night Out. Grant Kessler and Sofia Jouravel explain why you should join the Chicago Market co-op. David and Laura Mitchell from Lumican.com want to change the world, one LED street light at a time.
Margaret Frisbie from Friends of the Chicago River talks about next week's Chicago River Day, while Chicago folk musician Mark Dvorak explains how Pete Seeger helped to save the Hudson River. Lorraine Ballato has great hydrangea care info in her new book, "Success with Hydrangeas." Carol and Steve Wenzel from Blazing Star Nursery explain how farmers and backyard gardeners can create healthy soil.
Nationally renowned garden expert Melinda Myers has advice about spring snow storms and plants. Paul Botts of The Wetlands Initiative and Teri Valenzuela from Audubon Great Lakes talk about the restoration work being done at Indian Ridge Marsh on Chicago's southeast side.
The Mike Nowak Show spends this holiday Sunday broadcasting from the brand spanking new City Grange on Chicago's northwest side. Founder LaManda Joy joins us, along with staff members, who talk about the mission of this not-so-usual retail establishment. America's Seed Artist Shilin Hora also stops by to talk about a seed quilt that she has created with students from Emerson Elementary School in Berwyn.
Lydia Scott from the Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI) and Colleen Murphy-Dunning of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies preview an event this Wednesday at The Morton Arboretum about trees and climate change, where Mike will be moderator.
Dan Protess, writer and producer for Urban Nature, talks about the second season of the WTTW online show, featuring an episode about forager Dave Odd, who is also in studio. Nicole Virgil reports on how she is fighting to rewrite Illinois law if the City of Elmhurst won't allow her to site a hoop house on her property. Laura Calvert from Advocates for Urban Agriculture joins the conversation by phone.
We head to Wild Blossom Meadery & Winery on Chicago's south side for a honey tasting "mead n' feed" event, featuring Chef Carrie Schloss. Phil Fitch and Nick Arensmann from Bartlett Tree Experts answer urban tree care questions. Nina Baki from Forest Preserve District of Cook County and Val Kehoe from Illinois Extension talk about how you can be part of the Conservation@Home program.
The Mike Nowak Show with Peggy Malecki heads to Navy Pier for the Chicago Flower & Garden Show. Mike and Peggy welcome a roster of guests that includes designers, educators and even a 6th grade chef who has already been on national television.
Dan Gibbs, The Backyard Gardener, talks about how to plan your home grown crops. FamilyFarmed founder Jim Slama previews the 15th Annual Good Food EXPO.
Jason Hammel, founder of Lula Cafe and recipient of the Good Food EXPO Chef of the Year Award, explains why farm to table food has been successful at his restaurants. Austin Hall talks about why he bought Greenwise Organic Lawn Care and whether there will be a new direction for the company.
Ed and Dale Hubbard outline the challenges of running a composting operation in Chicago. William Moss the Garden Boss and Tony Abruscato preview the 2019 Chicago Flower & Garden Show.
Journalist Steve Horn returns to the show to talk about his new position at the Climate Crisis Bureau for The Real News Network. Joey and Holly Baird, The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener, visit Mike and Peggy in the Evanston studios of WCGO.
Teresa Speight from Cottage in the Court talks about passing along her passion for gardening. Joel Karsten explains why the techniques in Straw Bale Solutions have become popular throughout the world. Marcy Cravat returns to the One Earth Film Festival with a documentary about our hopes for sequestering carbon.
Certified arborist David Story from Bartlett Tree Experts talks about winter care and answers your tree questions at 877-711-5611. Crate Free Illinois founder Jessica Chipkin and Josh Richards from The Humane League preview Tuesday's screening of the documentary film Eating Animals.
Claudia West and Benjamin Vogt will be at West Cook Wild Ones The Naturally Beautiful Garden Conference. Nick Lucas of Advocates for Urban Agriculture previews the 7th Annual Urban Livestock Expo. Tom Szaky from TerraCycle explains how the Loop program could exponentially increase packaging reuse.
Lisa Hilgenberg, horticulturist for the Regenstein Fruit and Vegetable Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden, has seed choosing and seed starting tips. Lan and Pam Richart from Eco-Justice Collaborative follow up on efforts to protect the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River in Central Illinois from coal ash contamination.
Commissioner Debra Shore returns to talk about the challenges facing the MWRD as it copes with the uncertainty of climate change. Susan Martin and Laura Deeter preview the Perennial Plant Symposium at The Morton Arboretum.
Green Diva Meg returns to talk low stress ways of being sustainable. Gary Oppenheimer of Ample Harvest explains how they're working to help food pantries deal with the government shutdown. Robert Nevel of KAM Isaiah Israel and Terri Reardon of the Chicago Park District preview the 10th Annual MLK Food Justice and Sustainability Weekend.
Landscaper David Pearling tells you how to plan a simple, effective garden design with five simple rules. Civic educator and warrior Tom Tresser talks about fighting for open spaces and community justice in Chicago.
Robb Telfer, conservationist, poet and performance artist, previews the 2019 Wild Things Conference. Adam Goldstein from Do the Right Thing! Recycling, talks about why it's still important to recycle a Christmas Tree. Meteorologist Rick DiMaio joins Mike and Peggy for the entire second hour to recap the 2018 climate and weather year.
An Xmas Carol is a retelling of the Dickens classic by Mike Nowak for the November-December 2018 issue of Chicagoland Gardening Magazine.
For more holiday madness, check out the podcast of It's A Wonderful Slice 2018! Mike and his merry band of misfit perform the classic holiday film in about 10 minutes. Okay, maybe 13, when the fooling around and flubs are considered.
On the Christmas Show, the Not-Ready-for-Anytime-Anywhere-Players, including Ron Cowgill, Rich Cowgill and Bill Turck, help Mike and Peggy do the annual performance of It's A Wonderful Slice of It's a Wonderful Life. Judy Pollock stops by to report on the Audubon's 119th Christmas Bird Count.
Dr. Nicolaas Mink, CEO of Sitka Salmon Shares, comes to the studio to talk about how their company and Community Supported Fisheries are part of sustainable harvests. Photographer Carol Freeman returns to talk about her photos of endangered Illinois species.
Bill Turck and Nic Romano explain how to help the homeless. Mandy Bayer from Stockbridge School of Agriculture, University of Massachusetts Amhurst has advice on de-icing products for your walks and driveways. Lisa Albrecht and Clay Sterling promote solar installation training classes in Illinois.
Crystal Clair, Thad King and Karen Hudson talk about the fight to keep a CAFO from being sited next to Sunset Lake Organics in Adams County, Illinois. Nicole Doucet from Open Water explains why they're selling water in aluminum cans rather than plastic bottles. Bill McLaughlin from the United State Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C. and Joe Heidgen from Shady Hill Gardens in Elburn, Illinois, talk about old and new poinsettias.
Three farmers and Liz Moran Stelk from Illinois Stewardship Alliance explain why the signing of the industrial hemp bill makes sense for the state. Alderman Scott Waguespack and representatives of Friends of the North Branch Park & Nature Preserve talk about the fight to make open space in the new Lincoln Yards neighborhood.
William Moss The Garden Boss returns to the show to offer gardening advice. Mike and Peggy examine the latest in the battle regarding whether the carriage horse industry will continue in Chicago.
Gardening expert Melinda Myers returns to talk about late season strategies for your outdoor garden and early season strategies for indoor plants. Mike and Peggy report on post-election environmental stories.
Carrie Schloss wrote The Asheville Bee Charmer Cookbook and visits the WCGO studios to talk recipes featuring honey. Jerry Gudauskas of the Illinois Beekeepers Association talks about the insects that make the honey. Mike and Peggy look at environmental stories of the past few weeks.
As we celebrate Bat Week, Indiana State University's Joy O'Keefe tells us why this mammal is so important and so misunderstood. Kim Hankins previews the Green Living Expo at McHenry County College. Madison Hopkins from the Better Government Association follows up on her wave-making article about recycling in Chicago.
Landscape architect Thomas Rainer offers some heretical advice on what makes plants happy. Peggy and Mike welcome some winning gardeners from the Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards ceremony.
Folk musician Mark Dvorak and Stephanie Schrodt stop by the studio to promote next week's Folktober Fest in Oak Park. Holly and Joey Baird, The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener, have early fall tips. In the advance of the ILCA's IMPACT Conference, Marcus de la fleur talks about the benefit of putting native plants in your home's landscape, and the difficulty of finding companies that will maintain them.
Mike and Peggy broadcast live from Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, just southwest of Chicago near Wilmington, Illinois, and talk to range of guests about one of the great restoration projects in the history of the planet.
The cast and crew of Green Scene's play "Helianthus!" come to the WCGO studios to talk about this theatrical history of the plant we call a sunflower. Gary Oppenheimer of AmpleHarvest.org is back on the final day of Food Waste Weekend to promote the productive distribution of excess food in America.
Members of the Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts promote the 2018 Windy City Coop & Eco-Yard Tour...and provide some musical entertainment. Mike test drives an electric vehicle in nine minutes. Doug Taron, PhD from the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum reports on large numbers of migrating monarch butterflies.
Gardening expert Melinda Myers has late season advice for hydrangea care; Dr. Jack Gilbert, author of Dirt Is Good talks about why protecting your kids from germs might not be the best thing for them.
Marta Touloumes Keane, Recycling Program Specialist for Will County, explains what can and can’t be recycled, and why. Rich and Susan Eyre from Rich’s Foxwillow Pines prepare for their Hosta Happening Finale.
Susan Hand Shetterly, author of Seaweed Chronicles: A World at the Water’s Edge, reports on how seaweed harvesting could be the next biological frontier. Marvin Strauch, and Chicago teacher Joe Lentino explain the Trout in the Classroom program.
Certified arborist M.D. Skeet from Bartlett Tree Experts returns to the show to talk summer tree issues. Carey Gillam, author of Whitewash: The Story of Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science, also returns to report on a huge court judgment against the Monsanto Company and its weedkiller Roundup.
This week, the Garden Writers are coming to town to party with the Independent Garden Centers at Navy Pier. Mike and Peggy welcome GWA members C. L. Fornari, Andrea Whitely and Mary-Kate Mackey in studio, who will be joined on the phone by James A. Baggett, who is being inducted into the GWA Hall of Fame.
Landscape horticulturist Dolly Foster teaches you how to make your garden pollinator friendly. Tom Buechel explains how the Plant Sentry program will theoretically keep plant e-commerce free of invasive plants and pests.
The Spirited Gardener Julia Bunn has rain garden advice. Dan Kosta reports on the Prairie State Bonsai Society annual show. KC Tomato talks–what else?–tomatoes. Stephanie Walquist and Terry Guen preview the Wild Ones West Cook Native Garden Tour.
Corey Chatman explains how SNAP purchases at farmers markets across the country are at risk. Green Diva Meg talks about her new podcast at The Green Divas. Nick Mink of Sitka Salmon Shares addresses the challenges facing Community Supported Fisheries.
Chicago Master Gardener Laury Lewis previews the 50th Annual Sheffield Music Festival & Garden Walk. Kayri Havens and Jennifer Schwarz Ballard from Project Budburst are looking for citizen scientists to participate in the Nativars Research Project.
Edith Makra, Director of Environmental Initiatives for the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus celebrates a milestone for the Greenest Region Compact. Tony Abruscato of the Chicago Flower & Garden Show, previews the 811 Chicago Garden at Taste of Chicago.
Author, lecturer and “farmden” cultivator Lee Reich talks about his new book, The Ever Curious Gardener. Folks from the Dearborn Garden Walk and the Bucktown Garden Walk come to the studio to promote their summer events.
Garden expert Melinda Myers talk searly summer gardening. Environmental attorney Albert Ettinger and Cindy Skrukrud from the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club explain their lawsuit with Chicago Trump Tower over its violation of the Clean Water Act.
Mike and Peggy are live from the Custer Fair in Evanston, Illinois, where they welcome Tom Klitzkie of Nature's Perspective Landscaping, meteorologist Rick DiMaio and more.
Mike and Peggy welcome William Moss (also known as The Garden Boss) from Get Out and Grow to talk about all things gardening. Native landscaper Benjamin Vogt recounts his battle with the City of Lincoln, Nebraska over what they consider "weedy" plants.
Mike and Peggy welcome Chicago radio legends Steve King and Johnnie Putman, authors of A Little More Les, about their relationship with the late, great Les Paul. Janie Maxwell from the Illinois Farmers Market Association tells us What’s in Season.
Mike and Peggy welcome Chicago radio legends Steve King and Johnnie Putman, who talk about their book A Little More Les, which recounts their relationship with the late, great guitarist Les Paul. This hour is presented without commercial interruption.
Mike and Peggy tell stories of robins, backyard chemical use and growing garlic. Rick Moskovitz from A-Plus Pest Control returns to talk about safe spring pest solutions. Rick DiMaio discusses tropical storms and the return of warm weather.
Juanita Irizarry from Friends of the Parks on the proposed Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park. Liz Moran Stelk of Illinois Stewardship Alliance and Andy Olsen from ELPC on the 2018 Farm Bill. Dan Dinelli, Tom Marerro and Dominic Brose on biochar.
Richard Tilley was a legendary Wicker Park resident and gardener. He died on May 19, 2018 at the age of 91. On February 3, 2013, he appeared on The Mike Nowak Show to share his secrets of seed starting.
Renee Costanzo and Lourdes Valenzuela from Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse gear up for next week’s plant sale, and bird conservationists Judy Pollock and Jeff Skrentny prepare to celebrate International Migratory Bird Day at LaBagh Woods.
Ruth Kerzee of the Midwest Pesticide Action Center explains what Chicago Grows Green Week has to do with your lawn. John Quail from Friends of the Chicago River highlights environmental victories and the outlook for the future of this urban river.
Holly and Joey Baird, The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener, answer gardening questions for a cold spring. Pam and Lan Richart from Eco-Justice Collaborative Andrew Rehn from Prairie Rivers Network explain the threat to a cherished east central Illinois river.
Emily Murphy on her book Grow What You Love, Chicago Aldermen Michele Smith and Scott Waguespack want to create a 24-acre park in the North Branch Industrial Corridor, and Jennifer Walling from the IEC on a bill that would hurt state environmental laws.
Emily Murphy talks about her book Grow What You Love, Chicago Aldermen Michele Smith and Scott Waguespack explain why they want to create a 24-acre park in the North Branch Industrial Corridor, and Jennifer Walling from the IEC reports on a bill that would weaken the state's Endangered Species Protection Board.
Cheryl Julcher from Yellow Brick Properties is a realtor who uses sustainability as a selling point. Cam Davis explains how he got 54,000 write-in votes for MWRD. Doug Taron celebrates 30 years of the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network.
LaManda Joy of Peterson Garden Project promotes the annual Organic Edible Plant Sale. Sarah Surroz of Conserve Lake County talks about a new partnership with Openlands. The Chicago Botanic Garden’s Lisa Hilgenberg answers spring veggie gardening questions
Artist Shilin Hora describes her "Seed Museum works." 2018 Beginning Farmer of the Year Yoram Shanan of Sandbox Organics talks about the new wave of farmers. Jodie Wiederkehr of Chicago Alliance for Animals (CAA) explains why she wants to put horse-drawn carriages out of business in Chicago.
Mike and Peggy feature the 2018 Macy’s Flower Show, Go Green Oak Park's battle against unnecessary pesticide use, Michele Hoffman's upcoming voyage to Alaska to shoot more footage for the film Microcosm, and a victory for Crate Free Illinois.
Live from the 2018 Chicago Flower & Garden Show. Guests are president Tony Abruscato, The Rose Kings Chris VanCleave and Brian Puckett, Sandy Syburg from Purple Cow Organics, William Moss the Garden Boss, and Janie Grillo aka Butterfly Jane.
Horticulturist Melinda Myers previews the Chicago Flower & Garden Show. Openlands president and CEO Jerry Adelmann explains how one our most important environmental laws is at risk. David R. Montgomery has a plan to regenerate our soils.
Mike and Peggy talk to Beth Vercolio-Osmund, a sustainable farmer, business woman, teacher and activist who is one of four Democrats running for Congress in the rural Illinois 16th District.
Mike and Peggy interview Cam Davis, who faces an uphill battle to get ten thousand write-in votes in the March 20 primary contest for a spot on the Metropolitan Water Reclamation Board of Greater Chicago.
Guests: Jim Slama of the Good Food EXPO; Cam Davis,write-in candidate for the MWRD; Kenneth Gallt of Foliage Design Systems of Chicago; Tom Szaky from TerraCycle; 16th Cong. District candidate Beth Vercolio-Osmund.
Jim Nienhuis, Ph.D. talks about the evolution of vegetables and his work helping women entrepreneurs in Central America. Lisa Eldred Steinkopf has written House Plants: The Complete Guide. Mike and Peggy preview the One Earth Film Festival.
The inimitable Christy Webber returns to talk horticulture, business and the Chicago Flower & Garden Show. Adam Federman from The Nation Magazine returns to report on the latest threats to what we thought were protected U.S. natural lands.
Dr. John Ikerd, Craig Watts, and activist-farmer Karen Hudson talk about how to change industrial agriculture. Dr. Michael Schuck and Dr. Nancy Tuchman from Loyola University Chicago discuss their open source online textbook called Healing Earth.
Kylee Baumlee, author of The Monarch: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly, visits the WCGO studios, along with Carol Niec and Kerrie Rosenthal from The Seed Keeper Company. On a snowy day, Pat Skach fills in for meteorologist Rick DiMaio.
Solar energy expert Lisa Albrecht comments on a tariff on imported solar panels to the U.S. Steve Neumann of Logic Lawn Care and Jeff Swano of Dig Right In Landscaping promote natural lawn care to Illinois park districts.
Soil scientist Mary Tiedeman explains what’s happening in your soil beneath the snow. Zhenwei Zhu talks about the new Loyola Environmental Testing Laboratory (LETL). Tony Abruscato previews the 2018 Chicago Flower & Garden Show.
Janie Maxwell of the Illinois Farmers Market Association on winter farmers markets; gardening expert Charlie Nardozzi on containers and foodscapes; former NOSB member Francis Thicke on why he thinks the organic label is at risk.
The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) wants to teach you how to install solar energy systems. Robert Nevel previews the 9th Annual MLK Food Justice and Sustainability Weekend at KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation in Hyde Park.
Jennifer Molski of HF Christmas Tree Recycling and Kay McKeen of SCARCE explain to recycle trees, lights and other holiday jetsum. Then Mike, Peggy and Rick DiMaio discuss the environmental stories of 2017.
It’s a Wonderful Slice of It’s a Wonderful Life makes its return to the airwaves featuring the Not Even Ready for Weekend Smart Talk Players, after bird conservationist Judy reports on the annual Christmas Bird Count.
Adam Federman of The Nation Magazine on his investigative series, The Plot to Loot America’s Wilderness, Beth Vercolio-Osmund on why she’s running for Congress and Whitney Richardson on the The Kitchen Community and the Logan Square Winter Farmers Market.
Doris Taylor from the Morton Arboretum Plant Clinic on why trees have been reluctant to drop their leaves this fall, Kate Green from Lurvey Garden Center on holiday plants, and meteorologist Rick DiMaio on California wildfires.
Chris VanCleave, 'The Redneck Rosarian,' talks winter rose care. Carey Gillam discusses her important new book, Whitewash, about why the weed killer glyphosate (in Roundup) is still controversial.
Michelle Byrne Walsh returns to share her annual list of The Good, The Bad and The Wha? of holiday garden and environmental gift giving. Polly McGann and Victor Zaderej present an update of their Happy Leaf LED grow lights.
Mitch McNeil from Surfrider Chicago reports on two threats to Lake Michigan water. Bird City Wisconsin’s Director Bryan Lenz talks protecting bird populations. Michele Hoffman and Dr. R. Eric Collins of the University of Alaska discuss melting permafrost.
Anna Stork, co-founder of LuminAID, explains how they are helping victims of natural disasters by supplying portable, inflatable solar lights. Chicago Alderman Scott Waguespack talks about why Chicago still can’t recycle.
Scott Stewart, Executive Director of the Millennium Park Foundation, stops in on the eve of its 20th anniversary, and environmental reporter Kari Lydersen, reports on a victory over fracking in Illinois and the future of the Future Energy Jobs Act.
Mike and Peggy celebrate their final Saturday show (they’ll still be on Sundays from 9-11am!) at the 10th Anniversary Green Living Expo at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake.
The #GiveHealthyMovement, a Green Living Expo, and bad days at Bubbly Creek are covered in the first hour. Bill Whitney from City Bee Savers talks about the search for queen bees that can survive in northern Illinois.
Mike and Peggy cover a range of topics, including an oil spill in the Chicago River, a 10 million dollar prize for cleaning up algae in Lake Erie, and a look back at October weather from meteorologist Rick DiMaio.
Lisa Hilgenberg from the Chicago Botanic Garden talks about planting spring bulbs. Molly Flanagan from Alliance for the Great Lakes and Tony Maas of Freshwater Future report on disappointing progress in the fight against algae in Lake Erie.
Jody Osmund of Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm and CSA returns to The Mike Nowak Show to talk about the practical and political achievements of the Slow Food Movement.
Nicole Virgil and Ron Cress each explain why they are fighting their town's laws to grow, respectively, food and native plants. Michele Hoffman talks about a new growing technique that might give the world’s declining coral reefs a fighting chance.
Paul Coffey from the Art Institute of Chicago and Jeff Levrant of Homan Grown explain how the Oaks of North Lawndale project will bring trees and art to that west side Chicago community.
Nicole Virgil wants to grow vegetables in a backyard hoop house and Ron Cress wants to grow native plants on his lot, and they both find themselves fighting City Hall to make it happen. Michele Hoffman welcomes Dr. David Vaughan to the Science Desk to talk about his new growing technique that might give the world's declining coral reefs a fighting chance.
Author and native plant landscaper Benjamin Vogt talks about his new book, A New Garden Ethic. Gale Community Academy Principal Augustine 'Augie' Emuwa and A Just Harvest’s Rev. Marilyn Pagan-Banks and Tonia Andreina a teaching students about growing food
Landscape architect Carol Yetlen talks about managing the gardens surrounding the Baha’i Temple in Wilmette. Tom Klitzkie from Nature’s Perspective Landscaping has advice on keeping your plants well-watered in a dry spell.
Sharon Bladholm talks about her latest nature-focused art exhibit. Mike and Peggy interview a man who grew a 1,852 pound pumpkin this year. Erik Carlberg and Doug Snower from Windfree Solar explain why this is a good time for clean energy in Illinois.
Peggy and Mike broadcast live from the SCARCE Green Fair at the DuPage County Fairgrounds, where reduce, reuse and recycle are the words of the day.
Toxicologist David J. Zaber comments on the efficacy of spraying mosquitoes. Kay McKeen from SCARCE promotes their Green Fair. Mike Mikulka from EPA Region 5 visits the Science Desk with Michele Hoffman and reports on efforts to gut the federal agency.
Some of our iconic ash and oak species are on the brink of extinction. Dr. Murphy Westwood from The Morton Arboretum and Dr. Rex Bastian from Davey Tree Experts talk about why that has happened and what we do to save them.
Lisa M. Rose talks about her book Midwest Medicinal Plants and how you can forage for those plants in your own yard. Doug Taron from the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum reports on Midwest monarch populations as they begin their migration to Mexico.
Friends of the Parks Executive Director Juanita Irizarry returns to the show to discuss the latest developments surrounding the proposed Obama Presidential Center in Chicago’s Jackson Park.
BK Sharma from ISTC explains how scientists are using pyrolysis to convert plastic back back into petroleum products. Two recycling experts explore the possibilities of reclaiming household storm debris.
Gary Oppenheimer, founder and Executive Director of AmpleHarvest.org, explains his organization’s mission to enlist backyard gardeners to fight food waste by connecting them to local food pantries.
Ken Santowski from Chicago Logistic Service explains to recover Styrofoam. WBEZ’s Monica Eng gives a history lesson on Chicago’s farming past. Michael Howard promotes the Go Fund Me campaign for Eden Place Nature Center on Chicago’s south side.
Harriet Festing from Flood Forum USA and meteorologist Rick DiMaio discuss the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey–the role of climate change in catastrophic weather events and whether we will be prepared for the next one.
Mike and Peggy head to the Chicago Botanic Garden to broadcast live from Heirloom Fest: Tomatoes and More. Horticulturist Lisa Hilgenberg from the Regenstein Fruit and Vegetable Garden joins them to talk about the 50,000 plants under her care.
Peggy and Mike welcome garden author, lecturer and media star Melinda Myers back to the show. She was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame of GWA: The Association for Garden Communicators.
Jessica Chipkin from Crate Free Illinois and Scott Beckstead of the Humane Society preview the new Illinois Agriculture Advisory Council. Michele Hoffman of Microcosm and Shedd Aquarium’s Mark Schick report on the future of coral populations.
Mike and Peggy welcome NASA Senior Scientist Meagan Thompson, who answers questions about the coming total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017.
Peggy Malecki and Lisa Hilgenberg from the Chicago Botanic Garden co-host the show. They talk to Michelle Hickey of The Resiliency Institute about permaculture, then get summer growing advice from plant care specialist Chris Beiser.
Peggy Malecki fills in for Mike and welcomes back Kelly Nichols from Moms Clean Air Force to discuss the connection between clean energy and clean air. Rick DiMaio returns to talk about 2016–another year that goes into the record books for extreme heat.
Mary Hennen and Peggy Macnamara on their new book, The Peregrine Returns; Laura Calvert is new executive director of Advocates for Urban Agriculture; Dr. Harry Klee on his quest to breed the perfect commercial tomato; Jonathan Kruger previews Veggie Fest.
Jordan Park of Bring Your Bag Chicago returns to the show to talk about the success of the 7 cent fee on single-use plastic bags in Chicago.
Dan Kosta answers gardening questions and promotes the Prairie State Bonsai Society annual event. Ruth Kerzee from the Midwest Pesticide Action Center and Laura McGowan from Clarke talk about the complexities of controlling mosquitoes in the Chicago area.
Karen Chapman and Christina Salwitz, authors of Gardening with Foliage First, explain to Mike and Peggy how to design a beautiful garden while almost making blooms an afterthought.
Farmers Lisa Kivirist and Alison Parker preview Soil Sisters and In Her Boots events. Michele Hoffman previews her trip to Florida to research plankton and the affects of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe. Coorens reports on a big land use deal in Chicago
Chef Paul Virant previews the 10th Annual Peak Harvest Farm Dinner presented by Angelic Organics Learning Center. Rick DiMaio returns from and educational trip to Iceland to study climate change.
Urban Rivers has an idea for bring floating nature to the Chicago River; Carl Zimring and Kris Kaar explain the IRA event "A Couple of Professors Talkin' Trash;" plus an update on the British Columbia wildfires from Dave Scott of Spaced Out Radio.
Former Chicago Gardener of the Year and co-director of the 49th Annual Sheffield Music Festival and Garden Walk Laury Lewis stops by the studio to promote “The Summer’s Best Festival” and talk a little gardening.
Lee Buttala from the Seed Savers Exchange seeds, Allen Lawrance from the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum updates the monarch butterfly count, and Laura Barghusen from Openlands announces the launch of Paddle Illinois Water Trails for canoes and kayaks.
Mike and Peggy talk to Charlotte Adelman and Bernard L. Schwartz about their new book, Midwestern Native Shrubs and Trees and the importance of putting native plants in your landscape.
Joel Brammeier from Alliance for the Great Lakes reports on Asian carp and the All Hands on Deck initiative. Meteorologist Rick DiMaio and science educator Michele Hoffman come to the studio to talk climate change.
LaManda Joy from the Peterson Garden Project previews GnomeDependence Day. Mike and Peggy follow up on factory farm issues in Illinois with Karen Hudson from Illinois Citizens for Clean Air and Water and farmers Craig Porter and Carrie Johnson.
The Mike Nowak Show hits the road to visit the 25th Annual Midwest Pond and Koi Society Koi Show and Trade Show in McCook, Illinois.
Mike and Peggy talk mid-season veggies with Lisa Hilgenberg from the Chicago Botanic Garden, follow up on the Enbridge Line 5 oil pipe which runs under the Straits of Mackinac, and learn about a new study that focuses on the tree canopies in the Chicago region.
Mike and Peggy learn about The Elgin Hops Project, preview their broadcast from the Midwest Pond and Koi Society 25th Annual Koi and Trade Show, and examine why electric rail service to the south side is being stymied.
Juanita Irizarry, Executive Director of Friends of the Parks, returns to the show to follow up on efforts to hold Chicago accountable for transparency in developing the Obama Library and other facilities in south side parks.
Diane Blazek describes the work and programs of the National Garden Bureau, Josh Mogerman reports on environmental issues for the NRDC, and Breanne Heath from The Pie Patch talks about growing fruit in Chicago.
Mike and Peggy preview 28th annual Energy Fair, sponsored by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association in Custer, Wisconsin, then answer some gardening questions.
Mike and Peggy learn about pruning perennials with Tracy DiSabato-Aust, promote the Sugar Beet Food Co-op, talk green smack with Green Diva Meg, and discuss the work of the Illinois Farmers Market Association.
Juanita Irizarry, Executive Director of Friends of the Parks, talks to Mike and Peggy about the future Obama Presidential Library, a proposed south side golf course, and other issues facing park land in Chicago.
Mike and Peggy get advice from The Wisconsin Vegetable Gardener about strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes and more; get a preview of World Environment Day at the Chicago Botanic Garden; and explore non-toxic pest solutions from A-Plus Pest Control.
Mike and Peggy talk about native plants for woodland areas with Monica Buckley of Red Stem Native Landscapes.
Mike and Peggy talk to Dr. Allan Armitage about his new book, Of Naked Ladies and Forget-Me-Nots, report on a victory for a suburban natural area, and get tree care advice from Skeet of Bartlett Tree Experts.
Mike and Peggy welcome citizen scientist and author Kylee Baumlee, who talks about her new book, The Monarch: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly.
Mike and Peggy start with a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT, then talk about bees, a camp about reconnecting with the earth, a conservation program coming to Cook County, and the work of the US Green Building Council in Illinois.
Dan Protess writer and producer of the WTTW digital series Uban Nature, stops by the WCGO studios to talk about his search for wildlife in three major American cities.
Mike and Peggy welcome the author of a book about George Fell, discuss the next moves in opening up Lake Calumet to the Public, find out about fruiting shrubs that can be grown in containers, weigh in on a composting operation controversy.
As birders in the Chicago area begin their annual May counts of migrating species, Mike and Peggy talk to a couple of experts about how the Cook County Forest Preserves can be prime viewing areas.
On their first Sunday show at WCGO, Mike andn Peggy discuss natural lawn care, the threat of invasives to the Great Lakes, and unethical and inhumane predator hunts in Illinois.
Brad Temkin is a photographer whose images of rooftop gardens was recently shown at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Professor Mike Bryson from the Sustainability Studies department joins him to discuss their collaboration in presenting the show.
Kathleen Thompson and Rick DiMaio report from the March for Science Chicago, and Joe Lamp'l from Growing a Greener World talks about water conservation in the backyard.
Craig LeHoullier, author of Epic Tomatoes, discusses his thirty years of studying the fruit (yes, it is), and reveals his favorite varieties.Kay McKeen previews the Focus on Energy,film festival, which Mike will be emceeing on April 23.
Mike and Peggy interview the owner of a proposed composing operation in Cook County about why it is so controversial, and talk to a nature photographer who is documenting endangered species in Illinois.
For the second straight week, Mike and Peggy are on the road, this time to the Chicago Flower and Gard Show, where they talk to a wide range of guests about everything from roses to bird-friendly natives to composting to backyard water features.
For the second consecutive year, The Mike Nowak Show broadcasts live from the Good Food Festival and Conference. Mike and Peggy talk to guests talking about issues ranging from sustainable fish to sustainable soils.
A week before The Mike Nowak Show broadcasts from the Good Food Festival, Mike and Peggy talk to the founder of that event, Jim Slama from FamilyFarmed. They also discuss several environmental topics, including potential cutbacks at the EPA.
Mike and Peggy welcome the folks from Honey Butter Fried Chicken, the recipients of the FamilyFarmed 2017 Good Food Chef of the Year award, and Tony Abruscato, director of the Chicago Flower and Garden Show.
Carol and Kerrie from the Seed Keeper Company visit the studio to talk about encouraging kids to grow plants from seed. Mike and Peggy interview two filmmakers from the 2017 One Earth Film Festival, opening on March 3.
Alderman John Arena from Chicago's 45th Ward and Chicago 350 founder Melissa Brice talk to Mike and Peggy about the debate in the Chicago City Council about divesting from fossil fuel companies.
February is the month for indoor environmental events and Mike and Peggy cover two of them--the Bioneers Speaker Series at McHenry County College and the biannual Wild Things Conference at the UIC Forum in Chicago.
Mike and Peggy break the story about how a factory farm in Fulton County, Illinois reapplied for a permit just days after withdrawing it. Illinois farmers and activists Karen Hudson and Craig Porter call in from from central Illinois.
Mike and Peggy talk winter tasks, including pruning, with nationally recognized gardening expert Mellinda Myers.
Mike and Peggy talk to a couple of experts about the recent decision to put the rusty patched bumble bee on the endangered species list.
Mike and Peggy welcome Lisa Hilgenberg from the Chicago Botanic Garden, who talks about her favorite seed catalogs and how she makes selections for the 50,000 plants she grows at CBG.
1590 WCGO is the new home for The Mike Nowak Show, Mike and Peggy welcome Robert Nevel from KAM Isaiah Israel and Dr. V. Bala Chaudhary from DePaul University to talk about the 8th Annual MLK Food Justice and Sustainability Weekend.
With Chicago poised to change 270,000 streetlights to LEDs, Mike and Peggy talk to a panel of experts about why it is likely that the lights will be too bright and the direction of the lamps uncontrolled.
Mike and Peggy talk about the show's move to 1590AM WCGO with Ron Cowgill of Mighty House. A trio of light pollution experts weigh in on whether Chicago will get its new lighting system right. The CEO of Amp Your Good talks about a new model for giving.
Mike and Peggy explore why 30,000 sandhill cranes flew directly over Chicago, get information about keeping holiday plants alive and Christmas trees hydrated, and hear the story of how justice was finally served for an Illinois CAFO activist.
Mel Nickerson from the Illinois Recycling Association and Melanie Eckner from the Chicago Sustainability Leaders Network talk about the Future Energy Bills
Mike, Peggy and Michelle Byrne Walsh run the gamut of green holiday gift giving, Lurie Garden director Scott Stewart expounds on the value of the winter garden, and Sarah Surroz talks about her role as new exeutive director of Conserve Lake County.
Mike MacDonald talks about his 22 year journey to create a photo book about Chicago's natural areas. Representatives of Plant Chicago, The Urban Canopy and The Experimental Station examine why some urban farmers markets succeed and others fail.
Mike and Peggy welcome artist Mary Ellen Croteau, Food Tank president and founder Danielle Nierenberg, Food Tank Summit participant Roger Thurow, Kay McKeen from SCARCE and Erlene Howard from Collective Resource.
Tom Shepherd from SETF previews the opening of a bike park at Big Marsh on Chicago's southeast side, investigative journalist Steve Horn reports on the continuing Standing Rock Tribe protests in ND, two presenters preview the 2016 Food Tank Summit.