A Natural History of the Chicago Region

by Joel Greenberg

In A Natural History of the Chicago Region , Joel Greenberg takes readers on a journey that begins in 1673 with Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet—the first Europeans known to have visited the Chicago region—and that we're still on today. This is a fascinating story, told with humor and passion, of forests battling prairies for dominance; of grasslands plowed, wetlands drained, and species driven to extinction in the settlement of the Midwest; and of caring conservationists fighting to preserve and restore the native plants and animals. Intermingling historical anecdotes and episodes straight from the words of early settlers and naturalists with current scientific information, Greenberg places the natural history of the region in a human context, showing how it affects our everyday existence in even the most urbanized landscape of Chicago.

Genres: Science, Nature, Nonfiction

592 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2002

About the author

Joel Greenberg is a research associate of the Chicago Academy of Sciences Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and the Field Museum. Author of three books, including A Natural History of the Chicago Region, Greenberg has taught natural history courses for the Morton Arboretum, Brookfield Zoo, and Chicago Botanic Garden. He helped spearhead Project Passenger Pigeon to focus attention on human-caused extinctions. Greenberg lives in Westmont, Illinois. Visit his blog at Birdzilla.com.

Reviews

[Alden O’Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an incredibly detailed natural history of the region. Definitely will need to revisit because no way am I retaining even half of all that. Super cool to learn about early conservation success stories at sites I get to work at today. Only complaint would probably be the conclusion being a bit lackluster.

[Bob Dolgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be required reading on so many levels! What an amazing encyclopedia of local natural history. Worth re-reading every few years.

[Lisa Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's weird, and depressing, to read places including Chicago, Calumet, Naperville, and Waukegan described as "beautiful," "wild," and teeming with wildlife. Since we can't see the prairie any more, we can at least read about it.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nature book club read: very thorough!

[Hundeschlitten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, it looks like I'm not going to finish this one, so I might as well right a review. And it might seem strange to give 4 stars to a book that I didn't even finish, but it's not really that kind of a book. It's more of a reference guide to the landscape of Chicagoland, with an emphasis on chronicling the natural history of the land along with preserving the stories of those who, for better and worse, made it what it is today. After reading this, I often stop at some seeming insignificant place, a creek or a sandy ridge, and think about it how it got made, what might be living there, its function in the greater scheme of things, and what it was like a couple hundred years ago. My only complaint, other than Greenberg's detailed and at times encyclopedic discussion of seemingly every sub-species of flora in the region, is that there is a whole lot of writing about fairly insignificant places in the northern burbs, but precious little about the physical landmarks out here in DuPage County.

[Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure how to mark books that I partially read, didn't finish, and have no intention of ever finishing. Thoughts?

I snagglerocked this and a couple other books pertaining to Chicago's natural history because I am a complete ignoramus. It is a sad feature of the modern urban condition to be alienated from the nature of the homeland. Sadder still, perhaps, is choosing to read about it instead of experiencing it, but I am a man of the office, and do not have time to go frolicking and hippeying about the tall grasses of the northwest side, or hunting along the banks of the river and its shamed canals in search of bats. In conclusion, I think it is weird that, in order to become acquainted with my environment, I read a book instead of going for a hike.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are like me and always look out of the train window on your way to work and wonder about the birds and plants and land that you see. If you wonder who lives in the rivers and how the rivers got there. If you rejoice to learn the names for grasses. If you notice the one white goose among the Canada Geese at the lake. If you listen for peepers in the spring, and would see a pigeon sheltered on a windowsill eight stories up. If you marvel at gulls. If you notice the heron flying high across the freeway. Then you should read this book over and over until the end of your life. I will.

[Jeremy H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting, but dry at times. Had to fight through parts to read it. There was a lot of great info, but long.

[Nick Huemmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information and reference for Illinoisians that like nature; geology, ecology, plant science etc. Gets kinda boring though.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must-read for conservation minded folk in the Chicago WIlderness area.
prose style historical info on the area, creatures and plants that inhabited our area prior to overdelopment.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully comprehensive look at the Greater Chicagoland region's flora and fauna and a must for local Naturalists. 17 years in the compilation. A major work!!

A big Thumbs Up