A renovated Hamlin Park dog area was meant to improve access and drainage. Instead, owners say loose gravel is leaving dogs with torn, bleeding paws.

City and federal plans to rebuild Promontory Point’s shoreline could close the 1930s limestone‑edged park for years, and neighbors and engineers are sharply divided over repair versus replacement. Preservation groups say phased fixes would spare most of the park; planners point to broader shoreline standards and funded design work.

An algae bloom has been confirmed at East Branch's off‑leash dog pond. The Forest Preserve District has posted warnings and is monitoring conditions.

A Williamson County rancher has applied for federal depredation sub-permits after vultures preyed on a calf and began roosting near her fields, forcing a clash between farmers and wildlife rules. Experts say the birds’ northward spread complicates livestock protection.

A juvenile, state‑endangered black‑crowned night heron landed on a River North windowsill and became a viral curiosity, shining a light on Chicago's urban rookery.

A titan arum named Alice is blooming at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, releasing its notorious rotten‑flesh scent for roughly 24–36 hours.

The Michigan DNR is proposing to grow Warren Dunes' protected Natural Area to about 600 acres while realigning protections near the Hidebrandt campground. Officials say camping and beach access would remain unchanged.

Mayor Brandon Johnson is directing TIF funds to add air conditioning at 42 park sites prioritized by a new Heat Vulnerability Index; 20 upgrades will come this summer.

A coyote was photographed walking along Michigan Avenue near Millennium Park. Biologists link the sighting to pup season and urban rodent prey.

One of four piping plover chicks hatched at Montrose Beach has died, volunteers said. The loss comes as monitors investigate and continue protecting the remaining chicks.

Two vacant West Side lots are becoming a 32,000‑sq‑ft orchard that will grow fruit, host programs and soak up stormwater to help prevent basement flooding.

Construction has started on a pocket Riverwalk park at 430 S. Washington St. that will link North Central College and downtown Naperville with plazas, an archway and ADA access.

A new study finds heavy metals in soils and eggshells and the fungus Ophidiomyces in snakes across the Chicago region, complicating ongoing headstart and reintroduction work.