The Mike Nowak Show

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Excellent Gardens, Excellent Garden Advice Oct 13, 2019

Show notes

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.

Sustainable Landscapes Make an IMPACT Oct 06, 2019

Show notes

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 and Near Term Human Extinction Sep 29, 2019

Show notes

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.

“An Amazing Year” for Eastern Monarchs? Sep 22, 2019

Show notes

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.

Setting Lake Calumet Free Sep 15, 2019

Show notes

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.

Tree Care Season Starts Now Sep 08, 2019

Show notes

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.

Green Tomatoes and Plant Trucks Sep 01, 2019

Show notes

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.

Fall is Midwest Lawn Care Season Aug 25, 2019

Show notes

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.

Jumping Worms Derangement Syndrome Aug 18, 2019

Show notes

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.

Summer Vegetables Report 2019 Aug 11, 2019

Show notes

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.

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