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- Feed Preview The Mike Nowak Show
What a Long, Strange Garden Trip It’s Been
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. Ju...
Tomatomania V: Off to the Races
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 strate...
Monarch Butterflies: Yet Another Species on the Brink
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 choos...
How to Discover a Wild Area in the 21st Century
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 Aman...
The Sky’s the Limit for Women in Arboriculture
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 i...
The Hidden Dangers of Artificial Turf
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 grou...
The Regeneration Miracle That Is Compost
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 Distr...
The Marvelous Melinda Myers Makes It Better
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 ques...
Doug Tallamy on Fighting to Save Trees and Natural Areas
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. Now...
The Possibilities of Amazing Native Plants
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...
How to Go Beyond Organic Growing
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 School Farms on the Front Line of Sustainability
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,...
Phenology Is a Key Component of Life on Earth
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 Lin...
Expect Great Growing in 2022
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...
Start the Best Fruits and Vegetables
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. Toda...
Sacrificing Birds for a Marketing Gimmick
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, direc...
Protect Creatures Great and Small
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...
Can Backyard Composting Change the World?
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 tumb...
Forest Preserves Unlock the Mysteries of Nature
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 fro...
Doug Tallamy on Saving Nature and Ourselves
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 Ke...
Puppets Pick Apart Plastic Myths
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 T...
How to Create The Healthy Garden
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...
It’s a Wonderful Slice 2021!
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...
How to Provide Good Food Through Growing Solutions
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 ...
Exploring Sustainability Myths and Solutions
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-release...
And Now for Something Completely Different
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 th...
Prairie Uprising on the Horizon
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...
What Happened to Glass Recycling
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 Expe...
Solutions for a Planet on the Brink
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 Conferenc...
Hog CAFOs Threaten Quality of Rural Life
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 t...
Is a Parking Lot More Valuable Than a Prairie?
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 Sin...
I Know What You Did in the Garden this Year
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 #SaveBe...
Of Sound Mind, Learning and Feeling
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 ...
Can One Bee Rescue a Valuable Remnant Prairie?
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 ...
Creating New Lives for Rescued Farm Animals
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 ani...
Are You Ready for Some Illinois Fun?
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 To...
Melinda Myers Reveals Fall Gardening Secrets
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 Guerri...
Last Chance for a Clean Energy Deal in Illinois?
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....
A Bad Week for Chicago’s Public Parks
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 fu...
On the Road at The Growing Place
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, an...
Get Yer (Coal) Ash Out of the Vermillion River!
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...
Local Food Is Getting Better In Illinois
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 c...
Climate Change and Chicago’s Water
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 scien...
Return of the Butterfly Whisperer
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 c...
How to Rescue Storm Damaged Trees
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 an...
Create Sanctuary for Wildlife in your Garden
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 bec...
Tomatomania III: The Looming Drought
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...
Talking Chicago Environmental Smack with the Experts
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 t...
Survival Tips; Confronting Aldi; Saving Blue Ash
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 attemp...
Start with Something Simple and Beautiful
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 th...
Recycling Failures 101: It’s not Always Your Fault
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...
Farmers Markets Stay Strong in 2021
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 conversati...
Right to Garden Victory in Illinois
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...
Feel Good About Caring for Your Lawn
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 Gle...
Practical and Reliable Talk from Melinda Myers
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...
Rescuing Species with Urban Sanctuaries
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 Redlinsk...
Food Co-ops in an Age of Uncertainty
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 ...
Meet the Challenge of Spring
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 ...
Trowels Out at Garden Rant
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....
Irreplaceable In Every Way
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 sea...
Plastics Mess on Aisle 2 in the Green Industry
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 Counc...
“We’re Gardening for the Public.”
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 retu...
Ten Years of Environmental Good
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 compan...
Wild Things Invade(s) Chicago Again
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...
How to Avoid a Winter of Discontent
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...
Climate Art and Science Disrupted
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. Ch...
When Native Garden Plans Go Bad (and Good)
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 One...
2 Million Blossoms, Umpteen Million Seeds
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...
Reclaiming Real Organics
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 back...
Happy Not 2020! Tomatoes and Tallgrass Prairie
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 yea...
It’s a Wonderful Slice 2020!
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 plantba...
Uncommon Pandemic Winter
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 ...
Chicago STILL Can’t Recycle
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 fro...
Coal Ash Threat to Our Water
Andrew Rehn from Prairie Rivers Network reports on the fight to keep coal ash from leaking into the Vermillion River in central Illinois.
Growing Under Cover with Niki Jabbour
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 ...
Winter Tree Care: Inspection, Pruning and More
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 Wat...
Herbaceous Perennial Plants with Allan Armitage
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 La...
Pet Wellness and Happiness R Us
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 mi...
Growing Gardeners During a Pandemic
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 ...
Smashing Pumpkins…Responsibly
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 ...
Snakes, Forest Preserves and Green Divas
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 ...
Having a Virtual IMPACT on Landscapes
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 ...
Walk Like an Agrarian
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, w...
The New Sustainable Reality
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...
Racist Pandemics and How to Recover
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 CO...
Toxic Donuts and Food Deserts
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 S...
Midwest Derecho Aftermath
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 Blaz...
Chicago’s War on Community Gardens
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 ...
Food Scrap Composting Queen
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...
Busting Insulation Myths with Ron Cowgill
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 Bar...
Extreme Permaculture Primer
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. Ga...
Black Gardeners Matter, Too
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 Ass...
High Noon in the Straits of Mackinac
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 P...
Insect Apocalypse on Main Street?
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 mosqu...
Tomatomania II with KC and NC!
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 s...
Environmental Justice Is Social Justice
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 ...
Upcycling Milk Waste into Milk Tees
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 o...
Botanical Sexism Is Making You Sick
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 Bert...
Can Farmers Markets Survive COVID-19?
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 ...
Breaking Bread with Neighbor Loaves
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 peopl...
Volunteer Your Garden In a Food Crisis
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 Nat...
Clean Water Matters More Than Ever
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...
Victory Gardens for Pollinators and People
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 abou...
Easter Sunday in the Church of Green
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....
Keep Eating Healthy and Grow Some Food Yourself
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 ...
Spring Is Still Scheduled–Melinda Myers Says So
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 technol...
The Virtual Chicago Flower & Garden Show
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...
Connecting in the Age of Coronavirus
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 i...
The Right to Garden as Law
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 sp...
Harnessing The Power of We
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, retu...
Celebrating Water Responsibly
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 C...
Know Your Grow with William Moss
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 Climat...
Nature’s Best Hope Is You
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...
Cats and Trees and Arborists
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 S...
Fluck Farms Chicago 2020
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. ...
Climate Year Review: 2019
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 mun...
Green Infrastructure Means Green Jobs
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 ...
Cannabis Gold Rush or Bust?
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 ...
Turn Here Sweet Corn Returns
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. ...
It’s a Wonderful Slice 2019!
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...
Growing Plants in the Dark
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 bo...
Passive Houses Get Aggressive
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...
How Two Gardeners Beat Chicago City Hall
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 an...
Skeet’s Holiday Critter Carnival
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 ...
Growing Organic Microgreens Indoors
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...
The Albatross and the Mouse
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 r...
Preventing Monarch Butterfly Roadkill
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, Assistan...
“Tidy thoughts are for losers”
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...
Allan Armitage and Solution Gardening
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 abo...
Stump the Scott This Morning!
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...
Excellent Gardens, Excellent Garden Advice
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 Excel...
Sustainable Landscapes Make an IMPACT
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 Willi...
Guy McPherson and Near Term Human Extinction
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 pric...
“An Amazing Year” for Eastern Monarchs?
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 a...
Setting Lake Calumet Free
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. Am...
Tree Care Season Starts Now
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....
Green Tomatoes and Plant Trucks
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 ...
Fall is Midwest Lawn Care Season
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 ...
Jumping Worms Derangement Syndrome
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. ...
Summer Vegetables Report 2019
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...
Thismia, Thismia, Wherefore Art Thou, Thismia?
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 f...
Skeet’s Traveling Critter Carnival
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 Pr...
Roy and Piet: The Perennial Whisperers
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, ...
Get Outside Already! Yeah, You!
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...
Net Zero Energy Design…and Beyond!
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 M...
Protecting Piping Plovers in Chicago
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 eve...
Science, Art and Climate Change
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 ...
Custer Fair in a Year of Rain
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 Kay...
Forest Preserves In the Age of Climate Crisis
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 Cl...
TOMATOMANIA with KC and NC
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, Direct...
Garden Chemicals 101 on the Radio
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 C...
A Million Healthy Gardens
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 We...
Solutions for a Cold, Wet Spring
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. ...
How To Save Your Favorite River
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. Lor...
Wild Ginger Slushies in April
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 r...
Live From City Grange!
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 a...
Trees As Climate Superheroes
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 Arboret...
Eating Your Neighborhood
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...
Mead n’ Feed on the South Side
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 ...
Sunday at the Flower Show
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 c...
How to Become a Backyard Farmer
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.
Farm to Table to Good Food EXPO Chef of the Year
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 ...
Opening a Can of Vermicompost
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.
Dispatches from the Climate Crisis Bureau
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...
Straw Bale Solutions, Carbon Solutions
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 w...
Saving Trees; Eating Animals
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 fr...
Plants, Animals and Their Communities
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...
It’s the Seed-i-est Time of the Year!
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 Collabo...
Safe Water in the Era of Climate Change
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 Symposi...
The REAL National Emergency: Food Justice and Food Insecurity
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...
Five Easy (Garden Design) Pieces
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...
Wild Things Is Back!
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 rec...
A Gardening Xmas Carol 2018
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...
It’s A Wonderful Slice 2018!
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 I...
A Species Friendly Holiday Season
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 r...
Making a Difference for the Homeless
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 ...
The Tyranny of CAFOs
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 t...
Illinois Hemp, Lincoln Yards Controversy
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 o...
(William) Moss, Leaves and Carriage Horses
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.
Return of the Gardening Queen
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 environme...
A Taste of Honey Varietals
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...
Learning to Love Bats
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 Colleg...
We Are the Champions
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.
Mark and Marcus: Music and Sustainability
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....
Midewin: Where the Buffalo Roam
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...
Helianthus!
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...
https://mikenowak.net/2018/09/22/helianthus/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=helianthus
Chicken Enthusiasts and Monarch Supporters
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 Ta...
The Power of Dirt; Hydrangea Help
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 ...
Why Recycle?
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 ...
https://mikenowak.net/2018/09/02/why-recycle/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-recycle
Seaweed Chronicles and Trout Tales
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...
Roundup Loses in Court; Talking Trees with Skeet
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...
An Infestation of Horticulturists
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 i...
Pollinator-palooza 2018
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 i...
Bonsai, Tomato and Native Plant Rock Stars
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 G...
SNAP SNAFU
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 addres...
The Budburst Challenge: Natives v. Nativars
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 scient...
What If Communities Actually Worked Together to be Sustainable?
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, p...
A Little Science in the Garden Goes a Long Way
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...
Return of the Queen of All Horticultural Media
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...
Live from Custer Fair in Evanston
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.
The Garden Boss Is in the Hoss…er, House
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 ...
Life After Sunrise with Steve and Johnnie (Full Show)
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 F...
Life After Sunrise with Steve and Johnnie
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....
Garden Questions, Answers and Stories
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 tr...
The Challenge of Biochar and Biosolids
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 Bi...
The Genius and Gentility of Richard Tilley
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 st...
May 13, 2018 – Year of the Bird
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 Int...
May 6, 2018 – Chicago Grows Green Lawns and Rivers
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...
April 29, 2018 – Coal Ash Ahead!
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 ex...
Make Earth Day Count
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, a...
April 15, 2018 – Science is for Citizens, Too
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 o...
April 8, 2018 – Anticipation…
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...
Seeds As Art, Seeds As Medium
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 ...
March 25, 2018 – Microcosm Rides Again!
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 ...
March 18, 2018 – Live from the 2018 Chicago Flower & Garden Show!
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 Gar...
March 11, 2018 – Healthy Water, Soils, Lands and Laws
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. Mont...
An Interview with Illinois 16th Congressional District Candidate Beth Vercolio-Osmund
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.
An Interview with MWRD Candidate Cam Davis
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...
March 4, 2018 – On the Road Again
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 Be...
February 25, 2018 – Celebrating Our One Earth
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 a...
February 18, 2018 – Being Christy
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 w...
February 11, 2018 – Healing Agriculture, Healing Earth
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 thei...
February 4, 2018 – Saving the Monarch, Round 2: Pessimists v. Optimists
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 ...
January 28, 2018 – Solar Speed Bump, Healthy Parks
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 t...
January 21, 2018 – Soil Secrets, Flowertales
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...
January 14, 2018 – The Threat to Organics
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 thi...
January 7, 2018 – Happy Solar Energy and Food Justice!
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 Isa...
December 31, 2017 – See Ya, Wouldn’t Wanna Be Ya
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 stori...
December 24, 2017 – It’s a Wonderful Slice!
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 an...
December 17, 2017 – The Gutting of America’s Natural Areas
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 T...
December 10, 2017 – Snow Leaves and Ponzetters
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...
December 3, 2017 – Glyphosate: Why the Controversy Won’t Die
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...
November 26, 2017 – The Good, The Bad and The Wha? of Holiday Gifts
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...
November 19, 2017 – The Science Desk: Permafrost Losing Its “Perm”
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 C...
November 12, 2017 – Chicago’s Hot Recycling Mess
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 Ch...
November 5, 2017 – The Future of Fracking and Energy in Illinois
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 I...
November 4, 2017 – Live from the 10th Anniversary Green Living Expo at McHenry County College!
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.
October 29, 2017 – Survivor Queen Quest
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...
October 28, 2017 – Miscellany Morning
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 meteorol...
October 22, 2017 – A Great Lake on the Brink
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 prog...
October 21, 2017 – Keeping Food Slow
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.
October 15, 2017 – When Plants Fight City Hall
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...
October 14, 2017 – Bring Guns, Oaks and Art
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.
October 15, 2017 – When Plants Fight City Hall
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 H...
October 8, 2017 – Start the Garden Revolution
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-B...
October 7, 2017 – Temple of Bloom
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 plan...
October 1, 2017 – Seeds, Giant Pumpkins and Solar Panels
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 expla...
September 30, 2017 – LIVE from the SCARCE Green Fair!
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.
September 24, 2017 – Toxic Environments
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 ...
September 23, 2017 – A Couple of PhDs Talking Tree Extinction
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 a...
September 17, 2017 – Wildcrafting, Tracking Monarchs
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 p...
September 16, 2017 – Remaking Plans to Remake Jackson Park
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.
September 10, 2017 – Reclaiming Plastics and Toxics
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...
September 9, 2017 – The Challenge of Food Waste
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 pantr...
September 3, 2017 – Chicago: City of Big Celery
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 ...
September 2, 2017 – Hurricane Harvey: Predicting and Coping with the New Normal
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 pre...
August 27, 2017 – Live from Heirloom Fest at the Chicago Botanic Garden!
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...
August 26, 2017 – Hall of Fame Horticulturist
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.
August 20, 2017 – Respect for Animals Large and Small
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 ...
August 19, 2017 – The Dark Side of the Sun
Mike and Peggy welcome NASA Senior Scientist Meagan Thompson, who answers questions about the coming total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017.
August 13, 2017 – Cultivating Resilience
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 fro...
August 12, 2017 – Moms Fight to Breathe Free
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–an...
August 6, 2017 – Breeding Success
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 perf...
August 5, 2017 – Plastic Behavior
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.
July 30, 2017 – Snipping and Spraying
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...
July 29, 2017 – Fun with Foliage
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.
July 23, 2017 – Soil Sisters, Ocean’s Daughter
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 ca...
July 22, 2017 – The Chef and the Meteorologist
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.
July 16, 2017 – Floating Gardens, Trash Talking Professors
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 Col...
July 15, 2017 – 49 Years and Counting
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 t...
July 9, 2017 – Of Seeds, Monarchs and Kayaks
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...
July 8, 2017 – The Return of the Natives
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.
July 2, 2017 – Carpin’ About Climate
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 t...
July 1, 2017 – A Tale of Two Counties
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 W...
June 24, 2017 – Acting Koi
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.
Mid-season Form at the Chicago Botanic Garden
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 ...
June 18, 2017 – Better Living Through Hops and Rails
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...
June 17, 2017 – The Obama Library: Baby Steps for Transparency
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 fa...
June 11, 2017 – Climate Backup
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 fr...
June 10, 2017 – Keepin’ Energy Clean
Mike and Peggy preview 28th annual Energy Fair, sponsored by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association in Custer, Wisconsin, then answer some gardening questions.
June 4, 2017 – Well-Tended Gardens and Markets
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 Marke...
June 3, 2017 – Parks As Democracy
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 ...
May 28, 2017 – Veggies, Baby!
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 ...
May 27, 2017 – Made in the Shade
Mike and Peggy talk about native plants for woodland areas with Monica Buckley of Red Stem Native Landscapes.
May 21, 2017 – Name This!
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 ...
May 20, 2017 – Saving the Monarch
Mike and Peggy welcome citizen scientist and author Kylee Baumlee, who talks about her new book, The Monarch: Saving Our Most-Loved Butterfly.
May 14, 2017 – Bees, Conservation, Green Buildings and More
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 C...
May 13, 2017 – Urban Nature
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.
May 7, 2017 – The Future of Natural Areas
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, wei...
May 6, 2017 – Counting Birds
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...
April 30, 2017 – A Sunday Kind of Show
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.
April 29, 2017 – Up on the Roof
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 ...
April 22, 2017 – Earth Day!
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.
April 15, 2017 – Wha’d Life Be Without Homegrown Tomatoes?
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,...
April 8, 2017 – Siting compost, sighting endangered species
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 Il...
March 25, 2017 – LIVE from the Chicago Flower & Garden Show
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...
March 18, 2017–Live from the Good Food Festival and Conference
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 t...
March 11, 2017 – Countdown to Good Food
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 to...
March 4, 2017 – Good Food, Good Gardening
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 ...
February 25, 2017 – Keeping Seeds and Making Films
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 Festiv...