Category Archives: Uncategorized

By Sandra Bjerga, RORG Student Team A big part of why our garden looks as beautiful as it does can be attributed to Dr. Karen Folk, who has been involved with the Red Oak Rain Garden for just over 4 years now. I had the pleasure of interviewing Karen about her experience with, and lifeContinue reading “An Interview with Karen Folk, RORG’s Lead Master Naturalist”

By Layne Knoche, RORG Landscape Designer A lot of exciting things are happening at the garden as we move into the summer months! By the time that some of you read this, our new boardwalk bridge will be built – and the RORG team couldn’t be happier. Construction started today (June 3) and is scheduledContinue reading “In the Garden: June”

by C. Eliana Brown, RORG Director As you may know, the Red Oak Rain Garden was awarded an ICECF Community Stewardship grant (in partnership with the CCDC). We are grateful for this award as it, in conjunction with our SSC awards, allows for completion of the garden’s renovation. But this grant does even more than that.Continue reading “Improving Campus Sustainability One Green Space at a Time”

By Layne Knoche, RORG Landscape Designer We think April 2021 will go down as one of the most exciting months the Red Oak Rain Garden has ever experienced. From the amazing display of spring color appearing for the first time, to the return of guided tours after more than a year, we hope you’re enjoyingContinue reading “In the Garden: May”

by Sandra Bjerga, RORG Student Team I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Andrea Faber Taylor about her background with horticulture, how she incorporates RORG service learning into her classes, and her research with nature and children. A little about her:Dr. Faber Taylor is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Department of Crop Sciences whoContinue reading “Horticulture + Health: an Interview with Dr. Andrea Faber Taylor”

By Layne Knoche, RORG Landscape Designer Welcome to April at the Red Oak Rain Garden! This will be a special month for years to come, as the garden’s new additions of Virginia Bluebells, Shooting Star, Wild Hyacinth, and Woodland Phlox will bloom alongside the established populations of Foamflower, Rue Anemone, Wild Ginger, and Celandine Poppy.Continue reading “In the Garden: April”

By Layne Knoche, RORG Landscape Designer It’s finally March! Warmer temperatures and longer days mean spring is just around the corner. The last of the berries in the garden have been eaten by the returning Robins and overwintering pollinators are beginning to emerge from their winter homes in plant stems and under the cover ofContinue reading “In the Garden: March”

By Layne Knoche, RORG Landscape Designer To be brutally honest, I really don’t like February. Sure, the days are finally getting longer and we tend to get some big snows in mid- to late-winter which some people enjoy, but the frigid temperatures and lack of green plants really start to wear this landscape designer downContinue reading “In the Garden: February”

By Guest blogger Peggy Doty, Energy and Environmental Stewardship Educator, Illinois Extension Winter brings a unique opportunity to view wildlife in the Red Oak Rain Garden from a different perspective. Although animals move around the garden all the time, you might not notice them. In winter, from a human perspective, everything seems frozen and inactive,Continue reading “Winter Wildlife: Identifying Animal Tracks”