Your Ecological Solutions

10/27/2026

It’s that time of year again! While you may feel the urge to get out the rake, let me give you all of the reasons why you should LEAVE THE LEAVES!

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

-Protects pollinators like butterflies, moths, and bumblebees that overwinter in leaf litter.

-Feeds wildlife by providing habitat for insects, worms, and other creatures birds depend on.

-Enriches the soil as leaves decompose and return nutrients to the earth.

-Supports healthy soil by feeding beneficial fungi, microbes, and earthworms.

-Insulates plant roots and helps retain soil moisture.

-Reduces waste and pollution by keeping leaves out of landfills and reducing yard cleanup emissions.

And I don't know about you, but crunchy fall leaves make me warm and fuzzy inside.

So, will YOU leave the leaves this year?

Comment below!

09/26/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/19XfRBTLMA/

We're ready for the Big Fall Book Sale and we can't wait to welcome you tomorrow at 10am! Come to the Algonquin Township Road District at 3702 US-14, Crystal Lake and browse through thousands of books.

The Big Fall Book Sale is open Saturday, September 26th from 10am–4pm. Our sale will continue Monday-Saturday until October 10th from 10am-4pm. L. All books are under $10 and all profits go back to the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County. Shopping at our sale directly funds all of our amazing community programs.

09/23/2026

Meet Jimmy, our guardian of plants.

No one is getting past this guy!

09/23/2026

Thank you to everyone who came to Native Plant Bingo at Cary Ale House & Brewing Company! It was a blast.

We hope that you had an amazing time, won some prizes and learned a little something too!

Thank you to Nick, our co-host from Natural Communities Native Plants.

Look for more bingo and trivia dates in 2027!

09/20/2026

All set up at Kishwaukee Brewing in Woodstock for the HomeTown Hug Community Bash!

1-5!

Stop by and say hi, grab a b**r and check out all of the other vendors.

We are with the vendors outside. Don't let a little rain stop you from having fun while discovering and supporting your local businesses!

09/18/2026

We met some wonderful people today The Land Conservancy of McHenry County Fall Native Plant Sale! It's open until 4 today and 10-4 tomorrow.

Located at the McHenry County fairgrounds.

We will have our table set up from 10-2 tomorrow as well.

Come see us and check it out!

09/16/2026

Check out these upcoming dates where Your Ecological Solutions will be out and about in the community!

9/18/26-9/19/26: This year, we are a proud sponsor of The Land Conservancy of McHenry County Fall Native Plant Sale from and we will have a table both days from 10-2. Come buy some native plants and stop by for a chat!

9/20/26: Hometown Hug Community Bash at Kishwaukee Brewery in Woodstock. We'll be there alongside many other vendors. Grab a b**r and meet some of the business owners within your community. Shop local!

9/22/26: We are hosting our very first Native Plant Bingo night along with Natural Communities Native Plants at Cary Ale House & Brewing Company. We are so excited to say it has sold out, with a wait list! But no worries, there will be plenty more in 2027, along with Native Plant Bingo!

We are so excited to see familiar faces, meet new people and share our love of all things native!

09/15/2026

Did you know many native plants are not only good for the ecology of your land, pollinators and critters, but also good for you?!

This year we have been experimenting with just that!

On the docket today-goldenrod. This plant is good for calming inflammation, easing seasonal allergies and is even known for helping with UTI's, depending on how you choose to utilize it, whether it be a tea, tincture or salve.

We decided to make a topical salve for inflammation.

Goldenrod is one of the last food sources for pollinators before winter, so please don't clip a bunch! Also, please only take from a safe familiar space, free of harmful chemicals for your safety.

We clipped one top off only, which gave more than enough to make the first step of the salve, as well as to have some extra to try out some other recipes in the future. It hung to dry for a couple weeks and today it was ready to go on to phase two.

We pulled the leaves and discarded the stems below the yellow flowers. Then we chopped up the rest with scissors and added to a sanitized jar. Packed it about halfway and covered completely with our carrier oil of choice, which was sweet almond.

Now it is stored in a cool, dark place and in six weeks we'll pop it open and begin the next step!

We understand natural, home remedies may not be for everyone and it's definitely not any sort of medical advice. Please do your own research and use discretion if trying this at home!

Stay tuned!