April 2025 – Travel Smart With Jodie

Eta Aquarid Meteors

Watch for the Eta Aquarids meteor shower. Going on now, its best Chicago area watch dates in 2025 are before dawn May 5-6 when you may catch up to 50 meteors per hour. The Eta Aquarids is one of two meteor showers created by debris from Comet Halley (1P/Halley). The next time Earth passes through Halley’s path around the Sun is in October as the Oronid meteor shower.

Where to celebrate Earth Day month

Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area (Riverwoods) - 2020 All You Need to ...

Earth Day 2025 is Thursday, April 22 but many activity sites have events throughout the month that celebrate and help our Earth stay well. Many events are for all ages. BTW Earth Day was first held April 22, 1970.

In Lake County, IL

Visit the Ryerson Woods Welcome Center, 21950 N Riverwoods Rd., Riverwoods for its Spring Celebration 1 p.m..-4 p.m., Sunday, April 17. Part of the Lake County Forest Preserves, Ryerson Woods will hold nature walks, crafts, sheep herding/shearing demonstrations and games. For more information visit ryersonwoods@LCFPD.org or call 847-968-3321.

For a Playdate With Nature, visit the Old School Forest Preserve at Saint Mary’s Road, south of Route 176 north of Route 60 (Townline Road) in Libertyville on April 18 from 4 p.m.-5 p.m. Meet at shelter C where visitors get to hunt for tadpoles, muck in the mud (dress appropriately) and do mud painting.

Take a “Lunchtime Lake Cleanup” break Friday, April 22. from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.. at Independence Grove just east of Milwaukee Avenue, Libertyville to help clean up the shore.

Learn about “Pond Life” from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, April 22, at Grant Woods, Route 59 and Fairfield Road, Lake Villa.After meeting at the Manroville parking lo visitors get to net and identify small water animals.

In Chicago

Visit the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures (formerly the Oriental Institute) at the University of Chicago, 1155 E. 58th St., Saturday, April 19 from 1-3 p.m. for Ancient Earth Day. Tickets are needed. Tickets can be found at Eventbrite. Non-member child under 16 is $10.00 +$2.19 Fee. Adults $10.00 +$2.19 Fee. Adults free with paying child. Discover more about ancient plants, animals, and sustainability through family friendly talks, craft activities, and stories. You can even win a prize in our ostrich egg hunt throughout our galleries! All ages welcome! Drop in any time from 1pm – 3pm. Ticket price covers all craft materials.

Lincoln Park Conservatory is hosting an Earth Day event in conjunction with its EcoStewards Workday on April 26, from 9-11 a.m. Meet at the North Pond Nature Sanctuary. Help with field work and pick invasive weeds.

The Chicago Park District is hosting its 40th annual Earth Day Parks Cleanup on April 26 in partnership with Friends of the Parks. City residents can sign up to volunteer on the park district website to take part. Visit chicago park dist. events-earth-day

In other suburbs

The Morton Arboretum in Lisle hosts programs throughout April to celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day, including a Food Forest Design Workshop, Forest Therapy Walks and an Arbor Day plant sale. Visit Morton Arboretum for more information.

In Cook County Forest Preserves

Participate in a two-hour cleanup at Caldwell Woods, April 22 at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Litter pick-up supplies are available to check out, and drop-ins are welcome.

On April 26 visit the Trailside Museum of Natural History in River Forest to make a bird house, take home a tree and create recycled art from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

For more ideas to celebrate visit Earth Day 2025.

A pink full moon

Well, not really pink. That is what the full moon on April 12, 2025 is called.

As you likely know from reading this full moon series, the titles refer either to Native American’s views of the seasons, the European growing times or the flora and fauna early American settlers noticed as seasons changed.

The April Pink full moon derived its title from Phlox subulata, a North American wildflower often called creeping phlox, moss phlox and moss pink.

The 2025 Pink Full Moon is at its height of illumination at 8:22 p.m. EDT (00:22 Greenwich Mean Time April 13). That time is before it reaches apogee, the point where the Moon is farthest from Earth. Thus the April Pink Moon will look small, like a micro-moon. Of course you can watch for the moon to rise above the horizon.

Another important name for the April full moon is the Paschal Moon because it is the first ecclesiastical (14th day in the lunar cycle) full Moon of Spring after the equinox and determines the date of Easter.

Yes, you can watch for the moon at sunset a day or two before April 12 and a day or two afterwards.

For more information visit The Old Farmer’s Almanac , TimeandDate

and EarthSky