Guests: Commissioner Debra Shore of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago on Cook County Watershed Management Ordinance Public Review; Jack Darin, director of Illinois Sierra Club on their 50th Anniversary Celebration; Rick DiMaio talks about harvesting woes for Illinois farmers.

Guests: Faith Campbell , senior policy representative at The Nature Conservancy, on new regulations proposed by the USDA to keep non-native insects and diseases out of the country; Guy Sternberg from Starhill Forest Arboretum on the latest recognition of this downstate treasure; Connie Spreen, co-founder and executive director of Experimental Station, on the final days of the 61st Street Garden in the Lawndale neighborhood and a public meeting scheduled for November 12 on moving forward.

Guests: Chicago Gardener of the Year Ellen Moderhack and family, representing Franklin Fine Arts Center; Mike Mitchell, executive director of the Illinois Recycling Coalition, talking about America Recycles Day; Kay McKeen of SCARCE previews this Thursday's conference for people and organizations that want to learn about the new Illinois food scrap composting law.

Guests: Bruce and Erika Horigan of Horigan Urban Forest Products, Inc., Roy Diblik of Northwind Perennial Farm, and a special appearance in the second hour by arborist Guy Sternberg of Starhill Forest Arboretum. In a completely non-horticultural related appearance, Mike's holiday caroling group, The Frozen Robins take over most of the second hour with their warbling and improvisation.

Guests: Tim Magner of Green Sugar Press on his environmental books for children; Brian Granahan of Environment Illinois talks about various green issues, including the drawbacks of nuclear energy and the future of cap-and-trade in America; Josh Mogerman from Natural Resources Defense Council discusses the threat of Asian carp to the Great Lakes.

Guests: Chicago French Market co-developer Bob Wislow, and Dimitri Fayard, co-proprietor of vendor Vanille Patisserie. Shawn Kingsette and Thom Kraak from The Care of Trees discuss indoor and outdoor holiday trees--how to decorate them and keep them healthy.

The Mike Nowak Show X-Mas X-Travaganza! Guests: Joe Heidgen from Shady Hill Garden; Scott Austin , who has hosted his own radio show in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada for 21 years. And the WCPT premiere of It's a Wonderful Slice of 'It's a Wonderful Life.'

Mike looks at the stories of 2009 that fell through the cracks.

Guests: NeighborSpace Executive Director Ben Helphand talks about One Seed Chicago; Robin Schirmer of Churches' Center for Land and People and Rob Gardener of The Local Beet discuss Winter Farmers Markets in and around Chicago.

Special Broadcast: "Growing In Austin" from the Third Unitarian Church in the Austin Neighborhood of Chicago. A discussion of Urban Agriculture issues with a wide-ranging panel of experts: urban organizers and urban farmers.