DuPage Forest Blog (2)

Nature's Valentines

on 2/5/21 5:55 PM By | Krystle Piwowar | 0 Comments | Insider Wildlife Nature Willowbrook

Valentine’s Day is a day we celebrate relationships but even more than that, it is a day to celebrate love.

Why Groundhogs Hit Snooze on Their Holiday

on 1/29/21 10:49 AM By | Nate Hambel | 0 Comments | Insider Wildlife Nature Willowbrook

How lucky it is that groundhogs, also known as woodchucks or whistle pigs, have a famous holiday named after them.

Bird of the Year: the Pileated Woodpecker

on 1/28/21 12:07 PM By | Keriann Dubina | 0 Comments | Natural resources Wildlife Conservation Nature

They are master excavators, noisy borers and the basis for a cartoon character. And now the pileated woodpecker has been chosen as the 2021 bird of the year by the American Birding Association.

Seven Nutty Squirrel Facts

on 1/20/21 2:34 PM By | Abby Dean | 0 Comments | Natural resources Wildlife Conservation Nature

Go nuts over squirrels on National Squirrel Appreciation Day! Held annually on Jan. 21 — in the middle of winter when food sources may be scarce — this unofficial holiday was started in 2001 by a wildlife rehabilitator named Christy Hargrove to recognize the role that squirrels play in the environment.

Mayslake Art Exhibit "Double Vision: Cooperative Art"

on 1/19/21 3:02 PM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Recreation Plants Take 5 Wildlife Nature Club Group native plant

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what about art? It too is subject to interpretation, as two artistic groups from Mayslake Peabody Estate prove in their collaborative virtual art exhibit titled “Double Vision: Cooperative Art.”

Engineer Devises System to Stop Zebra Mussel Spread

on 1/6/21 9:57 AM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Natural resources Nature Nonnative Invasive

A longtime battle to keep invasive zebra mussels in the West Branch Forest Preserve’s Deep Quarry Lake in Bartlett from spreading to the adjacent West Branch DuPage River took an innovative twist thanks to a method devised by a Forest Preserve District civil engineer.

Start a New Chapter with Mayslake Book Club

on 12/15/20 11:17 AM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Recreation Wildlife Nature Club Group

Explore nature, art and history as it relates to the natural world with Mayslake's “Nature Art & Culture Peabody’s Pages Book Club Three-Part Discussion,” which starts its second year Jan. 8 (mornings) and Jan. 19 (evenings)!

Lessons From 2020

on 12/11/20 3:21 PM By | Andres Ortega | 0 Comments | Natural resources Wildlife Conservation Nature Rehabilitation

The events of 2020 have been a great lesson for many aspects of my life. At the top of the list, I have gained an even greater appreciation for the work I do to help the natural areas of DuPage County.

As the Seasons Change: A Soil Opera

on 12/2/20 8:15 AM By | Stephanie Touzalin | 0 Comments | Insider Plants Wildlife Nature native plant

Soil. Mud. Dirt. Earth. That stuff on the ground that’s always been there and always looks pretty much the same. Not too much happening down there, right? Wrong.

What Do Bees Do in the Winter?

on 11/24/20 10:36 AM By | Charlie Linnell and Duane Marski | 0 Comments | Insider Trails Health and wellness Recreation Take 5 Nature

One of the more frequent questions we beekeepers are asked is “What do bees do in the winter?”

Six Hiking Essentials

on 11/17/20 10:39 AM By | Dave Andrusyk | 0 Comments | Insider Trails Health and wellness Recreation Take 5 Nature

Whether you’re new to hiking or a regular walker on DuPage forest preserve’s 166 miles of trails, there are at least 6 essentials you should bring with you every time you head out on a hike.

Raccoon Gets a Second Chance at Life

on 10/30/20 9:46 AM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Wildlife Nature Willowbrook

This year has been challenging for all of us, even our native wildlife. In early August, a young raccoon was found almost lifeless and covered in oil inside a restaurant grease trap.

Wolf Spider: Friend or Foe?

on 10/27/20 11:52 AM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Take 5 Wildlife Nature

Ranging in size from half an inch to over two inches, these large, hairy spiders may be the fuel of nightmares for some people.

Fall Color Finds

on 10/15/20 2:14 PM By | Dave Andrusyk | 0 Comments | Natural resources Plants Wildlife Conservation Nature native plant

When the sweaters come out and the kids are back at school (in person or otherwise), you know it’s time for another sure sign of the season: fall colors. You also know that you need go no farther than your nearest DuPage forest preserve to enjoy the show!