DuPage Forest Blog

Connect to Nature through Mayslake Collage Classes

on 8/28/19 9:53 AM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Natural resources Recreation Take 5 Nature

A walk in nature and a mixed-media collage class may seem like they have nothing in common, but when the collage class is taught by “The Paper Alchemist,” aka Darien-based artist Laura Lein-Svencner, their similarities become abundantly clear.

Help Wanted: Pollen Patrol

on 8/21/19 9:23 AM By | Andres Ortega | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Natural resources Recreation Wildlife Conservation Nature

Summer is a busy time in DuPage County, but many of the area’s busiest residents are so small they almost go unnoticed, even though they’re performing one of the most important jobs on the planet.

Feeding Habits of Daring Dragonflies

on 8/12/19 2:24 PM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Natural resources Recreation Wildlife Conservation Nature

Dragonflies – while the origin of their name is a mystery, it is an appropriate description of these voracious predators. Both the aquatic nymphs and the flying adults are some of the largest and most aggressive insect hunters in the world.

Restoring More of the Great Prairie

on 8/5/19 10:57 AM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Natural resources Plants Conservation Nature native plant

The 358-acre West Chicago Prairie Forest Preserve in West Chicago is one of northeastern Illinois’ premier natural areas, containing more than 600 species of native plants and animals.

Start Your Day with Yoga on the Lawn

on 8/2/19 12:27 PM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Health and wellness Recreation Take 5 Nature

Yoga. It’s the oldest new thing around these days and for good reason.

Unexpected Garden Delights

on 7/30/19 1:39 PM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Plants Volunteer Group Danada Equestrian Center native plant

You expect to encounter native plants and wildlife when you visit DuPage forest preserves, but you don’t expect to find amazing gardens abloom in gorgeous flowers.

Birds of a Feather

on 7/24/19 8:42 AM By | Glenn Perricone | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Natural resources Wildlife Conservation Nature

While out birding at Blackwell Forest Preserve the other day, a very curious pair of trail users caught up to me and inquired about all the brown ducks on the water. What species were they? Where were all the mallards?

Help Wanted Spotting Rare Bumble Bee

on 7/19/19 8:20 AM By | Andres Ortega | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Natural resources Wildlife Conservation Nature

In ecology, timing is everything. While some organisms can be easily found through much of the growing season, others can only be seen for a short time and have peak viewing times of the year.

A Perfect Day in the Life of an Aquatic Biologist

on 7/17/19 11:02 AM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Natural resources Wildlife Conservation Nature

In early June three staff from the Forest Preserve District’s Urban Stream Research Center in Warrenville made an exciting discovery while preparing for a stream restoration project at Blackwell Forest Preserve.

A New Way to Help Patrol Preserves

on 7/9/19 1:19 PM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Trails

DuPage Forest Preserve Police have a new partner to help them patrol the preserves – an all-terrain vehicle.

A Fish Tale to Remember

on 7/1/19 12:33 PM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Wildlife Conservation Nature

By David Koldoff I’m a fisherman and I’m not lying when I tell you: There’s a 42-inch northern pike lurking in Silver Lake at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville!

Taking Time to Remember our Wildlife

on 6/24/19 3:13 PM By | Krystle Piwowar | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Wildlife Nature

When you join the Willowbrook Wildlife Center family of staff and volunteers, you sign on to the commitment and service that goes with providing animal care to injured and orphaned native wildlife.

If Trees Could Talk

on 6/18/19 12:54 PM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Wildlife Nature

Think of your favorite wildlife — white-tailed deer, woodpeckers, white-footed mice, nuthatches, owls, squirrels. In one way or another they all depend on oak trees for food or shelter. That’s why oaks have been an important part of a decade-long look at the trees that live in DuPage County’s forest preserves.

Kids Catch Fun and Fish at Just for Kids Fishing Derby

on 6/13/19 1:32 PM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Locations Recreation Volunteer Take 5 Nature

Approximately 309 young anglers participated in the 33rd annual Just for Kids Fishing Derby at Blackwell Forest Preserve’s Silver Lake on June 9.

Citizen Scientists Wanted to Help Track Water Levels at Four Preserve Lakes

on 6/12/19 11:29 AM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Natural resources Community partnership Volunteer Conservation Nature

We need your help! Our ecology staff is looking for citizen scientists to help track water levels at several DuPage forest preserve lakes as part of the international Lake Observations by Citizen Scientists & Satellites.

Willowbrook Baby Season: Raccoons

on 6/4/19 12:57 PM By | Krystle Piwowar | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Wildlife Nature Rehabilitation

Raccoons have adapted well to living around us. They can have litters in the spring and fall, so it’s common to run across baby raccoons this time of year.

Enlisting Crayfish to Help the Hine's Emerald Dragonfly

on 5/29/19 1:17 PM By | Tom Velat | 0 Comments | Insider Natural resources Wildlife Conservation Nature

Whenever we tell stories about nature, they can be very interesting but can get quite complex when you look at how many of the pieces are interconnected. This is what happens when we tell the story of the federally endangered Hine’s Emerald dragonfly, its habitat, and ways we’ve tried to create more habitat for them in DuPage forest preserves. As you’ll see, the story is at times interesting, complex, tragic, and exciting.

Protect Yourself from Ticks While Outdoors

on 5/23/19 9:25 AM By | Andres Ortega | 0 Comments | Insider Trails Health and wellness Wildlife Nature

We need to talk. It’s going to be awkward, it’s a subject we’d all like to avoid, but it’s best for everyone if we just put it out there: ticks are all around you.

Part 6: Replacing Finial Newel Posts

on 5/15/19 1:03 PM By | Keith McClow | 0 Comments | Insider Locations

The farmhouse at Kline Creek Farm is 130 years old and has been repaired many times. The Kline family updated it over the years as styles changed, and when it passed down to their children they all put their own decorative touches on the house.

Special Needs Individuals Enjoy Outdoor Adventure at St. James Farm

on 5/8/19 3:06 PM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Community partnership Recreation Take 5 Wildlife Nature Group Golf

More than 600 special needs individuals ages 3 to 30 connected to nature through a variety of fun activities at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s Special Needs Outdoor Education Day on May 3 at St. James Farm Forest Preserve in Warrenville.

Nature's Storytellers

A Blog About Nature in Our DuPage Forest Preserves