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DuPage Forest Blog

Read the latest blog story from the Forest Preserve District, and connect to nature in DuPage.

May 8, 2019

District Honors Men Who Saved Drowning Man at Silver Lake

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Ramon Garchitorena is able to fish another day thanks to the heroic efforts of three other anglers on Silver Lake at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville.

May 7, 2019

Willowbrook Baby Season: Eastern Cottontails

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Spring is in full swing here at Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn! Animals become much more active this time of year, so we tend to see a lot more animals brought to our...

April 30, 2019

Handling Spring Encounters with Nesting Geese

Stephanie Touzalin

It’s that time of year when encounters escalate between people and aggressive Canada geese trying to protect their nests and families. But there are some simple ways for both to...

April 24, 2019

Spring Woodland Wildflower Guide

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Of all the seasonal blooms, spring wildflowers seem to capture our hearts and attention the most, likely because they’re the first we see after months of drab landscapes. Most...

April 17, 2019

Part 5: The Housekeeping Plan

Keith McClow

Keeping up with housecleaning is always a challenge. Finding time to clean, having the right tools and getting everyone else out of the house are all helpful. It is no different...

April 2, 2019

Contain Your Love of Gardening

Dave Andrusyk

I know many folks who are interested in growing native plants but feel they can’t because they don’t have a yard or room in their yard to grow them. 

March 20, 2019

Points to Ponder Before Raising Monarch Caterpillars

Andres Ortega

Full disclosure: I’ve always liked insects. As a child I found them intensely interesting and spent hours just watching them walk, feed and fly. As an adult I came to realize...

March 8, 2019

Early Spring Plant Arrivals

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Just a few native woodland wildflowers emerge in March: Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) and sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba) are among them.

January 23, 2019

Sowing Seeds in the Snow

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

For local gardeners, winter’s a time to take stock of what did well during the previous year and to look forward to the coming crop of plant catalogs in the mail. But in DuPage...

January 15, 2019

How to Keep Pets Safe from Coyotes

Dan Thompson

It’s always heartbreaking to hear about encounters between pet dogs and coyotes. We want to remind folks of some simple ways to keep their pets safe from the native wildlife that...

January 3, 2019

Part 4: The Dining Room Oilcloth

Keith McClow

The oilcloth on the dining room floor at Kline Creek Farm's farmhouse museum could be easily overlooked. In fact, we planned it that way. It is meant to fit in as just one more...

December 17, 2018

Life Under Ice

Jennifer Rydzewski

After the last leaves fall and the cold winds start to blow, winter settles across DuPage County. Ground squirrels and woodchucks hunker down in underground burrows.

December 12, 2018

Feathered Friends Feel the Freeze: How to Help Birds Survive Winter

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Although the ground is cold (and possibly covered in snow), winter doesn’t mean hibernation and hiding for all wild animals, especially for some of the more common creatures...

December 5, 2018

Part 3: The Parlor Pump Organ

Keith McClow

Once we had the wood-burning stove in the works, our next project was to restore our pump organ at the 1880s farmhouse museum at Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago. I knew it had...

November 13, 2018

Let's Talk Turkey: Fun Tidbits About This Popular Bird

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

For a lot of people, it’s turkey time. There are hand turkeys, turkey trots, turkey bowls and even tofu turkey with all the trimmings. If you hike through the woods at Herrick Lake

November 6, 2018

The Plight of the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee

Andres Ortega

I think it’s just human nature to run in the opposite direction when we see a big black-and-yellow insect flying our way. But when it comes to the rusty patched bumble bee, our...

October 30, 2018

Part 2: The Kitchen Wood-Burning Stove

Keith McClow

The first project we tackled was replacing the production kitchen wood-burning stove in our remodeling project at Kline Creek Farm’s 1880s farmhouse museum. 

October 25, 2018

Fall Faves From the Field

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Cooler temperatures, fewer bugs and amazing colors make this time of year perfect for outdoor outings. An informal survey of Forest Preserve District of DuPage County employees —...

October 24, 2018

Saving the Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Patience is a virtue, especially if you’re trying to save the federally threatened eastern prairie fringed orchid.

October 16, 2018

Busy Beavers Prepare for Winter

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Late fall means slowing down for many species (including people), but beavers are busy repairing their lodges and dams and poking branches and saplings into mud where the woody...

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