Read the latest blog story from the Forest Preserve District, and connect to nature in DuPage.
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
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 5, 2019
Forestry Worker Makes Special Delivery
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Sometimes it takes a village to help raise a great horned owl, as was the case when Forest Preserve District employees and DuPage County residents recently helped reunite three...
April 2, 2019
Contain Your Love of Gardening
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 25, 2019
Keep Kids Learning with Fun Summer Day Camps
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Help your child unplug from video games and connect to nature with our fun outdoor day camps for kids and teens.
March 20, 2019
Points to Ponder Before Raising Monarch Caterpillars
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
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.
March 4, 2019
The "Magic School Bus" Rolls into DuPage Forest Preserves
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Science and social-studies teachers from across DuPage County joined the Forest Preserve District’s “Teacher-Institute Day: Magic School Bus Tour” on March 1, which was hosted by...
February 25, 2019
It Takes Heart to Save a Blanding's Turtle
This past Valentine’s Day started out unexpectedly for some zookeepers at Wheaton Park District’s Cosley Zoo when they found a small Blanding’s turtle unconscious in one of the...
February 13, 2019
Group Thanks District for Program That Connects Youth to Nature
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Students and educators from the School Association for Special Education in DuPage County thanked the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County for providing them with many fun...
February 8, 2019
A Special Role for a Special Blanding's Turtle
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Meet Shirlee, a rare yellow-colored or “xanthic” Blanding’s turtle now on public display to help spread the word about the plight of the state-endangered Blanding’s turtle. She’s...
February 7, 2019
Greene Farm Barn Provides Clues to Future Forestry
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Scientists are hoping old-growth timber from the Greene Farm Barn and Graue Mill will help them determine how to help future trees withstand adversity in the form of fires, pest...
February 1, 2019
Law Enforcement Completes Rapid-Deployment Training
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Forest Preserve District ranger police officers Laura Michael and Mark Pinnella led rapid-deployment training for the Law Enforcement department — including its sworn officers,...
January 23, 2019
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
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
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
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
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 29, 2018
Tracking the Origins of Invasive Zebra Mussels
Visiting a beautiful lake or pond surrounded by mixed woodlands or sprawling prairie is one of the most serene and relaxing things I can think of doing on any given day. Nothing...
