Nature's Storytellers

Between the Thanksgiving dinner prep and the holiday shopping spree, get outdoors with your family and friends to experience the physical, emotional and spiritual rewards of spending time in nature. Today an ever-growing body of scientific research finds that nature is good for the body, mind and spirit. Nature makes us healthier, sharper and even happier, too! 

When Willowbrook Wildlife Center site manager Sandy Fejt needs a break from caring for injured native wildlife at the center, she doesn’t have to look far. One of Sandy’s favorite spots at the Glen Ellyn forest preserve is the butterfly garden. She helped with the original design of the garden and loves to teach visitors the benefits of creating a garden out of native plants. Sandy plays a large part in the District’s mission to grow and maintain milkweed plants to provide habitat and food for the struggling monarch butterfly population. 

Ah, summer in DuPage County. Time to get reacquainted with the incredible array of plants and wildlife that call the forest preserves home. Sure, the thought of a few of them might make your skin itch or crawl, but learning what makes them do what they do — and what we can do to avoid them — can alleviate a lot of the uneasiness. So take a deep breath and read on!

Banner image by Sam Greenhalgh/CC BY 2.0 Spring wildflowers are starting to pop up, that chilly winter breeze is dying down, and buds are appearing on our trees. As excitement grows for spring in our preserves, The "Natural World Book Club" at Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center is eager to announce its next three reads.

With the new year fast approaching, most of us are thinking about how we want to refresh our lives in 2018. For some of us, it might be to become more active. Others may want to spend more time on their personal health or wellbeing. For many, the new year brings the opportunity to start new hobbies and learn new things. The “Natural World Book Club” at Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center can help! Banner image by Sam Greenhalgh/CC BY 2.0

Strolling through a forest preserve is great; walking with a best friend through a forest preserve is the best. I have a few best friends, but when I want to walk alone but not all the way alone, I love to bring my six-year-old dog, Jacob.

Fall in DuPage County kicks off with the goldenrod bloom in September, and it’s the first sign that 90-degree days are coming to an end, in a predestined nod to the tipping planet.

Whether broadcast on cable news, shared on Facebook or printed in the Conservationist, the word is spreading. Spending time outside — even five minutes — is good for you. Fortunately, with nearly 26,000 acres and 145 miles of trails, you can get a healthier body, sharper mind and happier you without ever leaving the county.