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DuPage Forest Blog

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

Living Green

February 2, 2023

Valentine’s Day and Courtship on an 1890s Farm

Wayne Hill

Valentine's Day had already gained popularity with American school children by the early 1880s, and many of the traditions from the time we still hold true today.

December 20, 2022

Candy as Medicine in the 1890s

Wayne Hill

In the 1890s, medicine was largely unregulated in the United States. While professional organizations for doctors and nurses existed, many Americans, including most rural farmers,...

December 9, 2022

Among the Leaves So Green: Victorian Holiday Traditions

Emaly Allison

Many of the holiday traditions we follow today have come from around the world as emigrants moved to the U.S. or were created here during the 19th century as part of an...

November 17, 2022

1890s Holiday Candy Making

Wayne Hill

Candy confections were a sweet part of historic holiday farm life. In 1895, both the Sears and Roebuck Co. and Montgomery Ward Co. catalogs had candy departments where families...

June 10, 2022

Top 5 Picks for the Perfect Picnic

Glenn Perricone and Jennifer Rydzewski

The warm weather and long days of summer invite people to be outdoors, and what better way to enjoy the outdoors than by having a picnic.

May 20, 2022

6 Easy Tips for Successful Composting

Derek Gronlund

Composting at home is one of the easiest ways you can make a positive impact on the environment and your garden.

March 10, 2021

Soak in the Solar

Dave Andrusyk

As we celebrate International Solar Appreciation Day on Thursday, March 10, let’s look at the many ways we benefit from the sun and how we can harness its energy to help create...

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