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DuPage Forest Blog

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

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August 8, 2022

The Sweet Story of Honey Bees

Jennifer Rydzewski

Honeybees are arguably the most well-known pollinator, but did you know that honeybees are not even native to North America? Apis mellifera, the domesticated European honey bee,...

August 1, 2022

Hidden History of the East Farm Barn

Wayne Zaininger

Looking at the east side of St. James Farm today, visitors might not fully appreciate the transformation it has gone through over the years. Let’s turn back the clock to the early...

July 26, 2022

A Moment for Millipedes

Jennifer Rydzewski

The next time you hit the trails at a DuPage forest preserve, keep an eye out for the North American millipede, Narceus americanus, also called the “iron worm” for its armored...

July 6, 2022

Celebrate the Sounds of Summer

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

The warm, lazy days of summer are a great time to enjoy the sounds of nature in the preserves, and research shows that pleasant natural sounds are good for your health. They help...

June 30, 2022

Hidden History of the Baker House

Keith McClow

It’s hard to fathom the connections a little old house on St. Charles Road has to the history of DuPage County, Illinois and the nation.

May 25, 2022

Hidden History of McDowell Grove

Jordan Countryman

Sometimes the history of a DuPage forest preserve is simply forgotten, but other times it is purposely kept secret. In the 1940s, McDowell Grove Forest Preserve in Naperville...

April 20, 2022

Hidden History: Burlington Park as Chicago's Recreation Destination

Dennis Buck

Railroads were crucial to the development of the United States, sparking economic and industrial expansion all around them and carrying people and goods across the country. One of...

April 15, 2022

Dying Easter Eggs in the 1890s

Wayne Hill

Natural dyes were used in a variety of ways in a colorful Victorian life in the 1890s.

April 1, 2022

Perk Up Your Parkway with Native Plants

Keriann Dubina

Planting native plants in your parkway is a great way to help people appreciate native plants by growing them in your parkway for all to enjoy. And it helps pollinators too!

March 25, 2022

Hidden History of Mammoth Spring Icehouse

Dave Andrusyk

If you look closely while walking along the Night Heron Trail at Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve in Oak Brook, you can find a little piece of history.

February 24, 2022

Hidden History of Dunham's Equine Legacy

Jordan Countryman

Most people know that “in 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” But did you know that in 1893 Christopher Columbus took a train to Dunham Forest Preserve in Wayne?

January 24, 2022

District's Freshwater Mussels Help 3 Waterways

Joe Limpers

Ecologists at the DuPage Forest Preserve District’s Urban Stream Research Center successfully propagated and released 495 freshwater mussels in three different watersheds in 2021.

January 12, 2022

Hidden History of the Blackwell Mammoth

Dave Andrusyk

It started like a normal day for Gary Jones, a heavy equipment operator for the DuPage Forest Preserve District.

January 3, 2022

New Program Introduces Kids to Nature

Jenny Kamm, Derek Gronlund, and Jennifer Rydzewski

Think back to your childhood. You may have had someone in your life who introduced you to the outdoors.

December 15, 2021

Join Our New Winter Adventure Series

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

As the lakes freeze and the ground turns white, we’ll be adding a flurry of outdoor fun to our winter program lineup!

November 23, 2021

The Hidden History of Ancient Artifacts

Keith McClow

People have lived in DuPage County for thousands of years, so it’s no surprise that some of the tools and objects they used are still being found in many DuPage forest preserves.

November 19, 2021

Snow Plowing and Trail Grooming in the Preserves

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

DuPage forest preserves are a magical sight to behold after a freshly fallen snow. We know many of you can’t wait to get out there to see the magnificent beauty, but sometimes...

October 26, 2021

Hidden History of Waterfall Glen's Lincoln Park Nursery

Dave Andrusyk

Many people visiting the city of Chicago spend time in Lincoln Park, but few know the connection that DuPage Forest Preserve District’s Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve in Darien...

October 22, 2021

Teen Transforms Container into Scenic Landscape

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Emelia Buckley likes painting the natural world because “it’s the most complex and simple concept on earth.” So she jumped at the chance to paint a nature scene on the biggest...

October 13, 2021

Carrying on the Legacy of the Heritage Shorthorn

Lisa Carpenter

Since acquiring its first Heritage Milking Shorthorn cow, Liberty, in 2018, Kline Creek Farm’s herd of Heritage Milking Shorthorn cattle has been growing. The farm now has four...

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