Nature's Storytellers

A Blog About Nature in Our DuPage Forest Preserves

The Sweet Story of Honey Bees

on 8/8/22 9:55 AM By | Jennifer Rydzewski | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Take 5 Wildlife Nature
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, originated in Europe but is now common around the world — and for good reason. These hardworking bees are the only insect to create a product used by humans — honey. How sweet is that?
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Hidden History of the East Farm Barn

on 8/1/22 9:05 AM By | Wayne Zaininger | 0 Comments | Insider Locations horse History
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 1900s, when this locale was a private family farm, to get a better view of its past.
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A Moment for Millipedes

on 7/26/22 1:15 PM By | Jennifer Rydzewski | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Take 5 Wildlife Nature
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 appearance.
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Celebrate the Sounds of Summer

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 lower blood pressure, improve cognitive performance and even reduce pain.
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Hidden History of the Baker House

on 6/30/22 3:41 PM By | Keith McClow | 0 Comments | Insider Locations History
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.
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Hidden History of McDowell Grove

on 5/25/22 7:32 AM By | Jordan Countryman | 0 Comments | Insider Locations History
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 played more than one clandestine role, sparking rumors that evolved into legends.
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Hidden History: Burlington Park as Chicago's Recreation Destination

on 4/20/22 7:39 AM By | Dennis Buck | 0 Comments | Insider Locations History
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 the area’s most famous railroads also played an important part in the development of DuPage County’s park system.
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Dying Easter Eggs in the 1890s

on 4/15/22 12:43 PM By | Wayne Hill | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Plants Nature native plant History
Natural dyes were used in a variety of ways in a colorful Victorian life in the 1890s.
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Perk Up Your Parkway with Native Plants

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!
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Hidden History of Mammoth Spring Icehouse

on 3/25/22 4:52 PM By | Dave Andrusyk | 0 Comments | Insider Locations History
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.
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Hidden History of Dunham's Equine Legacy

on 2/24/22 9:49 AM By | Jordan Countryman | 0 Comments | Insider Locations History
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?
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District's Freshwater Mussels Help 3 Waterways

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.
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Hidden History of the Blackwell Mammoth

on 1/12/22 12:34 PM By | Dave Andrusyk | 0 Comments | Insider Locations History
It started like a normal day for Gary Jones, a heavy equipment operator for the DuPage Forest Preserve District.
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New Program Introduces Kids to Nature

Think back to your childhood. You may have had someone in your life who introduced you to the outdoors.
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Join Our New Winter Adventure Series

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

on 11/23/21 2:35 PM By | Keith McClow | 0 Comments | Insider Locations History
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.
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Snow Plowing and Trail Grooming in the Preserves

on 11/19/21 12:00 PM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Trails
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 it’s hard to know what parking lots will be plowed first and what trails will be groomed first for cross-country skiing.
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Hidden History of Waterfall Glen's Lincoln Park Nursery

on 10/26/21 10:20 AM By | Dave Andrusyk | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Plants Conservation History
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 has with one of the largest parks in the city.
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Teen Transforms Container into Scenic Landscape

on 10/22/21 1:38 PM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Locations
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 “canvas” she had ever worked on.
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Carrying on the Legacy of the Heritage Shorthorn

on 10/13/21 1:52 PM By | Lisa Carpenter | 0 Comments | Insider Locations
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 animals in the herd, including Liberty’s daughter and granddaughter, who was born this past spring.
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