DuPage Forest Blog

District's Freshwater Mussels Help 3 Waterways

on 1/24/22 2:48 PM By | Joe Limpers | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Natural resources Community partnership Wildlife Conservation

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.

Bosnian Students Visit Urban Stream Research Center

on 10/1/21 8:48 AM By | Glenn Perricone | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Natural resources Conservation restoration

A group of 17 Bosnian high school students recently took part in an aquatic ecology program at the Forest Preserve District’s Urban Stream Research Center at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville. They were visiting the United States for three weeks on a tour that emphasized leadership, American government and culture.

Celebrate OAKtober!

on 9/27/21 8:03 AM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Trails Natural resources Recreation Plants Take 5 Wildlife Nature native plant

OAKtober is Illinois’ monthlong celebration of oak trees and the things that make them great. We love oaks here at the DuPage Forest Preserve District, so we’re thrilled to be a part of it!

Why Art Matters to Saving Monarch Butterflies

on 8/30/21 1:53 PM By | Lonnie Morris | 0 Comments | Insider Natural resources Plants Wildlife Conservation native plant Native Plant Sale

DuPage Monarch Project is a collaboration of four local environmental organizations, each contributing essential resources of science, education, community organizing and public art to the shared mission of protecting monarch butterflies and pollinators. All are important.

Setting the Stage for Restoration

on 4/23/21 7:48 AM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Natural resources Plants Conservation Friends of the Forest Preserve District restoration

This winter, the Forest Preserve District began restoration of Belleau Woods Forest Preserve in Wheaton with donor funds dedicated by the Friends of the Forest Preserve District.

Partnership Mussels Into Chicago River

on 4/9/21 8:35 AM By | Scott Meister | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Natural resources Community partnership Wildlife Conservation

The DuPage Forest Preserve District recently embarked on a new and unique partnership with Urban Rivers, a nonprofit organization based in Chicago with a mission to transform city rivers into urban sanctuaries.

Stressed Out? We've Got Just the Thing

on 3/25/21 10:06 AM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Trails Natural resources Health and wellness Recreation Plants Take 5 Wildlife Nature native plant

Still recovering from 2020? If you’re like most people, the stress of the pandemic, working from home and e-learning has taken its toll.

Bird of the Year: the Pileated Woodpecker

on 1/28/21 12:07 PM By | Keriann Dubina | 0 Comments | Natural resources Wildlife Conservation Nature

They are master excavators, noisy borers and the basis for a cartoon character. And now the pileated woodpecker has been chosen as the 2021 bird of the year by the American Birding Association.

Seven Nutty Squirrel Facts

on 1/20/21 2:34 PM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Natural resources Wildlife Conservation Nature

Go nuts over squirrels on National Squirrel Appreciation Day! Held annually on Jan. 21 — in the middle of winter when food sources may be scarce — this unofficial holiday was started in 2001 by a wildlife rehabilitator named Christy Hargrove to recognize the role that squirrels play in the environment.

Engineer Devises System to Stop Zebra Mussel Spread

on 1/6/21 9:57 AM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Natural resources Nature Nonnative Invasive

A longtime battle to keep invasive zebra mussels in the West Branch Forest Preserve’s Deep Quarry Lake in Bartlett from spreading to the adjacent West Branch DuPage River took an innovative twist thanks to a method devised by a Forest Preserve District civil engineer.

Lessons From 2020

on 12/11/20 3:21 PM By | Andres Ortega | 0 Comments | Natural resources Wildlife Conservation Nature Rehabilitation

The events of 2020 have been a great lesson for many aspects of my life. At the top of the list, I have gained an even greater appreciation for the work I do to help the natural areas of DuPage County.

Fall Color Finds

on 10/15/20 2:14 PM By | Dave Andrusyk | 0 Comments | Natural resources Plants Wildlife Conservation Nature native plant

When the sweaters come out and the kids are back at school, you know it’s time for another sure sign of the season: fall colors. You also know that you need go no farther than your nearest DuPage forest preserve to enjoy the show!

On With the Show

on 10/1/20 10:15 AM By | Scott Kobal | 0 Comments | Natural resources Plants Wildlife Conservation Nature native plant

Now that fall’s officially here, we’re starting to see the first signs of color in our forest preserves. So it’s only natural that people want to know what to expect in the way of fall color displays.

Celebrate the Mighty Oak in OAKtober

on 9/29/20 9:00 AM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Natural resources Plants Wildlife Conservation Nature native plant

It’s fall and that means trees will soon be showing their colors. Who can resist a stroll on a crisp fall afternoon to gaze at nature’s colorful changes?

Blanding's Yearlings Released in DuPage Preserves

on 8/28/20 9:20 AM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Natural resources Community partnership Wildlife Conservation Nature donate

With perpetual smiles on their faces, Blanding’s turtle yearlings raised by DuPage Forest Preserve District partners were recently released in DuPage forest preserves.

Keep Away! Hogweed, Hemlock and Parsnip

on 8/26/20 4:11 PM By | Dave Andrusyk | 0 Comments | Natural resources Plants Wildlife Conservation Nature Nonnative Invasive native plant

Many plants have amazing adaptations that protect them from being eaten or destroyed by other organisms. That’s good for them but can be bad for people who come in contact with them.

High-Flying Chimney Swifts

on 8/13/20 11:59 AM By | Keriann Dubina | 0 Comments | Natural resources Wildlife Conservation Nature

Have you ever seen something fluttering in the air that looks like a cigar with wings? Is it a bat? Is it a bird? It’s likely a chimney swift.

Where the Native Wild Things Are

on 7/22/20 12:56 PM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Natural resources Plants Volunteer Wildlife Conservation Nature native plant Friends of the Forest Preserve District

Somewhere, in a relatively small section of Blackwell Forest Preserve nestled along Mack Road, lies a special place where native plants grow.

A Big Day

on 6/24/20 9:41 AM By | Glenn Perricone | 0 Comments | Insider Locations Natural resources Recreation Wildlife Conservation Nature

Many DuPage County birdwatchers participate in a “Birding Big Day,” where they try to observe as many species of birds as possible in one day within a determined geographical location.

The Power of Pollinators

on 6/17/20 2:28 PM By | Forest Preserve District of DuPage County | 0 Comments | Insider Natural resources Plants Wildlife Conservation Nature native plant

“Nature is to be found in her entirety nowhere more than in her smallest creatures.” ~ Pliny the Elder

Nature's Storytellers

A Blog About Nature in Our DuPage Forest Preserves