June 18, 2019
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Think of your favorite wildlife — white-tailed deer, woodpeckers, white-footed mice, nuthatches, owls, squirrels. In one way or another they all depend on oak trees for food or...
DuPage Forest Blog
Read the latest blog story from the Forest Preserve District, and connect to nature in DuPage.
Nature (5)
May 29, 2019
Enlisting Crayfish to Help the Hine's Emerald Dragonfly
Whenever we tell stories about nature, they can be very interesting but can get quite complex when you look at how many of the pieces are interconnected. This is what happens...
May 23, 2019
Protect Yourself from Ticks While Outdoors
We need to talk. It’s going to be awkward, it’s a subject we’d all like to avoid, but it’s best for everyone if we just put it out there: ticks are all around you.
May 8, 2019
Special Needs Individuals Enjoy Outdoor Adventure at St. James Farm
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
More than 600 special needs individuals ages 3 to 30 connected to nature through a variety of fun activities at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County’s Special Needs...
May 8, 2019
District Honors Men Who Saved Drowning Man at Silver Lake
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Ramon Garchitorena is able to fish another day thanks to the heroic efforts of three other anglers on Silver Lake at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville.
May 7, 2019
Willowbrook Baby Season: Eastern Cottontails
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Spring is in full swing here at Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn! Animals become much more active this time of year, so we tend to see a lot more animals brought to our...
April 30, 2019
Handling Spring Encounters with Nesting Geese
It’s that time of year when encounters escalate between people and aggressive Canada geese trying to protect their nests and families. But there are some simple ways for both to...
April 24, 2019
Spring Woodland Wildflower Guide
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Of all the seasonal blooms, spring wildflowers seem to capture our hearts and attention the most, likely because they’re the first we see after months of drab landscapes. Most...
April 2, 2019
Contain Your Love of Gardening
I know many folks who are interested in growing native plants but feel they can’t because they don’t have a yard or room in their yard to grow them.
March 20, 2019
Points to Ponder Before Raising Monarch Caterpillars
Full disclosure: I’ve always liked insects. As a child I found them intensely interesting and spent hours just watching them walk, feed and fly. As an adult I came to realize...
March 8, 2019
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Just a few native woodland wildflowers emerge in March: Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) and sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba) are among them.
January 23, 2019
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
For local gardeners, winter’s a time to take stock of what did well during the previous year and to look forward to the coming crop of plant catalogs in the mail. But in DuPage...
January 15, 2019
How to Keep Pets Safe from Coyotes
It’s always heartbreaking to hear about encounters between pet dogs and coyotes. We want to remind folks of some simple ways to keep their pets safe from the native wildlife that...
December 17, 2018
After the last leaves fall and the cold winds start to blow, winter settles across DuPage County. Ground squirrels and woodchucks hunker down in underground burrows.
December 12, 2018
Feathered Friends Feel the Freeze: How to Help Birds Survive Winter
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Although the ground is cold (and possibly covered in snow), winter doesn’t mean hibernation and hiding for all wild animals, especially for some of the more common creatures...
November 13, 2018
Let's Talk Turkey: Fun Tidbits About This Popular Bird
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
For a lot of people, it’s turkey time. There are hand turkeys, turkey trots, turkey bowls and even tofu turkey with all the trimmings. If you hike through the woods at Herrick Lake
November 6, 2018
The Plight of the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee
I think it’s just human nature to run in the opposite direction when we see a big black-and-yellow insect flying our way. But when it comes to the rusty patched bumble bee, our...
October 30, 2018
Part 2: The Kitchen Wood-Burning Stove
The first project we tackled was replacing the production kitchen wood-burning stove in our remodeling project at Kline Creek Farm’s 1880s farmhouse museum.
October 24, 2018
Saving the Eastern Prairie Fringed Orchid
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Patience is a virtue, especially if you’re trying to save the federally threatened eastern prairie fringed orchid.
October 16, 2018
Busy Beavers Prepare for Winter
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Late fall means slowing down for many species (including people), but beavers are busy repairing their lodges and dams and poking branches and saplings into mud where the woody...