Read the latest blog story from the Forest Preserve District, and connect to nature in DuPage.
August 12, 2019
Feeding Habits of Daring Dragonflies
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Dragonflies – while the origin of their name is a mystery, it is an appropriate description of these voracious predators. Both the aquatic nymphs and the flying adults are some of...
July 24, 2019
While out birding at Blackwell Forest Preserve the other day, a very curious pair of trail users caught up to me and inquired about all the brown ducks on the water. What species...
July 1, 2019
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
By David KoldoffI’m a fisherman and I’m not lying when I tell you: There’s a 42-inch northern pike lurking in Silver Lake at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville!
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...
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 when...
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 7, 2019
Willowbrook Baby Season: Eastern Cottontails
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Spring is in full swing here at DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center in Glen Ellyn. Animals become much more active this time of year, so we tend to see a lot more animals brought...
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...
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 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...
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...
October 11, 2018
An Ugly Little Stinker: The Stink Bug That Wants Inside
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
It’s that time of year. The leaves are turning. The daylight hours are waning. And yes, dozens — maybe even hundreds — of brown marmorated stink bugs are gathering in numbers at...
October 4, 2018
Remodeling an 1880s Farmhouse Museum
As I listen to an ad on the radio telling me that my home is getting dingy and tired and could really use some sprucing up, I cannot help but think of the challenges of...
September 12, 2018
Geese-Free, Thanks to a Border Collie Named Louie
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
It’s 5 a.m. at The Preserve at Oak Meadows — the Forest Preserve District’s signature golf course — and Louie the border collie is on patrol for nuisance geese. His head is...
September 11, 2018
Small Mammals Busy Preparing for Colder Weather
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
While many small mammals and bats are putting on fat in fall to prepare for a long, cold winter hibernation, many are not. For the most part, our common small mammals — the...
September 6, 2018
Monarch Butterflies Start Long Migration
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
Late summer and early fall is a peak time for monarch activity as they prepare for the long migration south to the forests of central Mexico. It’s also a great time to view them...
