Catching Nature

Alicia Donovan Volunteer beekeeper I'm a volunteer beekeeper at Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago. I’ve been part of their beekeeping program for over a year. I got interested in honey bees three years ago after taking a Bees and Veterinary Medicine course taught by Meghan Milbrath at Michigan State University. After the first class I was hooked. Honey bees are fascinating and I wanted to learn as much as I could about them. I continued my honey bee education and attended beekeeping classes at the University of Minnesota’s Bee Lab. I love learning about bees and other pollinators.

Jimmy Tyson learned from his father the importance of being a jack-of-all- trades in his approach to work, but Tyson has expanded that principle to his approach to nature and volunteering.

Heidi Carpenter History buff, nature photographer, tree lover I’ve loved nature from the time I was a small child. I moved from the north suburbs to Chicago to go to Columbia College and lived there for eight years.

Jane Halbur Trail Watch volunteer, nature photographer I’ve been interested in nature since early on, but I didn’t discover the DuPage forest preserves until about 2008 when I started walking around Herrick Lake Forest Preserve on my lunch hours. From there of course I discovered some of the others. Then I saw the sign for volunteers about four years ago and decided since I was already walking/enjoying the forest preserves, I might as well find out about the volunteer program.

Sheila Newenham Volunteer, photographer, artist, blogger I’ve spent my free time outside for as long as I can remember. As a child, playing outside until darkness fell, as a young adult camping with friends and now hiking, exploring and observing wherever I get the opportunity.

Richard Karun has been exploring DuPage forest preserves ever since he moved to DuPage County in 1995.

Glenn Gabanski vividly remembers feeding a mountain chickadee a sunflower seed by hand while visiting his sister in Lake Tahoe.

Adam Caulk Cycling a Love of Nature I’ve lived in DuPage County for the last 16 years. My wife, two sons, and chocolate lab all enjoy going for hikes in the forest on weekends.

Kim White remembers childhood summers alongside her grandmother in the garden, watching monarch butterflies flit about the milkweed, looking for tadpoles and rescuing toads from window wells.

They come from all walks of life, but they bond over their common love of exercise, the great outdoors and nature.