Kiel Smith is a firm believer that there is much to learn from nature. The science teacher at Metea Valley High School in Aurora is also a steward of the Forest Preserve District’s Big Woods Forest Preserve in Aurora, just down the street from the school.
Growing up in Minnesota, Marie Biemesderfer has always been drawn to water and nature. She remembers discovering how things came to life after in the spring after a long winter while working on a high school field biology project.
Judith Horsley believes in teaching by example. She and her husband, Michael, planted native gardens at their West Chicago home and their church, both of which are now certified monarch waystations.
I’m a lifelong DuPage resident, wife and mother. In the past, I was editor of a photography magazine, a creative director, freelance marketing communications writer, and blogger.
Sean Seamon All-Season Nature Lover I am originally from Minnesota, but work for The Department of Energy at Argonne National Laboratory brought me to the area.
Lynette Kleisner Nature comes naturally I've always been interested in nature and wildlife. I've been the videographer at Brookfield Zoo for 13 years, and my husband and I have one dog and four chickens. My husband and I both make costumes, so in our free time, we're usually sewing or building props.
If you follow the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County on social media or spend much time on dupageforest.org, you’ve probably seen nature through his lens. Local hobby photographer Kevin Rodde first caught our attention a few years ago when he submitted some of his work to our Take 5 Photo Contest, and his images have been captivating us and our forest preserve fans ever since.
Jeff Smith braves howling winds and brutal cold to scour the skies for migrating hawks from atop the Greene Valley scenic overlook, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
