Catching Nature

Michael Reher turned to nature to reclaim his health, but it ended up giving him so much more. 

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.

Daryl Kellenberger loves nature, and he loves sharing the beauty of nature with others through his photography and Instagram page @daryl.k.

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.

Lorinda Sorensen Naturopathic Doctor I’m originally from Washington state, having lived in both a rural area, near the hills and rivers of the Cascade Mountains, and urban Seattle. I moved to the Chicago region for work.

Bruce and Kathy Dudzik Trail watch volunteers Kathy and I are both retired, but we like to remain active. We each volunteer for various organizations both together and individually. Most of these organizations are nature focused.

Ron Olsen spends many hours at The Preserve at Oak Meadows golf course in the summer, but he doesn’t golf.

Connie Schmidt Outdoor enthusiast I have lived in Warrenville in DuPage County since 1982, raising two children with my husband Michael. We board horses and have chickens, dogs and multiple garden areas. I love my wildflower garden in the spring, cultivate perennial veggies as well as the traditional annual varieties in the summer, and enjoy awesome autumn color in my native prairie area in my front yard.

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.