Catching Nature

People Enjoying Nature in DuPage Forest Preserves

Man Hikes, Bikes and Photographs Nature

Ryan Kadolph has trekked countless miles through DuPage forest preserves on his bicycle. But that’s not the only way he enjoys nature and the preserves. He’s also into thru-hiking, landscape photography and creating video blogs of his adventures set to music.
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Man's Love of Nature Started with Scouting

Zach Ewoldt first discovered DuPage forest preserves as a Cub Scout, but he’s been surrounded by them his whole life.
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Woman Finds Refuge in Nature

Anna Testone Retired Teacher Turns Birder I am a retired teacher. I have 2 daughters and 3 amazing grandchildren that I try to inspire to get out in nature. I like to bike, run, walk and look for birds in the forest preserves.
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Hobby Photographer Turns Citizen Naturalist

Meet Dori Wagner Eldridge, a Naperville woman who loves photographing and learning about the world around her. She's also a wife and proud mother to two teenagers — a son in college and a daughter in high school. She's been taking photos since she was a young girl with a Kodak Hawkeye Instamatic camera that took 126 film cartridges.
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Man Turns to Nature for Herpetology

Joey Cavataio Old-School Natural Historian I work as a food scientist, but deep down I’m an old-school natural historian and serious student of herpetology.
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Man Loves Exploring the Preserves

Greg Pronger Nature Explorer I married my childhood sweetheart, Deb, and we settled down in Naperville in 1984 and raised a family of six kids (2 boys, 4 girls). We now have 7 grandchildren as well.
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Nature Through His Lens

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.
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Woodridge Man Has Eagle Eye to the Sky

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.
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Couple Delivers on Connecting to Nature

Their neighbors call them "the post office" because "neither snow nor rain nor heat” keep June Lincoln and her husband of 37 years, Chuck, from exercising in the DuPage forest preserves year-round. When it comes to appreciating and making good use of the natural areas that are quite literally in their backyard, they deliver!
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Making a Home for Bluebirds

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