Wander at Will: Get outside as the seasons change

Editor’s note: This story is part of our Wander at Will series, which is designed to inspire you to enjoy the many recreation opportunities in your Will County preserves in whatever ways you are able to. Whether you’re a well-traveled explorer or just starting your outdoor adventures, digital marketing coordinator Meghan McMahon hopes her first-person adventures will help you find new ideas, tips and hidden gems to help you connect with the outdoors all year.

"As the Seasons Change" would be a good name for a soap opera, don't you think? During these spells between seasons, the weather can be dramatic and temperamental, just like the characters and plot twists on televised soap operas. 

For me, the drama is most always at its peak when winter gives way to spring. This year, in particular, has been a wild ride, at least as far as the weather has been concerned. The Chicago area has seen 70-degree highs and single-digit lows. In the same week, we experienced tornado watches and severe thunderstorm warnings and winter weather advisories and blizzard condition warnings. 

The fickle weather makes it hard to plan to spend time outside, at least not too far in advance. But for me, it's also one of my favorite times to be outside — although admittedly you're more likely to find me outside on the days that feel more like spring than winter. 

In the past few weeks, I've spent time walking, hiking and exploring at McKinley Woods — Frederick's Grove, Sugar Creek Preserve, Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve, Rock Run Preserve, Colvin Grove Preserve, O'Hara Woods Preserve and Hickory Creek Preserve, and nothing about the weather during these experiences has been remotely consistent. At Goodenow Grove, it was in the 70s and windy. At Colvin Grove I had to wear a winter hat and coat on at least one occasion. Rain boots and a raincoat were necessary for two of these adventures. 

One thing that has been consistent is that the signs of the season have been evident everywhere I've been. At Goodenow Grove, I saw my first chipmunk of the year. McKinley Woods was full of birds singing their seasonal songs plus pops of green peeking up from the forest floor. At O'Hara Woods, I saw Virginia bluebells just starting to emerge, their deep purple color a hint of what's to come. On my latest outing, Hickory Creek was full of spring activity on an unseasonably warm afternoon. There I saw my first butterflies of the year — mourning cloaks and more — and was also lucky enough to hear two barred owls calling across the woods to one another. 

What I've seen so far has left me wanting more because my favorite spring things haven't happened yet. I'll keep hitting the trails until I see my favorite ephemeral wildflower — bloodroot — in bloom. And I'll be anxiously waiting for those spring days in late April and May when there are so many birds singing in the woods that it is hard to keep track of them all. 

Until then, I'll keep my boots close by, and my winter gear too, because even though it seems like the good weather days are starting to outnumber the not-so-nice days, I don't think we can shut the door on winter weather just yet.