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A man and woman stand on a sidewalk in a forest preserve.
Healing With Nature: Crete man battling cancer finds health and hope on paths at Goodenow Grove
11/21/2024Tom Scott of Crete is giving thanks this year for the people in his life who pushed him to start walking at Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve as he was recovering from cancer. The daily hikes have given him better health, hope for the future and a new appreciation of nature.
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A woman rides a bike
Forest Preserve Board approves balanced 2025 budget; property tax rate will decrease 27%
11/15/2024The Forest Preserve's Board of Commissioners approved a balanced 2025 budget on Nov. 14. The spending plan includes a 27% drop in the property tax rate and funding for operations, maintenance, land acquisition and preserve improvement projects.
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Valuables on a center console in a car
Prevent vehicle burglaries by following these tips
11/8/2024Forest Preserve police are reminding visitors to lock their vehicles and to leave valuables at home as they plan their nature outings.
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A woman stands on a bridge.
Healing With Nature: Easing life’s transitions with the calmness of forest bathing
10/21/2024Barbara Collins, a Bolingbrook retiree, turned to nature and her history with plants to find a new purpose in life.
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A rusty-patched bumble bee, with its white and yellow bands flies into a purple colored wild bergamot flower.
Forest Preserve staff discover endangered species not seen in the preserves since 1983
9/23/2024Ecologist Barbara Sherwood said she almost cried when she spied a Bombus affinis, the federally endangered rusty-patched bumblebee, in a Des Plaines River Valley preserve this summer.
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A view of kayak rental lockers next to a lake.
Lake Chaminwood debuts new kayak rental station
8/29/2024A new kayak rental station is available for public use at Lake Chaminwood Preserve in Channahon. Patrons can download the Rent.Fun app to pay for the kayaks, which include paddles and life vests. The cost is $25 for the first two hours and $15 for each additional hour.
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A yellow sign indicating where bikes are prohibited.
Illegal trails are ‘wounds slicing across the ecosystem’
8/23/2024The Forest Preserve District has launched a campaign to get people to stop using or creating unauthorized trails in the preserves. The illegal paths harm the ecosystem and can cause safety issues. Signs have been installed to keep people out of sensitive natural areas.
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Various nature-themed backpacks arranged in a display, each open to reveal its contents.
Nature backpacks lead to exploration at Isle a la Cache
7/25/2024Isle a la Cache Museum has four new colorful backpacks chock full of activities and helpful nature information that will guide outdoor exploration. The Bugs, Birds, By the River and Tree backpacks are free to use during museum hours on a first-come, first-served basis.
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"Two beekeepers, a man and a woman, standing in front of their beehives.
Couple’s honey-producing passion was meant to bee
7/22/2024Honey being sold at Hidden Lakes Trout Farm in Bolingbrook comes from bees that sip a wide variety of nectar to produce many different varieties of the sweet stuff. The Bee All About It honey ranges from buckwheat to wildflowers.
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A man shows off his harmonicas.
Healing With Nature: As time ticks by, ‘Harmonica Jack’ makes beautiful music in nature
6/28/2024In the third installment of the Forest Preserve's Healing With Nature series, Beecher resident John Keslin talks about how he's still having fun playing the harmonica in nature, even though he is facing serious health issues.
Events
Little Explorers: The Sun
Bring your preschoolers to Four Rivers to learn all about the sun.
BYOB Bingo
Enjoy the summer weather while playing bingo outdoors in the beautiful setting of Prairie Bluff Preserve!
The Buzz
The dog days of summer are here, but it doesn't mean what you think
The dog days of summer are here, both literally and metaphorically. Be sure to stay safe outdoors during periods of high heat and humidity.
Mosquitoes driving you indoors? Attract dragonflies to your yard
Dragonflies can eat dozens of mosquitoes a day, so attracting them to your yard might help make your time outside more enjoyable.
Wish upon a shooting star: July a good month for meteor activity
Meteor activity will be heating up in July, with three meteor showers sending shooting stars streaking across the night sky.