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A white and brown dog walks on a path
Leash your dog in the preserves or risk being ticketed
3/8/2024Read moreOff-leash dogs are not allowed in the forest preserves other than inside the dog parks. If your dog is loose, you could be ticketed. Off-leash dogs scare other preserve visitors and their pets and the loose dogs could be harmed themselves or do damage to the environment.
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There are plenty of reasons to join our Take It Outside challenge. What's yours?
3/4/2024Read moreThe first seasonal challenge of this year's Take It Outside campaign has seen many new participants as well as returning participants from last year as the community of nature lovers continues to build up steam.
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A woman in a blue jacket stands in a forest preserve with water in the background.
Healing With Nature: Outdoor walks help Naperville woman lose 100 pounds
2/10/2024Read moreJulie Jacobsen, a 54-year-old Naperville resident, says being outside was an essential part of her weight loss journey. In the process, she says she became healthier, happier and more fulfilled than she ever has as an adult.
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Visitors at Four Rivers participate in an interpretive program.
‘This place is so cool!’: Four Rivers embraces visitors of all abilities
2/2/2024Read moreA recent visit by a group from Little Friends in Warrenville highlighted just how welcoming the Forest Preserve's Four Rivers Environmental Education Center is to all people, regardless of abilities. The site is now nationally accredited for inclusivity, which means all are welcome and all can participate.
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Two men hold an award.
Sand Ridge Savanna restoration effort earns Chicago Wilderness award
1/19/2024Read moreExtensive, multiyear restoration efforts at the Forest Preserve District's Sand Ridge Savanna Nature Preserve have earned an "Excellence in Ecological Restoration" award from Chicago Wilderness. The District received the award on Jan. 17 at a “Celebration of Conservation” banquet at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle.
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Winter, spring, summer and fall are shown in this collage.
Join the 2024 Take It Outside Challenge, which comes with a twist
1/16/2024Read moreIt's time to get in gear, Goosechasers, because the 2024 Take It Outside Challenge has begun. This year's challenge will be offered in four seasonal competitions.
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Annette Parker and Meta Mueller
Parker takes over as Forest Preserve Board president
1/8/2024Read moreAnnette Parker of Crest Hill took over as president of the Forest Preserve Board in December. She will serve a one-year term. She succeeds Meta Mueller of Aurora.
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Plum Creek Greenway Trail
Making connections: Forest Preserve's countywide trail network continues to grow
12/11/2023Read moreThe Forest Preserve's operations committee took action recently that will pave the way for more trail projects as the District works to connect and extend the countywide trail system.
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A person snowshoeing.
Don't hibernate, recreate this winter!
11/28/2023Read moreThe Forest Preserve District offers a variety of recreational opportunities in winter including hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and sledding. With more than 135 miles of trails, 40 preserves, two sled hills and six dog parks, there are many ways to stay active.
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A woman in a wheelchair looks at an interpretive sign.
Four Rivers receives National Inclusion Project’s first-ever nature center accreditation
11/14/2023Read moreThe National Inclusion Project’s first nature center accreditation in the country has been awarded to the Forest Preserve District’s Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon. Months in the making, the accreditation shows Four Rivers is a facility where all visitors, regardless of ability-level, can participate.
Events
Volunteer Morning: Evans-Judge Preserve
Get some fresh air and exercise while helping to make a difference in your community by attending one or more of the Forest Preserve’s volunteer mornings.
WonderKids: Snakes!
Bring your little ones to Isle a la Cache Museum to learn all about snakes.
The Buzz
Quiz: How sharp are you when it comes to sandhill cranes?
It's that time of year when you'll likely hear sandhill cranes overhead, and possibly see them. But do you know anything about them?
Flying squirrels? More like gliding squirrels
You're probably familiar with gray squirrels and fox squirrels, but probably not southern flying squirrels. These nocturnal critters aren't often encountered, and their name is a bit of a misnomer, since they glide rather than fly.
Nature curiosity: What is white-nose syndrome?
Since 2006, millions of bats have died of a fungal infection called white-nose syndrome. Further loses could be dire for an animal that is essential to our food supply and our ecosystems.