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A great horned owl takes off from a tree
Mysterious, night-dwelling owls may just be the coolest birds around
12/31/2020Read moreThe Forest Preserve's Bob Bryerton tells us why owls are such fascinating creatures and why we just can't learn enough about these stealthy, winged beasts.
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Man holding camera along the DuPage River
Mike Nagrocki's 'Happy Place': A backyard escape teeming with wildlife
12/14/2020Read moreIn the five years he has lived across from the Hastert-Bechstein preserve, Nagrocki has been transformed into a wildlife photographer and a bird and wildlife watcher, something he says has helped him to escape everyday life and to appreciate and learn about nature to a higher degree.
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Pollinator hotel at Isle a la Cache
Pollinator hotels abuzz with guests thanks to Eagle Scout candidate
9/22/2020Read moreThree hotels built by 14-year-old Luke Lunde of Manhattan and his Scouting crew at Isle a la Cache preserve in Romeoville are attracting solitary bees that nest in cavities and are important pollinators.
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Cyclists on a bike trail at Whalon Lake
Don't Be a Jerk: Announcing 'on your left' as you pass slower trail traffic is the right thing to do
8/11/2020Read moreWith more and more bicyclists taking to the trails during the COVID-19 pandemic, it's imperative that everyone learn proper trail etiquette; announce your intent to pass, pass on the left and stay to the right when not passing.
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Dead bird hanging from a branch
Here We Go Again: Another Bird Killed by Fishing Line in the Preserves
7/21/2020Read moreIt's becoming an all too common occurrence that shouldn't happen at all in the preserves or elsewhere, seeing dead birds hanging from trees after getting tangled up in fishing line.
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Dead robin hanging from fishing line
Fishing line killed this robin at Monee Reservoir; it shouldn't have
5/20/2020Read moreIt's a scene that plays out too often in the preserves: animals found dead or injured because they became trapped in fishing line.
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Man on a trail with his bike
Earin Land’s 'Happy Place': Melting Away the Pounds and the Past on the Wauponsee
12/10/2019Read moreThe latest installment of the Forest Preserve District's "Happy Place" series features a retired Will County Sheriff's Police sergeant who made riding a bike on the Wauponsee Glacial Trail a key part of his retirement plan.
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Man holding flies in a jar
Forest Preserve serves as forensic entomology classroom for law enforcement
9/30/2019Read moreThe two-day forensic entomology workshop provided area law enforcement with instructions on using insects in death investigations.
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Woman on a trail with her camera
Debi Shapiro’s ‘Happy Place’ – making memories with her mom at Rock Run Rookery Preserve
9/24/2019Read moreRock Run Rookery Preserve was one of Shapiro's favorite places to take her ill mother so she could get out of the house and enjoy nature.
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Woman holding a monarch butterfly
For Barb Ferry, raising monarchs is more than a hobby
8/9/2019Read moreBarb Ferry has been raising monarch butterflies at home and releasing them into the wild, with the ultimate goals of helping sustain their population and educating the public of their importance.
Events
First Time Fishing
Learn rod-and-reel fishing basics, safety and ethics plus try some shoreline fishing for yourself in this program for beginners.
First Time Fishing
Learn rod-and-reel fishing basics, safety and ethics plus try some shoreline fishing for yourself in this program for beginners.
The Buzz
Migration watch: Orioles have landed in Will County
Time to stock up on oranges and grape jelly. Baltimore orioles are back in Will County for the season.
Holey moley: Yellow-bellied sapsuckers leave distinct clues of their presence
The yellow-bellied sapsucker is the only woodpecker in the eastern United States, so their time in northern Illinois can be fleeting. Look for them in the spring and fall as they migrate through our area.
Brooding about cicadas? Here's the reason for all the hype this year
To not have heard the buzz about this year's cicada emergence you would have to have been where the cicadas themselves are right now — underground. Why all the hype? This year is the first time since 1803 that two broods of cicadas will have emerged in Illinois at the same time.