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Visit one of four Forest Preserve birding stations to watch local birds congregate and view interpretive signs and QR codes that will educate you and enhance your birding skills. And don't forget to look for the roving naturalists who will give you additional bird feeding and watching tips and tricks.

VanDuyne succeeds Kenneth Harris, who chose not to seek re-election to the post. Also elected were: Rachel Ventura, vice president; Mica Freeman, secretary; and Tyler Marcum, treasurer.

The Forest Preserve launched a roving interpretive naturalist program earlier this year as a way to enhance preserve visitor experiences during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. 

The Forest Preserve District's 127 miles of trails, six dog parks, sled hills, campgrounds and outdoor and online programs will keep you moving all season long. So, head outside to soak in some vitamin D, drop a few pounds and absorb the beauty of nature. 

Rare birds dropping into Will County sure are causing a frenzy among birders, with the latest unusual sighting coming in the form of a western tanager in Channahon.

In 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.

It's the time of year when birders expect to see woodpeckers, blue jays and bald eagles, to name just a few, but bird watchers are finding all sorts of surprises of late. The most recent one is a Baltimore oriole spotted at Rock Run Rookery Preserve on Friday. 

Teresa Wisnieski of Joliet, who works at Edward Hospital in Naperville, snapped the winning shot of a baby opossum nestled in the woods at Lower Rock Run Preserve in Joliet. She will vie for overall honors with seven other monthly Preserve the Moment contest winners after the contest concludes on December 31.

The past few months have been something special for rare bird sightings in Will County, but the most recent one is a once-in-a-lifetime encounter in the form of a great kiskadee.

Owls, sandhill cranes, and bones and furs will be highlighted during November's episode of 'The Buzz,' which airs at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 25, on Facebook.

A donation of $48,610 from The Nature Foundation of Will County will pay for a Goodenow Grove Campground welcome station, complete with a solar charging station, and for wetland restoration also at Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve. 

Bird migration season can yield some unlikely sightings and birders are flocking to the area around Four Rivers Environmental Education Center after a Eurasian wigeon was spotted in the area over the weekend.

The money will be combined with existing Forest Preserve funds to continue the process of converting the Channahon visitor center into a state-of-the-art public facility with expanded indoor and outdoor nature education opportunities and programs.

The Forest Preserve's 2021 budget includes funding for numerous improvement projects throughout the District as well as for land acquisition. The overall property tax rate will decrease by 1.57 percent. 

The two longtime volunteers were honored for their service in 2019. The awards were delayed due to COVID-19 and were eventually given out virtually by the Forest Preserve District.