DuPage Forest Sign Up Information

Wolf Spider: Friend or Foe?

How Nature Helped One Woman Find Herself

Free Wood Chips Available June 6 & 13 

Spring Babies: If You Care, Leave Them There

Soccer Family Gets a Kick Out of Nature

Play It Safe: Winter Safety Tips

Read Here >

Nature Helps Couple Transition into Retirement

Read Here >

Tips for Keeping Critters Out of Your Home

Acting Squirrelly 

Support a "Night for Nature"

Contribute Here >

Aurora Woman Makes Up for Lost Time

"Let nature embrace you and work its wondrous magic on your soul."

Read Here >

Celebrating Our Endangered & Threatened Species

2021 Annual Permits Go on Sale Dec. 1

Ask an Expert: Erik Neidy on How Controlled Burns Help Mother Nature

Native Plants Connect Man to Nature

New Trail to Connect Local Open Spaces 

Woman Finds Refuge in Nature

New Grant Allows for Continued Oak Restoration

Man''s Love of Nature Started With Scouting

Oh, Boy, It''s a Baby Shower!

Read Here >

Man Turns to Nature for Herpetology

Read Here >

Prepare for Your Visit

New X-Ray Equipment Leads to Better Treatment

Man Loves Exploring the Preserves

Shop. Save. Support DuPage Forest Preserves.

Get Your Ducks in a Row for a "Night for Nature"

Connect to Nature in Your DuPage Forest Preserves

Celebrate National Public Lands Day on Sept. 26

Celebrate National Public Lands Day by connecting to nature in the DuPage forest preserves! Though this year''s day can''t be celebrated with our usual large volunteer events, we encourage you to become part of our volunteer clean-up crew if you''re interested in giving back to public lands.

Watch Our Video Here >

Woman Shares Her Love of Nature With Others

"Nature inspires me to be more creative. I dabble in poetry, drawing, quilting - probably too many things, but I find that nature is often the base for my efforts."

Thanks to donors like you, the Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County has helped the Forest Preserve District provide inviting habitat for native plants and animals and inspiring places for visitors in DuPage.

Each fall we've come together to celebrate our "Night for Nature" to raise funds for the Forest Preserve District's conservation efforts and projects that connect people to nature. This year, we won't be able to celebrate in person, but that doesn't mean your support is any less important. That''s why we're hosting an online fundraiser Oct. 19 - 22 to raise $12,000 so you and the Friends can continue to have a lasting effect on DuPage forest preserves and the plants and animals that call them home.

For four days on the Forest Preserve District's Facebook page we''ll share stories about the good work being done to bring threatened native freshwater mussels back to local waterways, to conserve state-endangered Blanding''s turtles, and to return natural twists, turns, riffles, and pools to rivers in some of the county's most popular forest preserves.

We'll also bring back our popular duck race along Spring Brook at St. James Farm Forest Preserve. Purchase a duck for $25 for your chance to win a $500 cash prize! Duck sales will open online on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 12 a.m.

The event will culminate on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m., when we'll preview our "Night for Nature" video on Facebook and announce the winner of our duck race with the cash prize going to the winner.

Thank you for your support of DuPage forest preserves!

• Grove Lake - Wood Dale Grove
• Pickerel Lake - Pratts Wayne Woods
• Silver Lake - Blackwell

• The Preserve at Oak Meadows
• Maple Meadows
• Green Meadows

• Refrain from using parks or trails if you are exhibiting symptoms.
• Follow CDC guidance on personal hygiene prior to and during use of parks or trails.
• Prepare for limited access to public restrooms or water fountains.
• While on trails, warn other users of your presence and step aside to let others pass.
• Follow CDC guidelines on the recommended size of social gatherings including outdoor picnicking, pick-up sports and other group hangouts, and maintain proper physical distance at all times.
• Observe CDC minimum recommended social distancing of 6 feet from other individuals at all times. If this is not possible, users should find an alternate location or depart that space.
• Consult your local and state ordinances and guidelines for the most up-to-date recommendations on park and trail use.

Shop Amazon Prime Day to Support
Your DuPage Forest Preserves

Trail Reopens at Blackwell

Woman Catches Nature through Photography

Oh, Deer!

Drivers, be on the lookout for these 200-pound mammals crossing the roads near forest preserves and other wooded areas this time of year. It's their prime mating season, which means they're on the move, especially during dawn and dusk.

Read Here >

Couple Visits All DuPage Forest Preserves

"During the pandemic, DuPage forest preserves have provided us a respite for fresh air, exercise and enjoying each others' company." 

Read Here >

Man Enjoys Exploring the Preserves

Read Here >

The Northern Cardinal, A Winter Favorite

Three Cheers for Oaks!

Happy OAKtober! What better time to celebrate this keystone species and its vital role in our local woodlands? And what better places to appreciate them than the DuPage forest preserves! Whether you prefer to walk, read, plant or simply reflect, we have ample ideas to help you get the celebration started!

Read Here >

Nature Helps Woman Find Inner Peace

"Breathe the air, smell the smells, hear the birds, feel the breeze, notice the sun. That is healing. You don't need a doctor or a pill. These are the things that cure anxiety."

Today the Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County kicks off its "Night for Nature" benefit to raise funds for the Forest Preserve District's conservation efforts and projects that connect people to nature. We're hosting an online fundraiser Oct. 19 - 22 to raise $12,000 so you and the Friends can continue to have a lasting effect on DuPage forest preserves and the plants and animals that call them home.

Enjoy videos of our conservation success stories each night at 6 p.m. on the Forest Preserve District''s Facebook page. Tune in to discover more about our work to bring threatened native freshwater mussels back to local waterways at the Urban Stream Research Center, to conserve state-endangered Blanding''s turtles, and to return natural twists, turns, riffles, and pools to rivers in some of the county's most popular forest preserves.

Watch a preview of this week''s features here. 

And if you haven''t purchased a rubber duck for $25 in our popular duck race along Spring Brook at St. James Farm Forest Preserve, there''s still time! Online sales close on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at noon.

The event will culminate on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m., when we'll present our "Night for Nature" video on Facebook and announce the winner of our duck race with the cash prize going to the winner.

Thank you for your support of DuPage forest preserves!

Shell-ebrating Our Well-Recognized Turtles

Relief for a State-Endangered Reptile

By the end of the last century, the state-endangered Blanding''s turtle was already suffering from fragmented and shrinking wetland habitats, and new research was giving ecologists even more bad news. The local population was comprised mainly of adults with few juveniles or young adults: The turtles were dying off faster than they could be replaced.

The Forest Preserve District began the region''s first Blanding''s turtle "head-start" program in 1996.

Today, your commitment to adopt a hatchling from this program ensures that DuPage residents can enjoy living side-by-side with the Blanding's turtle for generations.

Partners Unite for Species Recovery Efforts

Donor Highlight: Make an Origami Turtle

Color a Blanding''s Turtle @ Home