Catching Nature

August 8, 2018

Catching Nature Through Volunteer Work

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Bob Young has found the perfect outlet for his two passions: being outdoors and on the water. He serves as a volunteer zebra mussel monitor and volunteer ranger for the Forest...

July 16, 2018

Volunteer Finds Happiness Monitoring Bluebirds

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Helen Metanchuk rummages through the trunk of her car as she dons her vest, binoculars, tools and notebook and pen and sets out to check the 12 bluebird nest boxes on her route at

July 11, 2018

Brothers Big on Birding

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Armed with nice cameras with huge lenses, binoculars and bug spray, Eddie and Brett Kasper of Western Springs set out for a quick hike at Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve in Oak...

June 12, 2018

Drawing on Nature for Inspiration

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

For a group of area artists, there is something exquisitely refreshing about plein air painting, perfected by artists like Monet, Renoir and Georgia O’Keeffe. From May through...

June 6, 2018

Shedd Volunteers Explore Fullersburg Woods Night Life

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Using a high-tech bat detector, District ecologist Brian Kraskiewicz helped participants hear five different calls from the hoary bat at a recent Shedd Aquarium Spring Volunteer...

May 17, 2018

Man's Hobby Provides Fun, Friendship and Fresh Air

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Paul KramerModel craft enthusiast

I started building model airplanes in grammar school and began flying them a couple years later. I didn’t know of any local model airplane clubs,...