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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
12/10/2019The 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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Woman on a trail with her camera
Debi Shapiro’s ‘Happy Place’ – making memories with her mom at Rock Run Rookery Preserve
9/24/2019Rock 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
8/9/2019Barb 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.
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Cyclist on a the Old Plank Road Trail
Greg Duffner’s Happy Place: Commuting on the Old Plank Road Trail is ‘good for the soul'
4/10/2019In the past four years alone, Greg Duffner has racked up more than 19,000 miles on his bike commuting to work and riding in charity events around the country.
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Woman on a trail
Barb Parisi’s Happy Place: The healing powers of McKinley Woods
2/22/2019For Barb Parisi, hiking and photographing birds at McKinley Woods helped heal the scar left by the suicide of her father, a Vietnam veteran who suffered mental and physical health issues for many years.
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Mother and son on a trail
Weber family's 'Happy Place': Hiking at Hammel Woods
12/28/2018After a health scare two years ago, the Webers cherish their nature outings now more than ever before.
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Dog walking on a trail
A primer for bringing your pooch to a preserve
5/18/2018Follow these rules to protect your dog and the preserves.
Events
Early Morning Paddle
Calling all early birds to start the day on the water at Lake Chaminwood.
The Buzz
The buzz on cicadas: How this year's insects are different than last summer's headliners
That buzz you hear coming from the trees in your yard is coming from cicadas, but not the same kind of cicadas that were making headlines last year. These cicadas, called dog-day cicadas, emerge every summer, alerting us to their presence with their well-known buzzing sound.
The dog days of summer are here, but it doesn't mean what you think
The dog days of summer are here, both literally and metaphorically. Be sure to stay safe outdoors during periods of high heat and humidity.
Mosquitoes driving you indoors? Attract dragonflies to your yard
Dragonflies can eat dozens of mosquitoes a day, so attracting them to your yard might help make your time outside more enjoyable.