Forest Preserve District of Will County News Briefs

Explore ‘Diversity of Life’ and take part in a Pollinator Party this summer: Isle a la Cache, in Romeoville, will be a hub for biodiversity and pollination exploration this summer, with the exhibit that opened Tuesday, June 7, and runs through Sunday, October 2. The exhibit features bilingual (English/Spanish) signs that invite visitors to actively use their observation skills as they learn about biodiversity.

Sleeping raccoon wins May’s portion of Preserve the Moment Photo Contest: May’s winning photo was taken by Joe Viola of Shorewood at Hammel Woods. Seven more monthly winners will be picked before this year’s contest concludes in December, with overall winners picked in January. Viola said he is glad other people enjoyed his photo, and noted he first spotted the raccoon, who he affectionately calls “Rocky,” last fall.

“He was as curious about me as I was of him,” he explained. “He was peeking out of a hole and that picture landed me an honorable mention in last year’s contest, but over the winter he has been spotted on the road, in the field, and ducking in and out of the brush regularly.”

Hadley Valley and Kraske Preserves get bigger with land acquisition/donation: The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s total acreage hit a new high of 23,073, with a recent acquisition and donation. The Forest Preserve recently purchased 47.5 acres that will enlarge the existing Hadley Valley preserve in Homer Township, and it received a donation of 6.3 acres expanding Kraske Preserve in Crest Hill. Both parcels are adjacent to these preserves, so they fit into the Forest Preserve’s mission of expanding existing holdings.

For more information on the Forest Preserve District of Will County, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.