Bolingbrook Man Wins Forest Preserve's October Photo Contest

BOLINGBROOK, IL — Bolingbrook resident Matthew Dunn spent time in early fall looking beautiful fall landscapes in the preserves, the Forest Preserve District of Will County shared in a news release.

Dunn's photo of a creek winding through a forest full with fall color at Hammel Woods in Shorewood was selected as the winner of the October installment of the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Preserve the Moment photo contest, the preserve said.

"I thought the creek running through Hammel Woods would be a great location, so I went there the past few weekends waiting for the fall colors to peak," Dunn said in a release. "Finally, I captured the photo on Oct. 30 with lots of yellow and orange leaves."

Voters also selected three honorable mentions from the October photo submissions:

• Laurie Lasseter for a photo of a praying mantis enjoying a meal at Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve.
• Mark Hanna for a photo of a great horned owl at Veterans Woods.
• Thomas Hahn for a photo of a pair of pelicans at McKinley Woods.

The Preserve the Moment photo contest will continue through the end of the year. The monthly winners will compete for likes on Facebook in January 2027 to determine the yearly winners.

Each monthly photo contest winner receives a $75 gift card, the preserve said.