Community Corner
Forest Preserve District of Will County News Updates
Naperville man's praying mantis photo wins monthly contest; 'Big Fish' contest results; and fall hike lineup.
Here are the latest headline from the Forest Preserve District of Will County:
Naperville man’s praying mantis close-up captures photo contest win
Naperville resident Bertrand Leclercq’s close-up of a praying mantis at Riverview Farmstead Preserve won August’s portion of the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Preserve the Moment photo contest, which continues through Dec. 31.
“I specifically look for mantises in the goldenrods at the end of summer, they are not easy to spot,” he said in an email after being notified of his win. “They will actually rotate their heads to look at you. Their colors vary from dark brown to green. The one in the picture had very pretty green eyes and posed for me!”
Find out what's happening in Jolietfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
For more information on Leclercq’s photo and the contest, visit bit.ly/photocontestwin.
28-inch catfish is biggest beast in 2020 ‘Big Fish’ contest
The Forest Preserve District of Will County's "Big Fish" contest at Monee Reservoir wrapped up Aug. 30 with four winners reeling in prizes. This is the second year for the contest, which began on July 1, a month later than last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results are in and the winners are:
Find out what's happening in Jolietfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
• First Place Bass: Dwayne Dooley of Chicago, 19.25 inches, largemouth bass
• First Place Catfish: Jack Keslin of Grant Park, 28 inches, channel catfish
• First Place Panfish: Dwayne Dooley, 10.5 inches, bluegill
• Grand Prize Winner (Drawn from All Entries): Dale Heining of Steger
For more details on the contest, visit bit.ly/bigfishcontest
Get moving this fall with Forest Preserve hikes
Perhaps no fall activity gets you as close to nature as a hike through a preserve. You can smell the fall foliage, feel a crisp, cool breeze on your face and watch for animals preparing for winter. It’s also a nice way to stay in shape and get some fresh air, especially at a time when large indoor gatherings are prohibited and many of us are looking for stress-reducing diversions
The Forest Preserve District of Will County has scheduled numerous hikes this year to take advantage of the cooler weather and the beautiful fall colors to come. Hike to see spiders, migrating pelicans, rare species and stunning fall colors. For a list of upcoming hikes, visit bit.ly/preservehikes.
For more information on the Forest Preserve District of Will County, visit ReconnectWithNatureorg.
