Lake County Nature
Nature doesn’t have to start with a capital N.
For many people, Nature starts with a capital N. When they think of meaningful experiences in the outdoors, their minds may turn toward grand vistas in national parks and long road trips to faraway destinations. But what might be most beneficial for our health and environment is finding nature, with a lowercase n, closer to home—such as the 31,000-plus acres that make up the Lake County Forest Preserves in northern Illinois.
This blog is an effort to keep readers informed of current natural events and offer suggestions for exploring nature in Lake County, Illinois.
About the author: Jen Berlinghof is a graduate of Loyola University and The National Outdoor Leadership School, as well as a Certified Interpretive Guide through the National Association for Interpretation. Her work as an outdoor guide and naturalist has taken her from the canyonlands of Utah to the shores of Lake Superior. Since 2003, she has been discovering nature near her hometown and working as an Environmental Educator for the Lake County Forest Preserves in northern Illinois.
About the editor: Brett Peto has served as Environmental Communications Specialist for the Lake County Forest Preserves since 2017. A graduate of Elmhurst College in 2015, Peto edits copy, selects and retouches photos, and ponders the Latin roots of species names in his spare time. Ever since his first science column in the college newspaper, Peto has found fun in the broad accessibility and deep understanding of complex subjects that effective science writing requires.