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Forest district sponsors 'Take 5 Photo Contest'

Visitors to DuPage forest preserves can enjoy nature and win outdoor prizes when they participate in the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's summer "Take 5 Photo Contest."

Through Monday, Sept. 5, participants can submit up to 10 photos of plants, animals, landscapes, people, structures and sculptures, or weather.

Photos must be taken in DuPage forest preserves but can be from any time of the year. Complete contest rules, instructions on how to submit photos and help pick the "Voter's Choice" winner, and a gallery of photo submissions are online at dupageforest.org/take5.

The contest is part of the district's larger "Take 5" campaign, which promotes spending time in preserves for a "healthier body, sharper mind and happier you." Most visitors know the preserves offer great ways to exercise, but many may not realize that just five minutes in nature can improve mood and reduce stress, and that an hour can boost memory by 20 percent.

Cabela's is providing many of the contest's more than $1,500 in prizes, including a one-person Old Town kayak with paddle and life vest for the grand-prize winner.

Other prizes include a four-person Eureka tent with a two-person Coleman sleeping bag, a pair of Bushnell binoculars with a copy of "The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America," and a Cabela's rod-and-reel combo with assorted fishing gear.

The contest also will have random drawings for a Coleman backpack cooler with two Cabela's camp chairs, a Cabela's gift card with a Copper River walking stick, a private horse-drawn hayride at Kline Creek Farm, a round of golf for two with a cart at Maple Meadows Golf Course, and a free boat rental at Blackwell Forest Preserve.

"We're excited to host our first public photo contest and are looking forward to seeing the forest preserves through our visitors' eyes - and camera lenses," said forest district President Joe Cantore.

DuPage forest district landscape architect Mark Decker captured this view of Herrick Lake. Courtesy of Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
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