Winter activities abound at DuPage forest event

Volunteers at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County's Wonders of Winter event Saturday handed out “Snow Bingo” sheets to visitors, giving a taste of all they could see and experience during the day.

The sheets mentioned ice fishing, snowshoes, trees without leaves, bird feeders, GPS units, and 12-year-old Ben Gembara's favorite: animals.

Ben said he loves animals so much that he names the squirrels he sees near his Brookfield home: Earl, Pearl, Swirl and Curl.

“There's this fat one — he chases my dog,” Ben said, describing Earl.

Squirrels as well as huskies, birds of prey, geese and horses all were on site at Mayslake Forest Preserve in Oak Brook, where the forest preserve district hosted a three-hour open house of winter activities.

Seven-year-old Bryan Seiler of Wheaton was looking forward most to seeing horses and taking a sleigh ride — his first. Bryan came dressed for the weather in snow pants and a winter hat, but stepped inside to make bird feeders out of a pine cone, cornmeal and birdseed for himself and his brother, Drew.

The forest preserve expected about 800 people to attend the 10th annual Wonders of Winter, based on last year's total.

“It's all to get families out and enjoying the winter,” Susan Lawrence, senior ranger, said. “There's a lot of activities you can still do outside in the winter.”

Some activities offered Saturday, like ice fishing and snowshoeing, are only possible in the winter, while indoor activities, like hot chocolate giveaways and tours of the historic Mayslake Peabody Estate and Mayslake Hall, offered an enjoyable break from the cold.

For those willing to stay outside, ranger Marty Jandura gave frequent ice fishing introductions and let kids and adults sit on buckets and dangle fishing lines into the six-foot deep May's Lake.

In advance of the forest preserve's first ice fishing tournament Feb. 12, Jandura instructed beginners how to catch fish's attention and reel in any catches. He said the atmosphere among competitors next week should remain laid-back.

“It's all in good fun,” Jandura said.