DuPage forest board hopefuls pick favorite preserves

It was hard to pick favorites, but the two Republican candidates for the DuPage County Forest Preserve District 6 seat share their picks for the top three forest preserves:

Roger Kotecki1. West Chicago Prairie: Because he has worked there as a prairie steward and for its "grandeur in the various seasons."2. Blackwell Forest Preserve: It's close, offers a wide range of recreational activities - including camping, fishing and archery - and has a great variety of ecosystems.3. Waterfall Glen: Limestone bluffs, prairie, wetlands and forest, plus "the most diverse and richest plant life." And, Kotecki said, "the 9-mile circumferential trail is a nice bike ride."Al Murphy1. McDowell Grove: Site of the Murphy clan's family picnics. "I remember walking across the dam barefoot as a kid."2. Herrick Lake: Memories of one of his son's first camping outings, on St. Patrick's Day. 3. Blackwell Forest Preserve and Pratt's Wayne Woods (tie): For how much fun his kids had when they were little and he took them out on the lake at Blackwell in a motorboat. "When I was a kid, I got on the Prairie Path and rode out to Pratt's Wayne Woods and camped the night," Murphy said. His mother was not amused.False18001200Waterfall Glen's diverse and rich plant life appeals to candidate Roger Kotecki.Daily Herald File PhotoFalse