A large eight-point white-tailed buck, in a dignified walk, crosses a winding trail. A white-tailed doe stands in front of a mist-strewn river. White wing-shaped blossoms of Dutchman's breeches grace the trail's edge. Great horned owls hoot in the morning twilight. A coyote sings in dawn's early light. There is more to a Midwestern forest preserve than a place to walk your dog or have a family picnic! McDowell Grove Forest Preserve, in DPage County, Illinois, is no exception! Fortunately, I live only a short jog from McDowell in my condominium home in Naperville, Illinois, not far from Chicago, our nation's third largest city. In combination of exercise and seeking out solitude and photo opportunities, I have spent several years doing pilgrimages through McDowell Woods. My adventures and discoveries, along with photographs of her wildlife, wildflowers, autumn colors, and forest and prairie landscapes, and a brief human history are all combined in the book Jogging McDowell: Discovering Chicagoland Wilderness. There are also quotes from famed author Henry David Thoreau and legendary singer-songwriter John Denver. This is the wilderness in my backyard, Jogging McDowell.
