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Oak Park IL Press

Downers Grove man captures DuPage, Cook County wildlife in new book

DOWNERS GROVE – When Mike MacDonald offered years ago to photograph a 1,000-member bicycle invitational as a member of the Oak Park Bicycle Club, the project sparked a passion for photography. “What I loved about it was all the moments that would disappear and capturing a perfect moment in time,” said MacDonald, 55. He put his photos together in a slide show and the club loved it. “I realized I loved nature, biking and hiking,” said MacDonald, who was born in Chicago and has lived in Downers Grove for the past 11 years. MacDonald’s experience inspired him to spend more than 20 years and countless hours photographing the native plant life of the Chicago area. His work began to appear in “Chicago Wilderness” magazine, “Outdoor Photographer,” “Petersen’s Photographic,” “Boy’s Life” and BBC’s “Gardens Illustrated.” He began to give talks about the largely unknown biodiversity in Chicago’s prairies, fens, savannas, woodlands, rivers and streams, lakes and wetlands. The talks gave rise to a book, “My Journey Into The Wilds of Chicago: A Celebration of Chicago’s Startling Natural Wonders,” released Dec. 21. http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2015/12/28/downers-grove-man-captures-dupage-cook-county-wildlife-in-new-book/al04nr4/