Forest Preserve District Of DuPage County
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is the public agency that owns, protects, and cares for the open space that surrounds Danada and so much of the county. Headquartered in Wheaton, its core purpose is simple and steady: to acquire and hold lands with forests, prairies, wetlands, and other native communities, or lands that can be restored, so that the plants, wildlife, and scenic landscapes of DuPage County remain in place for future generations to enjoy. The preserves exist for education, recreation, and quiet refuge, but they are built first on conservation.
Early History And Mission
The Forest Preserve District was created in 1915, when DuPage County voters went to the polls to keep remaining woodlands from being cleared. At that time, the county was still largely rural, yet residents already sensed how quickly open land could disappear. They chose to form a dedicated forest preserve district with the legal authority to buy, hold, and protect land rather than see it sold off piece by piece.
In its first year, the new District operated on a modest appropriation and spent its time building the basic framework for how a forest preserve system would work at the county level. By 1917, the first tax levy was approved, and the District made its first purchase: 79 acres along Salt Creek in Oak Brook, now known as York Woods. That first woodland acquisition set the pattern for everything that followed, showing that local tax dollars could be used not just for roads and buildings, but to permanently protect natural areas.
From those early years forward, the District’s mission has remained remarkably consistent. It exists to safeguard land and water that still feels like Illinois, to restore damaged sites where possible, and to keep those places open to the public rather than behind fences.
Growth Of A Countywide Preserve System
What started with one 79-acre woodland has grown into a network of preserves spread across every corner of DuPage County. Today, the Forest Preserve District owns or manages nearly 25,000 acres of open space, including prairies, wetlands, lakes, rivers, oak savannas, woodlands, and former farm fields being brought back to native cover.
Across this system, the District:
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Restores and manages habitat through prescribed burns, invasive species control, and long-term ecological monitoring.
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Builds and maintains trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing.
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Operates nature centers, education programs, and special events that introduce residents to local history, geology, wildlife, and land stewardship.
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Balances recreation with protection so that heavily used sites still retain their ecological value.
Danada Forest Preserve and the surrounding open space are a direct result of that broader countywide effort.
Partner In Preserving Danada
The story of Danada’s survival is tightly linked to the Forest Preserve District.
When Dan and Ada Rice passed away in 1975 and 1977, their approximately 1,350-acre Danada estate in Wheaton was left without a will and put up for sale. Developers quickly showed interest. Local residents responded by organizing under the banner “Save the Rice Farm,” a grassroots campaign that called on the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County to step in and purchase the land for public use instead of allowing it to be carved into subdivisions.
In the early 1980s, the Forest Preserve District acquired roughly 764–780 acres of the former Rice property, including the mansion grounds, surrounding fields, and key natural areas. Those acres were designated as Danada Forest Preserve and opened to the public by 1983. The District also created the Danada Equestrian Center on the site of the original Rice training barn and track, giving new life to the thoroughbred history of the property.
From that point forward, the Forest Preserve became the legal steward of Danada. The District funded restoration of Danada House so it could be used as a public venue and historic site, and it worked with volunteers to stabilize the barns, paddocks, and surrounding grounds. Friends of Danada, a citizen group that grew out of the original “Save the Rice Farm” effort, formally incorporated in 1986 and has partnered with the District ever since to operate Danada House, maintain the Danada Model Farm, and support programs that interpret the Rice family’s legacy and the land’s agricultural history.
Stewardship, Education, And Public Programs At Danada
At Danada, the Forest Preserve District’s conservation mission shows up in several visible ways.
On the agricultural side, Friends of Danada volunteers cultivate about 40 acres as the Danada Model Farm, using vintage 1950s–1960s equipment to raise crops such as corn, wheat, and soybeans. School groups, scouts, and families visit to see how mid-century farming worked, and local fourth-graders often come through “Down on the Farm” field trips that tie food production to land stewardship.
Each October, Danada becomes the center of one of the District’s signature public events. The Danada Fall Festival, begun in the early 1980s, has drawn thousands of visitors for horse demonstrations, hayrides, farm tours, children’s activities, and an annual Danada Nature Art & Photo Show. Friends of Danada and Forest Preserve staff collaborate on this event, which has grown so popular that in recent years it expanded to a two-day format when schedules allowed.
The Danada Equestrian Center, operated by the Forest Preserve District with volunteer support, carries forward the equestrian heritage of the Rice era. The center typically houses 20–25 horses used for riding lessons, trail rides, and demonstrations, and offers public programs that teach horsemanship, horse care, and the history of the Danada stables. Historic artifacts and interpretive displays inside the barn connect visitors directly back to Lucky Debonair, Pia Star, and other notable Rice horses.
Surrounding all of this is the preserved landscape itself. Trails wind through restored prairie and woodlands, connecting Danada to nearby preserves like Herrick Lake, and, thanks to a recent 35-acre land acquisition, to the Morton Arboretum as well. This expansion of green corridors is another example of the Forest Preserve District quietly doing what it was created to do: link and protect open space in a rapidly built-out county.
Today And Into The Future
Today, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County remains the primary guardian of open space in the county. Its staff and commissioners oversee nearly 25,000 acres of land, including Danada, and work alongside partners like Friends of Danada to balance history, habitat, and public use.
At Danada, that partnership shows up in very practical ways: restored buildings instead of demolition, horse barns filled with lesson horses instead of being left to decay, fields that still grow crops and native plants rather than asphalt, and programs that invite people back again and again.
For visitors walking the trails, attending a wedding at Danada House, touring the model farm, or watching horses work in the arenas, the Forest Preserve District is often behind the scenes. Its decisions are what made it possible for the Rice estate to move from private ownership to public treasure. In that sense, every preserved acre at Danada and every program offered there is a living expression of the District’s mission in DuPage County.
