Friends of the Forest Preserves

The Skokie River and Middle Fork of the Chicago River come together to give Watersmeet Woods its name. But Watersmeet is also a wet place with numerous special types of wetlands that support rare plants and wildlife, including the only “calcareous seep” on the North Branch preserves. This seep environment is fed by cool groundwater emerging at the surface and it supports plants that require high levels of minerals in the water. This is also one of the larger sites on the North Branch and most areas of Watersmeet see very few visitors, making it a great place to experience wildlife.

When volunteers recognized the importance of this site in the 1990’s, it was almost entirely taken over by European Buckthorn. But they have been working to return it to health ever since. Come out and help this hidden gem in the north suburbs while seeing a slice of Chicago’s natural heritage!

Please wear sturdy shoes and dress in layers, avoiding synthetic materials. 

Meeting Location: Park on the west side of Avon Ave, north of Winnetka Rd, and meet near 100 Avon Ave, Northfield, IL, 60093. This location is subject to change, so please confirm the meeting location in the sign-up link, or by contacting Derek Ziomber.

Contact Derek Ziomber, North Branch Field Organizer, at derek@fotfp.org with questions.