Friends of the Forest Preserves hosts numerous events throughout the year designed to connect people of all ages and backgrounds with the natural wonders of the forest preserves in Cook County.
Guided hikes, educational workshops, wellness programs, volunteer workdays, golf outings, fundraisers, cultural programs, and more await you.
Browse our schedule of events below to learn more.
Join us for a festive gathering to celebrate the hard work of woody clearing and prescribed burns while welcoming the arrival of spring! Gather around the campfire for a cozy evening of community and camaraderie. This will be a potluck-style event, so be sure to check the key to see what dish you can bring […]
Sand Ridge is a woodland and prairie site with a magnificent nature center attached. Join our volunteer crew for a restoration day to help restore our forest preserves. Meet outside of the Nature Center. Meet in front of the green pod off the service driveway. Register here.
Come hang out at Eggers Grove for a fun homeschool meet-up! Every third Thursday of the month from 10am-12pm until June 19, 2025
Join us at Whistler Woods for this beginner friendly volunteer day! We will learn to remove invasive brush and utilize tools to restore our forest preserves. Meet at the end of the parking lot; registration link here.
Nature-based peace circles for people of all ages & ethnicities to connect, celebrate, and build community through art, wellness, & play. April workshops will explore self-expression using Music, Movement, and Poetry. Participants will experience and learn African diasporic drum and dance, and make connections to global dance styles, poetry, and more. Workshops will be led […]
Sand Ridge is a woodland and prairie site with a magnificent nature center attached. Join our volunteer crew for a restoration day to help restore our forest preserves. Meet outside of the Nature Center. Meet in front of the green pod off the service driveway. Register here.
Celebrate Earth Day by joining us for a hike at Deer Grove Forest Preserve. We will explore areas within both the East & West Preserves! On this hike, we will sample stops along the hikes path include: Deer Grove Lake, a sampling of the ravines within Deer Grove West, Camp Reinberg, waters of Deer Grove […]
Join BGI at one of our upcoming spring hikes! All are welcome and free to attend. We will be admiring and learning all about the incredible flora that emerges in Spring. Contact Information: [email protected] or [email protected]
Workday where we will remove invasive shrubs with hand tools and place the wood in a brush pile fire. Beginners welcome! No registration required! If you are interested in signing up for the CFC newsletter for weekly event emails here is that link- https://citizensforconservation.org/get-involved/regular-workdays/ Contact Information: [email protected]
Join the North Branch Restoration Project to restore this oak woodland to its former beauty! This 76-acre site depends on a community of volunteers to remove invasive species, spread native seed, and much more. Large pin oaks are a unique feature of this preserve, which is also home to some beautiful spring ephemerals. Visit The […]
Kickapoo Woods is a site with beautiful wet prairies in Riverdale, IL. During volunteer days, you can get up close and personal with nature performing a variety of restoration activities. Meet at the volunteer kiosk; register here.
Workday where we will remove invasive shrubs with hand tools and place the wood in a brush pile fire. Beginners welcome! Contact information: [email protected]
Join BGI at one of our upcoming spring hikes! All are welcome and free to attend. We will be admiring and learning all about the incredible flora that emerges in Spring. Contact Information: [email protected] or [email protected]
Sand Ridge is a woodland and prairie site with a magnificent nature center attached. Join our volunteer crew for a restoration day to help restore our forest preserves. Meet at the pod northwest of the Nature Center off of the service driveway; register here.
Join us at Whistler Woods for our volunteer days! We will be performing a variety of restoration activities in this woodland and prairie-dominant site. Meet at the end of the parking lot; registration link here.
With the forecasted rain, we will spend time doing some spring cleaning in the farmhouse barn to prepare for the upcoming growing season. No registration required! If you are interested in signing up for the CFC newsletter for weekly event emails here is that link- https://citizensforconservation.org/get-involved/regular-workdays/ Contact Information: [email protected]
Join BGI at one of our upcoming spring hikes! All are welcome and free to attend. We will be admiring and learning all about the incredible flora that emerges in Spring. Contact Information: [email protected] or [email protected]
Workday where we will remove invasive shrubs with hand tools and place the wood in a brush pile fire. Beginners welcome! No registration required! If you are interested in signing up for the CFC newsletter for weekly event emails here is that link- https://citizensforconservation.org/get-involved/regular-workdays/ Contact Information: [email protected]
Formed by an old loop in the river’s course, lies the Oxbow Prairie. This old oxbow in the Chicago River’s North Branch is a combination of low, wet prairie soils and slightly higher mesic prairie soils. A small open savanna lies on what was once the east bank of the river. The mesic prairie had […]
Join BGI at one of our upcoming spring hikes! All are welcome and free to attend. We will be admiring and learning all about the incredible flora that emerges in […]