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.
Meeting location- The Earth Day oak is at the north end of Healy Savanna. Park on Healy Rd. Access from Penny Rd at the North (Not from Rt 72.) Drive to the end and park on the east side. Summary of Event/Workday- Come help us save a beautiful old white oak from being encroached on […]
Meeting Location- Beverly Lake Trail, Hoffman Estates Summary of Event/Workday- Join us for a winter stewardship workday at Healy Savanna as we remove invasive shrubs using hand tools and build a communal brush pile for a future fire. Beginners are absolutely welcome and all tools will be provided. Come learn something new, enjoy some snacks, […]
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 […]
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.
St. Paul Woods is an inviting oak-hickory woodland situated east of the North Branch of the Chicago River. Like many of our native woodlands, it needs management to clear invasive brush and trees to restore the original structure. With increased sunlight, the wildflowers and grasses will once again add to the beauty of the woods. Join […]
Meeting Location- Beverly Lake Trail, Hoffman Estates Summary of Event/Workday- Join us for a winter stewardship workday at Healy Savanna as we remove invasive shrubs using hand tools and build a communal brush pile for a future fire. Beginners are absolutely welcome and all tools will be provided. Come learn something new, enjoy some snacks, […]
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 […]
The Miami Woods Forest Preserve covers 112 acres stretching along the west side of the North Branch of the Chicago River from Oakton Street northward to Dempster Street. It is bounded on the west side by Caldwell Avenue, Waukegan Road and development at the intersection of Waukegan Road and Dempster Street. The land on the […]
Dan Ryan Woods is an expansive area covering 257 acres of Cook County. The site is home to beautiful woodlands, and flora and fauna that thrive in it. During our volunteer days, you can help preserve these species by removing invasive plants!
Meeting Location- Beverly Lake Trail, Hoffman Estates Summary of Event/Workday- Join us for a winter stewardship workday at Healy Savanna as we remove invasive shrubs using hand tools and build a communal brush pile for a future fire. Beginners are absolutely welcome and all tools will be provided. Come learn something new, enjoy some snacks, […]
Nature Hike and Winter Potawatomi Storytelling with Gina Roxas A nature hike and winter storytelling from Gina Roxas, a citizen of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation & executive director of Trickster Cultural Center. All ages are welcome. Address: Eggers Grove Comfort Station 11251-11249 S Ave B, Chicago, IL 60617 For any questions, contact Joy Bailey at: [email protected]
Join Friends of the Forest Preserves, Light of Loving Kindness, Black People Outside, and more for a restorative day in nature! Participants will be guided on a 4-mile walk of the Major Taylor Trail, followed by sound healing.
The Miami Woods Forest Preserve covers 112 acres stretching along the west side of the North Branch of the Chicago River from Oakton Street northward to Dempster Street. It is bounded on the west side by Caldwell Avenue, Waukegan Road and development at the intersection of Waukegan Road and Dempster Street. The land on 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.
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 […]
Meeting Location- Beverly Lake Trail, Hoffman Estates Summary of Event/Workday- Join us for a winter stewardship workday at Healy Savanna as we remove invasive shrubs using hand tools and build […]
Meeting location- Hill ‘N Dale Office Join CFC as we prepare burn units at HND and Grigsby for prescribed burns this Spring. Registration: No registration required! If you are interested […]
St. Paul Woods is an inviting oak-hickory woodland situated east of the North Branch of the Chicago River. Like many of our native woodlands, it needs management to clear invasive brush […]
Join us for a winter stewardship workday at Healy Savanna as we remove invasive shrubs using hand tools and build a communal brush pile for a future fire. Beginners are absolutely welcome and all tools will be provided. Come learn something new, enjoy some snacks, and meet great people while caring for this special landscape. […]
Please join us for our virtual program, Eggers and Elderberries: Connections within the Calumet Region! Together, we will learn about the forest preserves, zoom in to learn about Eggers Grove Forest Preserve, a gem of the East Side community. Then, we will learn about the history, benefits, and uses of elderberry, a local and native […]