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.
You are invited to Spring Equinox: A Celebration of New Beginnings, an event hosted by Light of Loving Kindness and Friends of the Forest Preserves. Join us on this day for nutritious snacks, a nature walk, and storytelling centered around new beginnings & mental health. We would love for you to come out with friends […]
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 […]
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 pod on the service driveway NW of the Nature Center.
Join us at Whistler Woods for a restoration day and holiday-themed potluck! Bring your favorite dish and come ready to cut and burn buckthorn with other volunteers.
This spring, University of Illinois Extension in Cook County is launching a 7-week Junior Master Naturalist 4-H Special Interest Club program for high school students (grades 9-12) passionate about environmental stewardship and justice. Participants will learn from a variety of environmental experts, engage in a series of field-based experiential learning activities, and showcase an environmentally relevant project.
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
Join us for a guided tour as we celebrate the beginning of springtime at Eggers’s Grove! We will look for early-blooming flowers as the forest comes back to life. Afterwards, we will make some flower and leaf pressings.
With the growing need for help with repotting plants, CFC would like to request the aid of volunteers at the greenhouse from Monday to Saturday this week, the 13th to the 18th of April. Please note that you do not have to join us for the entire time slot listed below. Even just an hour […]
With the growing need for help with repotting plants, CFC would like to request the aid of volunteers at the greenhouse from Monday to Saturday this week, the 13th to the 18th of April. Please note that you do not have to join us for the entire time slot listed below. Even just an hour […]
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 Friends of the Forest Preserves and buckthorn tie-dye instructor Katelyn for an Earth Day weekend filled with snacks, service, nature walks, and more! Participants can join us for: 🌳 Intro to Environmental Volunteering: Learn more about the world of ecological stewardship by helping out with invasive species removal 🌸 Spring Ephemeral Walk: Take a calming […]
We are going back to Penny Woods to finish brush clearing and herbiciding work. We may be collecting Penn Sedge seed depending on conditions. Meet at the Penny Rd Pond parking area. We’ll hike to the site from there. Contact Information- Please reach out to Ken DeMuth 312-316-5216
Step into spring with us as we enjoy the greening of the woods to start the season. Take in the fresh air and join the group to explore this lovely site. We’ll cross the river and head into Harms Woods, included in the Illinois Natural Areas Inventory, and see if we can spot a spring […]
Eggers and Elderberries: Connections within the Calumet Region. Saúcos Salvaje: Conexiones Dentro de la Región de Calumet! We will learn about the forest preserves and zoom in on 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 […]
Help us take on the City Nature Challenge! Document and upload as many plants, animals, and other creatures as possible to iNaturalist.Search for and document the diverse and amazing wildlife found at Egger’s Grove for the “City Nature Challenge 2026: Chicagoland Region” event on iNaturalist. How many plants, animals, and other creatures will you be […]
Friends of the Forest Preserves is partnering with Chicago BIPOC Birders to host two beginner-friendly hikes this fall in Barrington! While these events are open to all, they are BIPOC-centered and intentional, created with care to uplift the presence, joy, and experiences of BIPOC individuals in outdoor environmental spaces. Contact Information- Please reach out to […]
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 […]
Volunteers and friends of the Des Plaines River are invited to help clean up the Des Plaines riverbank. Meet in the forest preserve area east of the Barrypoint Bridge and the Hofmann Tower. Bring your kids, parents, neighbors, or friends! We accept AND recycle aluminum cans to raise money for future cleanups and events. Wear […]