We will start by exploring the plants and animals outside of the Thatcher Woods Trailside Museum. Then we’ll depart from the museum on a southbound path. On this walk, we will enjoy the beauty and tranquility of nature and stop for sensory breaks to note what we can see, hear, and smell in the forest […]

Location- Spring Creek Galloping Hill Meeting Location-  Penny Road Pond, Barrington Hills Summary of Event/Workday- Set against the stunning backdrop of Galloping Hill, this beginner-friendly outing invites you to connect with nature, community, and conservation. You’ll get hands-on with native plant restoration by learning to identify prairie species and collect their seeds. Vital work that […]

Seeds are the lifeblood of healthy woodlands and prairies. By growing successive generations of species, they help ensure resilient, self-renewing natural areas for years to come. Restoration volunteers hand collect seeds of many different species in Forest Preserve sites along the Chicago River North Branch, then distribute them to other less healthy North Branch sites. […]

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 […]

Eggers Woods is a beautiful site made of woodlands, marshes, and prairies. For a better view of the flora and fauna at this site, join us for a volunteer day performing ecological restoration. Meet at the parking lot east of the caretaker’s building. 

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!

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 for a light day of native seed collection. 

Location- Spring Creek Longmeadow  Meeting Location-  152 W Dundee Rd, Barrington Summary of Event/Workday- Set against the stunning backdrop of Longmeadow, this beginner-friendly outing invites you to connect with nature, community, and conservation. You’ll get hands-on with native plant restoration by learning to identify prairie species and collect their seeds. Vital work that helps restore […]

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 for a light day of native seed collection. 

Join us as we admire the late summer colors and beauty of the Des Plaines River. The final three miles of the Des Plaines River Trail have more lost, abandoned, and mysterious artifacts than any other stretch of the trail; we’ll discuss what these are and how they fit into the modern history of this […]

Join us at Whistler Woods to discover the beauty of its native prairie! We will provide all tools and instructions to collect native seeds and help restore the site’s natural areas.

Join us as we walk through Eggers Grove and discuss the fight for environmental justice on the Southeast Side of Chicago and how our forest preserves play a role.

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 […]

Learn about some of the native grasses that grow in our preserves along with others who enjoy being outdoors.  We will identify and discuss three or four species during the walk. Difficulty level: This hike will be on both unpaved and paved paths and move at a moderate pace. You may need to navigate small […]

Join us at Whistler Woods to discover the beauty of its native prairie! We will provide all tools and instructions to collect native seeds and help restore the site’s natural areas.

Location- Spring Creek Galloping Hill Meeting Location-  Penny Road Pond, Barrington Hills Summary of Event/Workday- Set against the stunning backdrop of Galloping Hill, this beginner-friendly outing invites you to connect with nature, community, and conservation. You’ll get hands-on with native plant restoration by learning to identify prairie species and collect their seeds. Vital work that […]

Seeds are the lifeblood of healthy woodlands and prairies. By growing successive generations of species, they help ensure resilient, self-renewing natural areas for years to come. Restoration volunteers hand collect seeds of many different species in Forest Preserve sites along the Chicago River North Branch, then distribute them to other less healthy North Branch sites. […]

Come explore the trails, enjoy the sunshine, and get up close with the amazing insects at Miami Woods on Saturday, 9/26, at 10 am. Participants will have a chance to catch, identify, and study a variety of insects before safely releasing them back into the forest preserve.  At our last adventure, we observed over 40 […]

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.