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.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Meet at the Penny Rd parking area. Sunday’s event is a walk, visual assessment and discussion. It’s an opportunity to see the spring flowers, thriving and challenged environs. 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 […]
Join us for a walk to welcome spring, get some fresh air outdoors and look for new signs of life in nature. We’ll likely see some deer grazing. The trees […]
Every Tuesday until September 23rd, 2025! Entrance at Halsted, south of 144th St. Riverdale, IL 60827. Stretch and Walks9:00 am – 10:00 am2 mile walk. Walking pace with room for […]
Every Wednesday until September 24th, 2025! Entrance at 134th St., East of Halsted Ave. Riverdale, IL 60827. Stretch and Walks9:00 am – 10:00 am2 mile walk. Walking pace with room […]
Summary of Event/Workday- Garlic Mustard Search-and-Pull Registration Link- 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/ […]
Join BGI at one of our upcoming Warbler and Wildflower Walk hikes! All are welcome and free to attend. We will be admiring and learning all about the incredible flora […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Nature-based peace circles for people of all ages & ethnicities to connect, celebrate, and build community through art, wellness, & play. As part of family play, everybody plays! Participants practice […]
