Photo of outdoor event with people and booths

Connect, Learn and Explore: Dive Into Our Schedule of Events

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.

Events

Bunker Hill North Flatwoods Volunteer Workdays

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 […]

Wellness Tuesdays at Kickapoo Woods

Kickapoo Woods Kickapoo Woods, Riverdale, Illinois, United States

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 […]

Wellness Wednesdays at Whistler Woods

Whistler Woods M946+6JQ, Riverdale, Illinois, United States

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 […]

Stewardship Volunteer Days – Flint Creek Savanna

Flint Creek Savanna – CFC Farmhouse Parking Lot 42°11'33.0"N 88°10'20.4"W, Lake Barrington, Illinois, United States

Join Us for a Seed Collecting Adventure! Get hands-on with restoration and enjoy the beauty of the prairie while helping us collect seeds from wood betony, a fascinating native plant. […]

Friends Golf Outing

George W. Dunne National Golf Course 16310 Central Ave, Oak Forest, Illinois, United States

 Join our annual golf outing as a player and/or sponsor or donate in lieu of attendance. The event is an incredible time supporting a great cause! Ticket includes: Dinner with awards […]

Trailblazers: National Trail Day Hike on the Yellow Trail

Forty Acres Woods 11901 S LaGrange Rd, Palos Park, Illinois, United States

The Yellow Trail – the trail we will be primarily walking – was rated the best trail in Illinois by Backpacker Magazine. The trails are in great shape and currently […]

Oxbow Prairie Volunteer Workday

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 […]

A Family PEACE Gathering: Connect through Native Foods & Nature’s Cycles

Dan Ryan Woods Event Pavillion W 87th St & S Western Ave, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Nature-based peace circles for people of all ages & ethnicities to connect, celebrate, and build community through art, wellness, & play. June gatherings celebrate our newly forged connection to each […]

Bunker Hill Water & Wildflower Walk

Bunker Hill Grove 1 Bunker Hill Grove 1, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Come and discover the many habitats in this forest preserve. We’ll see the river flowing through the preserve as we follow alongside its shores. The group will learn about the […]

Wellness Tuesdays: Paint and Sip

Kickapoo Woods Kickapoo Woods, Riverdale, Illinois, United States

Details for Paint and Sip We will have materials needed, as well as snacks and non-alcoholic beverages to sip on. Event for the whole family.

Wellness Wednesdays: Paint and Sip

Whistler Woods M946+6JQ, Riverdale, Illinois, United States

Details for Paint and Sip We will have materials needed, as well as snacks and non-alcoholic beverages to sip on. Event for the whole family.

Xylem Seed Garden Workdays

6633 W Harts Road, Niles IL, 60714 6633 W Harts Road, Niles, Illinois, United States

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 […]

Linne Woods Bird Watching

Linne Woods Linne Woods, Morton Grove, Illinois, United States

Learn how to identify neighborhood birds at Linne Woods. This event is in partnership with BIPOC Birders.

St. Paul Woods Volunteer Workday

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 […]

A Family PEACE Gathering:  Family Camping & Community Celebration

Dan Ryan Woods Event Pavillion W 87th St & S Western Ave, Chicago, Illinois, United States

Nature-based peace circles for people of all ages & ethnicities to connect, celebrate, and build community through art, wellness, & play. Join us for an overnight camping experience at Shabonna […]

Wellness Tuesdays at Kickapoo Woods

Kickapoo Woods Kickapoo Woods, Riverdale, Illinois, United States

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 […]

Wellness Wednesdays at Whistler Woods

Whistler Woods M946+6JQ, Riverdale, Illinois, United States

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 […]

Stewardship Volunteer Days – Grigsby Prairie

Grigsby Parking Location 42°09'53.7"N 88°11'01.6"W, Barrington HIlls, Illinois, United States

Come learn about Porcupine Grass and Leiberg’s Panic Grass (aka Prairie Panic Grass) at Grigsby Prairie this Thursday from 9-11am! We will be learning, collecting, and maybe even spreading some […]

Stewardship Volunteer Days: Whistler Woods

Whistler Woods JC4M+8M5, Calumet City, Illinois, United States

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 […]