Hiking the Ravine at Deer Grove West

The hike will explore the wooded, shallow, and wide ravine that defines the interior of Deer Grove West. The hike will follow the streams that created and still shape the ravine today. Deer Grove Lake and the Deer Grove Lake Dam will also be on the hike's route. Architectural remnants from the work done by […]

Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards Workday – Saturdays

Come volunteer to restore native habitat! Filled with prairie, oak woodlands and wetlands, the Poplar Creek region in Northwest Cook County needs you. You will be given the opportunity to pursue restoration activities such as brushcutting, lopping, brush pile burn building, weed pulling, and seed planting - all while meeting others in the community. No previous […]

Swallow Cliff Woods South Volunteer Workdays

Swallow Cliff is a landscape of hills, ravines, lakes, and marshes created by the retreat of the last glaciers to cover the area. Volunteers strive to restore the natural biodiversity that existed prior to settlement and the proliferation of non-native plants. Restoration activities include the removal of invasive species like honeysuckle and buckthorn, and the […]

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 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 […]

North Branch Xylem Seed Garden Workdays

North Branch Xylem Seed Garden 6633 W Harts Road, Niles

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. […]

Trailblazers Hike on National Trails Day

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 the wild geraniums and the woodland phlox are in full bloom! The walk will take approximately 2 hours and will be 3-4 miles in length, […]

Poplar Creek Prairie Stewards Workday – Sundays

Come volunteer to restore native habitat! Filled with prairie, oak woodlands and wetlands, the Poplar Creek region in Northwest Cook County needs you. You will be given the opportunity to pursue restoration activities such as brushcutting, lopping, brush pile burn building, weed pulling, and seed planting - all while meeting others in the community. No previous […]

Miami Woods and Prairie Volunteer Workday

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 […]

Little Red Schoolhouse Wildlife & Wildflower Walk

You're invited to explore this wonder-filled nature center here with us.  After the group finishes viewing the animals indoors we'll head outdoors to hike the Black Oak Trail.  This trail goes through a nice forest filled with native plants and oak trees.  Near the end of the hike the trail passes by the Longjohn Slough […]

Trailblazers: Des Plaines River Relics Walk

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 most urban of urban rivers. Along the way, we’ll also talk about water quality, habitat conditions […]

Bilingual Community Bird Walk/Caminata de Aves Bilingüe Comunitaria

Únase a Friends of the Forest Preserves y Chicago BIPOC Birders para una aventura de observación de aves por la mañana para buscar aves de los pantanos y otras especies del bosque. Esta caminata se realizará en español e inglés. Nos reuniremos en el Comfort Station.   Join Friends of the Forest Preserves and Chicago […]