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 northwest of the Nature Center off of the service driveway.
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 for conversation & mindfulness. No registration required. Yoga10:00 am – 11:00 amAll levels welcome. Registration not required, but please email us if you will be […]
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! Join us and learn more here.
Join CFC seed technician Luke Dahlberg in potting up incredible native seedlings. These will one day be plugged into active restoration projects! 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/ Contact Information- [email protected]
Join us for a Garlic Mustard Search-and-Pull Adventure! Help protect our woodlands by removing invasive garlic mustard while enjoying the spring beauty of the preserve. If conditions are right, we may also collect and scatter seeds from spring ephemerals as they begin to ripen—supporting the next generation of native wildflowers! Registration Link- No registration required! If […]
Join BGI at our upcoming Sketch and Stroll hike! All are welcome and free to attend, this will be led by a beginner artist All supplies will be provided but please feel free to bring art supplies that you particularly enjoy. We will be going on a short walk admiring and learning all about the […]
Join us for a Garlic Mustard Search-and-Pull Adventure! Help protect our woodlands by removing invasive garlic mustard while enjoying the spring beauty of the preserve. If conditions are right, we may also collect and scatter seeds from spring ephemerals as they begin to ripen—supporting the next generation of native wildflowers! Registration Link- No registration required! If […]
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 […]
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.
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 that is in bloom along with some bird watching. Meeting Location- Oak Knoll Road, Barrington Hills Contact Information: [email protected] or [email protected]
Join us for a Garlic Mustard Search-and-Pull Adventure! Help protect our woodlands by removing invasive garlic mustard while enjoying the spring beauty of the preserve. If conditions are right, we may also collect and scatter seeds from spring ephemerals as they begin to ripen—supporting the next generation of native wildflowers! Registration Link- https://www.givepulse.com/event/414183-spring-creek-stewardship-volunteer-days Contact Information- [email protected] or Ken DeMuth 312-316-5216
Woodland ephemeral flowers (Spring flowers) are blooming at Deer Grove West. They only bloom in the Spring when the trees’ leaves have not shaded the ground. These beautiful little flowers put on a very colorful show that fades as the trees begin to fill in with leaves. Spring is the time to see this unique […]
Join BGI at our upcoming Leadership Class! All are welcome and free to attend. We will be sharing leadership resources and teaching any and all interested in being a part of restoration. Meeting Location- Hill N Dale Farmhouse Contact Information: [email protected] or [email protected]
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 conversation & mindfulness. No registration required. Yoga10:00 am – 11:00 amAll levels welcome. Registration not required, but please email us if you will be bringing […]
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 northwest of the Nature Center off of the service driveway.
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 for conversation & mindfulness. No registration required. Yoga10:00 am – 11:00 amAll levels welcome. Registration not required, but please email us if you will be […]
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 lot.
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 that is in bloom along with some bird watching. Meeting Location- 459 W State Rte 22 Contact Information: [email protected] or [email protected]
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. […]
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 that is in bloom along with some bird watching. Meeting Location- Oak Knoll Road, Barrington Hills Contact Information: [email protected] or [email protected]