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.
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!
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. […]
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 our upcoming Seed Leaders Essentials Workshop! All are welcome and free to attend. We will be sharing seed leadership resources and teaching any and all interested in being a part of restoration. Meeting Location- Hill N Dale Farmhouse Contact Information- Please reach out to Northwest Field Organizer [email protected] or Restoration Director [email protected]
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.
Join BGI at our upcoming Sketch and Stroll nature journaling 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 […]
Join Spring Creek Stewards as we go on a scavenger hunt for White Sweet Clover! All are welcome to come, learn, and lead. Contact Information- [email protected] or Ken DeMuth 312-316-5216 Register at the below link.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Come learn about collecting sedges and Shooting Stars at Flint Creek Savanna this Thursday from 9-11am! We will be learning, collecting, and maybe even spreading some of this seed. 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]
Our series of nature journaling workshops will take you on a progressive journey that will allow you to explore skills like observation, art, color theory, poetry, and more! You will have the chance to collaborate with others and learn in a peaceful, welcoming environment in Calumet’s best forest preserves (view the agenda for specific site […]
The group will learn how to identify and collect some native plant seeds. Seeds collected will be given to the North Branch Restoration Project for sowing later in the year. This is part of a process that helps preserve and diversify the ecosystems in Cook County forest preserves. Difficulty Level: This task will require walking […]
Come learn about collecting Cow Parsnip and Great Angelica at Flint Creek Savanna this Saturday from 9-11am! We will be learning, collecting, and maybe even spreading some of this seed. 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: […]
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.
Join Spring Creek Stewards as we go on a scavenger hunt for seeds! All are welcome to come, learn, and lead. Meet at the parking area on the north side of Higgins Rd.(Rt 72) between Wichman Rd.& Beverly Rd. Contact Information- [email protected] or Ken DeMuth 312-316-5216
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 […]
