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.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]