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

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 – Hill ‘N Dale

Hill N Dale Office 42°09'33.8"N 88°12'22.3"W, Barrington HIlls, Illinois, United States

Come learn about collecting seeds of Spiderwort, Cow Parsnip, and Sedges at Hill N Dale this Thursday from 9-11am! We will be learning, collecting, and maybe even spreading some of […]

Stewardship Volunteer Days – Hill ‘N Dale

Hill N Dale Office 42°09'33.8"N 88°12'22.3"W, Barrington HIlls, Illinois, United States

Come learn about collecting seeds of Brown Fox Sedge and more at Hill N Dale this Saturday from 9-11am! We will be learning, collecting, and maybe even spreading some of […]

BIPOC Birders Nature Walk + Stewardship Volunteer Day- Kickapoo Woods

Kickapoo Woods & Priarie J9J3+GP, Riverdale, Illinois, United States

Join us for a BIPOC-friendly nature walk with BIPOC Birders to see the animals present at Kickapoo Woods from 9AM-10AM. Binoculars will be provided. Following the walk, stewardship activities will […]

Forest Bathing

Penny Road Pond 42°05'53.9"N 88°12'26.2"W, Barrington HIlls, Illinois, United States

Forest bathing is a guided experience that works to mend the relationships humans have with themselves, the concept of time, their communities, and their environment. It is a practice focused […]

Stewardship Volunteer Days – Galloping Hill

Penny Road Pond Parking Location 42°05'54.0"N 88°12'26.0"W, Barrington HIlls, Illinois, United States

Join Spring Creek Stewards as we go on a scavenger hunt for white sweet clover to pull along with some seed collection! All are welcome to come, learn, and lead. […]

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: Bird Sit/Walk

Kickapoo Woods Kickapoo Woods, Riverdale, Illinois, United States

Identify birds with us who call our forest preserves home! Binoculars will be provided. Sit or walk depending on the group to accommodate everyone.

Wellness Wednesdays: Bird Sit/Walk

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

Identify birds with us who call our forest preserves home! Binoculars will be provided. Sit or walk depending on the group to accommodate everyone.

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

Come learn about collecting sedges and members of the carrot family 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/   […]

Sketch and Stroll

Penny Road Pond Penny Road Pond, Barrington Hills, Illinois, United States

Join the Barrington Greenway Initiative for our Monthly Sketch & Stroll Nature Journaling Hike! Step into a slower pace and reconnect with nature through art. Every last Thursday of the month, we gather to observe the natural world from fresh perspectives—no experience necessary! Led by a beginner artist, this guided walk is perfect for all […]

Stewardship Volunteer Days – Bakers Lake

Bakers Lake 42°08'41.5"N 88°07'38.9"W, Barrington, Illinois, United States

Come learn about collecting seeds at Bakers Lake 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: [email protected]

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 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 […]

Stewardship Volunteer Days – Galloping Hill

Penny Road Pond Penny Road Pond, Barrington Hills, Illinois, United States

Join Spring Creek Stewards as we go on a scavenger hunt for white sweet clover to pull along with some seed collection! All are welcome to come, learn, and lead. Contact Information- [email protected] or Ken DeMuth 312-316-5216 

Wellness Tuesdays: Paint and Sip

Kickapoo Woods Kickapoo Woods, Riverdale, Illinois, United States

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

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

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 […]