Dan Ryan Woods: Open House
Get to know your forest preserve on the south side of Chicago! Featuring art activities, brush removal, a bonfire, food, music, nature walks, and more! Ever wondered what there is […]

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.
Get to know your forest preserve on the south side of Chicago! Featuring art activities, brush removal, a bonfire, food, music, nature walks, and more! Ever wondered what there is […]
Registration: 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 Spring Creek Stewards as we go on a scavenger hunt for woodland seeds to collect! All are welcome to come, learn, and lead. Contact Information: Ken DeMuth 312-316-5216
Celebrate the season and discover everything your forest preserves have to offer. This community gathering will include music, free food, a guided nature walk, an information booth, native seed collecting, […]
Celebrate the season and discover everything your forest preserves have to offer. This community gathering will include music, free food, a guided nature walk, an information booth, native seed collecting, […]
Join us for a fitness walk at Arie Crown Forest; Senior and kid friendly! What to wear/Bring: Walking shoes. Dress according to weather, a rain poncho just in case. Mosquito-tick repellent, […]
Help us collect seed at Spring Creek Prairie to distribute back into the area. Enjoy nature, learn plant identification skills, and responsible seed collecting techniques. Tools and snacks provided. Location: […]
St. Paul Woods is an inviting oak-hickory woodland situated east of the North Branch of the Chicago River. Like many of our native woodlands, it needs management to clear invasive brush […]
Help us collect seed at Spring Creek Prairie to distribute back into the area. Enjoy nature, learn plant identification skills, and responsible seed collecting techniques. Tools and snacks provided. Location: […]
Come hang out at Eggers Grove for a fun homeschool meet-up! Every third Thursday of the month from 10am-12pm All ages and families are invited to this free event at […]
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 […]
Meet in the forest preserve area east of the Barrypoint Bridge and the Hofmann Tower. Bring your kids, parents, neighbors, or friends! We accept AND recycle aluminum cans to raise […]
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 […]
Join us to enjoy the colors of the season and some fresh air in the woods. The group will walk through Caldwell Woods and cross over the river to reach […]
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 outside of the […]
— THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED — Help us collect seed at Spring Creek Prairie to distribute back into the area. Enjoy nature, learn plant identification skills, and responsible seed […]
Join us for a festive all-ages afternoon of removing invasive tree species over a warm brush fire! Volunteers can come in costume to scare away the buckthorn, and enjoy Halloween […]
Families and kids of all ages are invited to join us for pumpkin activities at Beaubien Woods! This event is designed to get families out into the forest preserves and […]
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 […]
Join us for a day celebrating trees at beautiful Whistler Woods. We’ll come together to care for our trees, learn something new, and enjoy a fall day outdoors in nature. Drop by or stay all day- everyone is welcome!