North Branch Trail Bike Ride 2018

12 p.m. - 2 p.m. This event has reached max capacity. Please email Ilana Federman, Outreach Manager, at ilana@fotfp.org if you would like to be added to a wait list. Please join us on our annual North Branch Trail Bike Ride!  We'll explore the beautiful variety of habitats found along the Chicago River, from Bunker […]

4th Annual Busse Woods Night Ride & Paddle

6:00PM - 11:00PMThe 4th Annual Busse Woods Night Ride now has a paddle option! Please join us for a rare chance to bike the Busse Woods Trail or take a canoe ride on Busse Lake at night. Or do both! Discount combo tickets are available while they last. Busse Woods, Elk Grove, Illinois All riders […]

2nd Annual Beer in the Woods

2 pm - 6 pm (VIP admission at 1 pm!) Tickets are now on sale! Beer in the Woods is back by popular demand! Please join the Friends community for an afternoon of craft beer and cider at LaBagh Woods on the Northwest side of Chicago. LaBagh Woods is a haven for nature enthusiasts and […]

Intro to Mushroom Identification Nature Walk

Clayton Smith Flatwoods - 6639 W. Harts Road, Niles12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Join in a nature walk where we will talk about the basics of mushroom identification and hopefully find examples of various groups of mushrooms in their natural habitats. We'll likely focus on wood-decomposing fungi, but these flatwoods have a very diverse fungal community […]

10th Annual Photo Exhibit

Please join the Friends community to celebrate the beauty of the forest preserves and to honor the winners of the 10th Annual Photo Contest.Friday, May 17, 2019 6 - 8 p.m. Franklin Framing 13019 S. Western Ave. Blue Island, IL 60406 Refreshments will be served. This event is free. Donations are accepted. Register Now! Enter […]

Swing for Sustainability 2019

Event recap: The 2019 Swing for Sustainability was a huge success! We reached our goal and raised over $14,000! The weather was perfect, the golf course was immaculate, and the camaraderie was bountiful. Thank you to all the players and sponsors who made this wonderful day possible. Be sure to check out the photos. We […]

Heron and Wildlife Walk at Watersmeet Woods

Event recap: Attendees of the Heron and Wildlife Walk at Watersmeet Woods were treated to close-up views of nesting Great Blue Herons and their chicks, prairie vistas, crayfish burrows, a Red-Tailed Hawk, and nesting Northern Flickers feeding their chicks. Time: Meet at 10:00 a.m. rain or shine! Price: FREE! Duration: 2 - 3 hours (depending […]

Bike Glenview – North Branch Ride

Event recap: Turnout was a little low due to early morning storms. But the weather cleared up in time for the ride and those that showed up were treated to a fun and informal ride. One of the highlights was when the group stopped at a small bridge over a creek at Miami Woods where […]

Guided Walk: Cap Sauers Nature Preserve

10 a.m. - 12 p.m.Get outside and walk with us! Starting at Teason's Woods, just southwest of Chicago, Friends Executive Director Benjamin Cox will lead the way along a stream and through woodlands and meadows in the Cap Sauers Holding Nature Preserve. This walk is approximately 3 miles. While not a very difficult trip, it […]

3rd Annual Beer in the Woods

Beer in the Woods is back for a third year! Please join us on Saturday, September 28 to drink outstanding craft beer and cider at the best venue in town – LaBagh Woods on the northwest side of Chicago! Enjoy interactive live animal presentations, nature-themed crafts, picnic games, a flash bioblitz, an "Ultimate Camp Site" […]

Guided Walk: Spring Creek Forest Preserve

12 - 2 p.m. Get outside and walk with us! Starting at Penny Road Pond in Spring Creek Forest Preserve, Friends of the Forest Preserve staff and local land managers will lead our group through one of Cook County's most unique grassland preserves. The walk will include information about native plants and wildlife, local hiking […]

Beaubien Woods Volunteer Workday

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Join us to help restore this unique prairie and woodland ecosystem back to health! Trained leaders show you how to identify plants that don't belong and demonstrate how to safely use hand tools to remove them. Depending on the season, workdays may also include native seed collection for dispersal in […]