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