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NORTHWEST
Friday, Sept 6 * 5-7 pm
Rolling Knolls-11N260 Rohrssen Rd, Elgin
Using a large tree slice as your canvas, explore nature through painting in this instructor-led workshop. Materials provided. Ages 21 & up. BYOB (no glass). $20/person. Registration required. Payment upon registration.
Sunday, Sept 15 * 11 am-3 pm
Crabtree Nature Center-3 Stover Rd, Barrington Hills
Everyone can try to sculpt, paint, draw, weave and other art forms to capture and reflect the preserves through art.
Saturday, Sept 28 * 4-9 pm
Deer Grove-East, Groves 1 & 2-W Dundee Rd, west of N Hicks Rd, Palatine
Celebrate National Public Lands Day at the County's first forest preserve! Try various activities and enjoy food and drinks throughout afternoon and evening.
NORTH
Tuesday, Sept 10 * 5:30-7 pm
Camp Dan Beard-200 Portwine Rd, Northbrook
Free hands-on workshop teaching basic camping skills to youth groups. Registration required.
Saturday, Sept 14 * Noon-3 pm
LaBagh Woods, Grove 1-N Cicero Ave, North of W Foster Ave, Chicago
Casting lessons, hiking, a nature scavenger hunt, crafts, water experiments, and special guests from Brookfield Zoo, local outdoor retailers and food trucks. Hosted by Cook County Commissioner Bridget Degnen. Free. All ages. Info and to register: 773-283-7873 or
Sunday, Sept 8 * Noon-3 pm
Thatcher Woods-8030 Chicago Ave, River Forest
Travel with this amazing butterfly and trace its migration route to Mexico through fun activities, kid's crafts and educational displays. See how monarchs are raised, tagged for tracking and watch butterflies being released. Learn how you can help monarchs and other pollinators!
Friday, Sept 13 * 4-7 pm
Cummings Square-536 N Harlem Ave, River Forest
Enjoy this "creative re-use carnival" with carnival-themed games from repurposed materials! Win prizes and learn about nature.
Wednesday, Sept 18 * 4-8 pm
Stony Ford Canoe Landing-Joliet Ave/43rd St, west of S Harlem Ave, Lyons
Canoe 7+ miles on the Des Plaines River from Stony Ford Canoe Landing to Columbia Woods. Instruction, equipment and canoes provided. Registration required.
SOUTHWEST
Saturday, Sept 7 * 10 am-5 pm
Sunday, Sept 8 * 10 am-4 pm
Columbia Woods-Willow Springs Rd & Corcoran Rd, Willow Springs
Look back 200 years to frontier life. Enjoy food, music, crafts, reenactments, canoe races, games and more. Parking and shuttle bus from the UPS parking lot at 75th St and Willow Springs Rd. Visit ariverthruhistory.com.
Saturday, Sept 21 * 10 am
Orland Grassland-W 167th St, west of S La Grange Rd, near Orland Park
Get some exercise, meet new people and learn about your local forest preserve.
Saturday, September 21 * 3-9 pm
Camp Bullfrog Lake-9600 Wolf Rd, Willow Springs
Join us for a fun afternoon of hiking, biking and paddling for our official kick-off to public lands week in the Forest Preserves!
Wednesday, Sept 25 * 5:30-7 pm
Camp Bullfrog Lake-9600 Wolf Rd, Willow Springs
Free hands-on workshop series teaching basic camping skills. No youth groups. All ages; children 16 & under w/ adult.
SOUTH
Saturday, Sept 7 * 10 am-1 pm
Beaubien Woods-W Doty Ave S, southeast of E 130th St & S Ellis Ave, Chicago
Restore this ecosystem, then enjoy a birding paddle. Canoes supplied. Offered
in partnership with the Field Museum.
Wednesdays, Sept 11 * 5-6 pm
Atlgeld Branch of the Chicago Public Library-13281 S Corliss Ave, Chicago
Learn about species of concern around Cook County through reading and activities.
Saturday, Sept 14 * 10 am-3 pm
Sand Ridge Nature Center-15891 Paxton Ave, South Holland
Join us for activities promoting a better understanding and appreciation of historic Native American culture. Enjoy guided hikes, archaeology displays, traditional crafts and more.
Thursday, Sept 19 * 4-6:30 pm
Beaubien Woods-W Doty Ave S, southeast of E 130th St & S Ellis Ave, Chicago
Learn proper techniques and bow basics with one-on-one instruction from certified staff. All levels. Ages 10 & up.
For details and a full event listing including all regular events at our six Nature Centers, visit our Events page.
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COOK COUNTY'S FOREST PRESERVES ARE A 70,000-ACRE CLASSROOM
by Forest Preserves President Toni Preckwinkle
The start of September signals the beginning of fall. As children and young adults are heading back to school, don't forget that the Forest Preserves of Cook County offers a nearly 70,000-acre natural classroom to explore. Whether learning about our local ecology, cultural history, or just enjoying being outdoors, the Forest Preserves are where kids learn to love nature.
Throughout Cook County, each of the
Forest Preserves' six nature education centers has unique informational exhibits and geological features, as well as resident ambassador animals. Nature centers are free to visit, and expert naturalists on hand can answer questions, lead guided walks and programs, and serve as an interpreter of the amazing resource that is the Forest Preserves of Cook County.
The Preserves are an amazing resource for teachers as well. Educators can schedule
field trips and classroom programs with nature center staff throughout the year at no cost. Get in touch with our nature center staff to arrange a visit of one hour or more, that can be customized to your curriculum goals and objectives. Can't make it out of the classroom? The Forest Preserves will bring nature to your students. The Forest Preserves offers free science and nature programs for individual classrooms, aligned with teaching standards and featuring hands-on activities that may include real animal and plant specimens.
All our visitors can also take advantage of
hundreds of programs and events presented by the Forest Preserves' programming team and partners all year round. From camping 101 to orienteering and survival skills to guided history hikes and bird walks, there's always something new to learn.
We hope to see you in your forest preserves!
Toni Preckwinkle, President
Forest Preserves of Cook County
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CLASS OF 2019 YOUTH OUTDOOR AMBASSADORS ARE "THE NEXT GENERATION OF ADVOCATES"
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Nearly 25 Cook County youth spent the summer learning how different career paths converge with nature and protecting the environment while shadowing Forest Preserves of Cook County employees during the 12-week paid summer internship program Youth Outdoor Ambassadors (YOA).
The program, launched in 2014, introduces a diverse
group of youth ages 16 through 21 to all the Forest Preserves offers while employing the interns in various FPCC departments, including law enforcement, programming and outreach, and permits. YOAs receive hands-on experience planning events, performing restoration work, and receiving mentorship from Forest Preserves staff.
Learn more about Youth Outdoor Ambassadors...
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CELEBRATE LOCAL PUBLIC LANDS WITH PARTY FOR THE PRESERVES
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Throughout Cook County, residents and visitors can enjoy nearly 70,000 acres of wild and wonderful in the Forest Preserves of Cook County. These public lands are available for numerous activities including hiking, biking, fishing and camping.
In honor of National Public Lands Day, the Forest Preserves will be hosting two weekend Party for the Preserves events on Saturdays, September 21 and 28, At Camp Bullfrog Lake and Deer Grove Forest Preserve.
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FPCC, PARTNERS JOIN CHICAGO HOUSING AUTHORITY RESIDENTS TO PLANT NATIVE GARDENS
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The gardens, featuring perennial prairie plants such as Allium cernuum, Liatris aspera, Echinacea pallida and others, provide beautiful green spaces while offering food and habitat for native pollinators. Because native plants evolved locally and adapted to our area's climate, the gardens will require less maintenance, less water and no fertilizer. Other benefits of the native gardens include purified air and water near the plantings.
This project grew out of the Forest Preserves' Beaubien Woods Our Great Rivers initiative, which is funded in part by
the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust.
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FOREST PRESERVES POLICE OFFICERS COMPLETE BIKE PATROL TRAINING
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In August, ten officers in the Forest Preserves of Cook County Police Department completed a 32-hour patrol bicycle operators course. The course, certified by the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA), covered subjects, patrol cycling tactics, cycling at night, bicycle maintenance and repairs, overcoming hazards and crashes, and emergency braking techniques.
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CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS: ENTER FOREST PRESERVES' ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST
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It's that time of year again! We're looking for your very best photos of Forest Preserves landscapes, close-ups of plants, insects, birds and other wildlife, pictures that highlight the seasons and shots of people enjoying the outdoors or participating in our recreational offerings.
This year's winning photos will be showcased in the 2019 Forest Preserves of Cook County Wall Calendar, on FPDCC.com and on Forest Preserves social media accounts. Each winning photographer will also receive 10 copies of the calendar as well as a Forest Preserves prize package.
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CALENDAR PHOTO OF THE MONTH: SEPTEMBER
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The September photo of the month, "Kiss the Bride: Green Frogs Along Giant's Hollow Trail," was taken by Robert Fontana at
Crabtree Nature Center. Did you know? Green frogs (Lithobates clamitans) breed throughout summer-later than most local frogs-so their tadpoles must survive winter to transform into adults the following summer. Interested in learning more about local frogs?
Plan a visit to one of the Forest Preserves' nature centers to chat with a naturalist.
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FALL IS THE PERFECT TIME TO START VOLUNTEERING IN THE FOREST PRESERVES
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Fall is an especially busy season for volunteers, and a perfect time to get started on your volunteer journey. Check out five ways to volunteer this fall-or visit our
Volunteer Page
for a full list of volunteer opportunities.
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