Event calendar

Where the Wildflowers Are: Messenger Woods Nature Preserve

Event information

Date: Sunday, March 23, 2025

Time: 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Fee: Free!

Age: Ages 10 or older.

Contact: 815-722-4121

Location: Messenger Woods Nature Preserve


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A closeup of purple wildflower blooms.

Event details

You won't need to sail off through night and day or in and out of weeks. Will County is where the wildflowers are! Anemone, cut-leaved toothwort, trillium, hepatica – our wildflowers have stories to tell! Journey to Messenger Woods, a top spot to seek wildflowers. Join a naturalist for a hike to find wildflowers and hear stories of how these beauties were named, their uses through time and other lore and legends. 

These ephemeral blooms are beautiful but fleeting. Join us each month for more chapters in the everchanging tale of wildflowers as old ones fade and new ones bloom. Look for other preserves in this series or choose your own adventure. We invite you to visit the same preserve each month to see the changes unfold over time or mix it up and enjoy a different preserve for the full story of Will County wildflowers. You can find the complete list of Where the Wildflowers Are hikes on our event calendar.

Event requirements

Registration required by Friday, March 21: 815-722-4121.

REGISTER ONLINE

The program will begin at Hawthorn Grove Shelter. Spring rains can make the trail muddy; please dress accordingly. 

The trail at Messenger Woods is about 1 mile on natural surfaces. Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service to participate in this program should submit a request online no later than 48 hours before the program.