Current headlines

Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook is closed for extensive renovations. In addition to the building being closed, the site's parking lot, shelter/pavilion and nature trail also are closed. 

Ecologist Barbara Sherwood said she almost cried when she spied a Bombus affinis, the federally endangered rusty-patched bumblebee, in a Des Plaines River Valley preserve this summer.

Help your community by signing up for a fall Volunteer Morning program. Volunteers will gather seeds for future restoration efforts and clear brush so native plants have room to grow. Fifteen programs will be offered from October through December. 

The Nature Foundation of Will County presented a $393,450 check to the Forest Preserve Board on Sept. 12. The donation check and fundraiser celebrate a decade of work by the Foundation to support the Forest Preserve's mission. 

A new kayak rental station is available for public use at Lake Chaminwood Preserve in Channahon. Patrons can download the Rent.Fun app to pay for the kayaks, which include paddles and life vests. The cost is $25 for the first two hours and $15 for each additional hour. 

The Forest Preserve District has launched a campaign to get people to stop using or creating unauthorized trails in the preserves. The illegal paths harm the ecosystem and can cause safety issues. Signs have been installed to keep people out of sensitive natural areas. 

Barricades were removed Tuesday, Aug. 20, signaling the end of construction work at Lake Chaminwood Preserve in Channahon. The project included two new accessible fishing piers and the extension of the lake's loop trail to the I&M Canal State Trail via a new bridge over the canal.

McKinley Woods in Channahon will expand by 57 acres after the Board of Commissioners voted on Aug. 8 to approve the acquisition. The purchase will make the preserve easier to maintain and restore by expanding access in a hard-to-reach area. 

Isle a la Cache Museum has four new colorful backpacks chock full of activities and helpful nature information that will guide outdoor exploration. The Bugs, Birds, By the River and Tree backpacks are free to use during museum hours on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Honey being sold at Hidden Lakes Trout Farm in Bolingbrook comes from bees that sip a wide variety of nectar to produce many different varieties of the sweet stuff. The Bee All About It honey ranges from buckwheat to wildflowers.