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Winter, spring, summer and fall are shown in this collage.
Join the 2024 Take It Outside Challenge, which comes with a twist
1/16/2024Read moreIt's time to get in gear, Goosechasers, because the 2024 Take It Outside Challenge has begun. This year's challenge will be offered in four seasonal competitions.
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A collage of participants in the Take It Outside challenge
Meet the Take It Outside Challenge winners who completed all 501 missions
1/9/2024Read moreThe inaugural Take It Outside Challenge concluded Dec. 31 with multiple winners and stories detailing how the challenge improved lives and introduced hundreds of people to Forest Preserve District sites and activities they never knew existed.
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Annette Parker and Meta Mueller
Parker takes over as Forest Preserve Board president
1/8/2024Read moreAnnette Parker of Crest Hill took over as president of the Forest Preserve Board in December. She will serve a one-year term. She succeeds Meta Mueller of Aurora.
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Plum Creek Greenway Trail
Making connections: Forest Preserve's countywide trail network continues to grow
12/11/2023Read moreThe Forest Preserve's operations committee took action recently that will pave the way for more trail projects as the District works to connect and extend the countywide trail system.
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A person snowshoeing.
Don't hibernate, recreate this winter!
11/28/2023Read moreThe Forest Preserve District offers a variety of recreational opportunities in winter including hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and sledding. With more than 135 miles of trails, 40 preserves, two sled hills and six dog parks, there are many ways to stay active.
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A woman in a wheelchair looks at an interpretive sign.
Four Rivers receives National Inclusion Project’s first-ever nature center accreditation
11/14/2023Read moreThe National Inclusion Project’s first nature center accreditation in the country has been awarded to the Forest Preserve District’s Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon. Months in the making, the accreditation shows Four Rivers is a facility where all visitors, regardless of ability-level, can participate.
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A black dog balances a purple tennis ball on its nose.
Treat your pup to a 2024 dog park permit
10/30/2023Read more2024 dog park permits are on sale now. Permits are good for off-leash play at all six Forest Preserve District dog parks through the end of 2023 and all of 2024. They can be purchased at five visitor centers or online.
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A man gets into a kayak by using an accessible launch.
Leaving the wheelchair behind: Accessible kayak launch provides a smooth, dry experience
10/4/2023Read moreAdaptive recreationalist Bill Bogdan, who is among the first to try the new accessible kayak/canoe launch at Lake Chaminwood, said the device allows him to enter and exit the water independently. The launch is one of many ways the Forest Preserve is working to make the preserves open to all.
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A Forest Preserve bike repair station along a trail.
Two new bicycle repair stations installed along Forest Preserve trails
10/2/2023Read moreNeed a wrench or an air pump while biking? No problem. The Forest Preserve District now has six bicycle repair stations along its trails thanks to funding by The Nature Foundation of Will County and the Joliet Bicycle Club.
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Kayak launch at lake.
Accessible kayak launch now open at Lake Chaminwood
9/14/2023Read moreThe new kayak and canoe launch installed as part of preserve improvements at Lake Chaminwood Preserve this summer has been completed. The launch is accessible and adaptive, meaning there are features that help paddlers with disabilities enter and exit the water independently and safely.
Events
World Migratory Bird Day: Morning Bird Hike
Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day with a morning hike in search of birds at Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve.
Lake Renwick Migratory Bird Viewing
See the dazzling spectacle of nesting herons, egrets and cormorants at our weekly bird viewings at Lake Renwick Heron Rookery Nature Preserve.
The Buzz
The best trees to plant to attract winter wildlife
When planning your spring plantings, consider incorporating trees that will be a draw for wildlife in the winter too.
What's the difference?: American robin vs. European robin
The robins we are so familiar with are called robins because they reminded early European settlers of the robins they were familiar with from their home countries.
In May, meteors will be streaking across the night sky and Mercury will be visible
In May, make sure to make time to view the eta Aquariids meteor shower and see Mercury at its greatest western elongation.