Current headlines

Featured news

All news

• A collection of images of a woman outdoors.

  Joliet woman says Take It Outside Challenge missions 'make you feel alive'

  6/9/2023

  Eileen Ryan said the Forest Preserve's Take It Outside Challenge has helped her go from 2,000 steps a day to 10,000 or more. 

  Read more
• Officials holding an oversized check.

  Forest Preserve receives federal funding for Route 66 trail project

  6/2/2023

  U.S. Rep. Bill Foster presented a check for $1.1 million in federal funding to the Forest Preserve District on June 2. The money will be used for a new path that connects the Wauponsee Glacial Trail to Route 66 in Joliet Township. 

  Read more
• Two eaglets sit in their nest

  Bald eagle nesting update: The kids are growing up fast

  5/23/2023

  The bald eagle population has been booming in Will County in recent years and we are monitoring two nests that have produced five offspring this year.

  Read more
• A women receiving her food from the window of a food truck.

  Chow down at three Fun & Food Trucks programs this summer in the preserves

  5/22/2023

  Three Fun & Food Trucks programs will roll into three different preserves this summer. Each will feature food and beverage trucks, a bounce house for the kids, games and musical entertainment. 

  Read more
• A snapping turtle that was hit by a car.

  Frankfort snapping turtle crushed by vehicle; motorists urged to slow down

  5/19/2023

  A snapping turtle was run over by a vehicle recently and left for dead near a Frankfort subdivision. Motorists are being encouraged to slow down and watch for turtles in the road to avoid hitting them, especially during nesting season. 

  Read more
• Two women and their sons pose for a photo at a pond overlook.

  Mothers join Take It Outside Challenge on their quest to keep their sons moving and learning

  5/13/2023

  Two Will County moms are having fun completing nature-themed missions as part of the Forest Preserve District's Take It Outside Challenge. But they've also joined the challenge as a way to provide activities for their adult disabled sons who have aged out of the school system.

  Read more
• A diver in a wet suit cleans a 2,000-gallon aquarium.

  Diving into her work: aquarium technician keeps Four Rivers' tank in tiptop shape

  4/25/2023

  Once a month, Sommer Brosio lowers herself into the 2,000-gallon aquarium at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center to vacuum up waste and scrub the interior. The tank, which features 45 river fish, is a popular new attraction at the visitor center. 

  Read more
• From left: Forest Preserve Board President Meta Mueller, volunteer Kim Shehorn, and Forest Preserve Executive Director Ralph Schultz.

  Enthusiastic, encouraging, efficient: Kim Shehorn named Volunteer of the Year

  4/18/2023

  Kim Shehorn of Frankfort was named the 2022 Volunteer of the Year during the Forest Preserve's annual volunteer banquet on April 12. The banquet celebrated 39 years of the District's formal volunteer program. 

  Read more
• An aerial view of the I&M Canal shows the canal as well as surrounding area.

  From ‘cultural relic to recreational resource,’ I&M Canal anniversary marks 175 years

  4/13/2023

  The Forest Preserve District is celebrating the 175th anniversary of the I&M Canal, which runs through or adjacent to several preserves and provides a path for cultural preservation and recreational opportunities. 

  Read more
• Participants take selfies as part of the Take It Outside Challenge.

  Take It Outside Challenge pushing people to 'get out and do something'

  3/28/2023

  Rob Gowens and Samantha Eberhardt are among more than 1,000 people who are participating in the yearlong Take It Outside Challenge. Gowens was looking for something to do in retirement, and Eberhardt is having a blast completing missions with her husband and four children. 

  Read more