Upcoming Events

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Join us for a slow-paced, beginner bird walk exclusively on our paved trails and scenic preserve roads.

Meet our red-tailed hawk and eastern screech owl. Learn about their roles as animal ambassadors in our education programs and get a sneak peek at their training and enrichment.

Join us for a guided walk on one of this year’s Hike Lake County trails. Walk a new trail each session.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Spend time in the Dunn Museum’s special exhibit, Pursuit of Happiness: Many Journeys, One Community, as we discuss the importance of community and monumental historic events. Program will consist of an exhibit tour and activities.

Incorporate the 250th commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence into your classroom using local history and the Dunn Museum's collection. Explore educational themes, program ideas, and new ways to connect your students to the past.

Join us at this Lake County birding hot spot to look for migratory bird species. Spotting scopes and binoculars will be available at our education table.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Join a naturalist and take a leisurely stroll through this beautiful preserve. Learn about the history of this site and take a close look at some of the interesting plants and animals that we come upon.

Únase a un educador ambiental y explore Nippersink Forest Preserve. Caminata es en español y al aire libre.

Designed for families and adult beginners, this introductory bird walk will give you the tools of the trade to help your new hobby take flight!
This program will be presented in English & Spanish.

Diseñado para familias y adultos principiantes, este paseo de introducción a la observación de aves te proporcionará los conocimientos básicos para que tu nueva afición despegue.
Este programa se impartirá en inglés y español.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

A sense of wonder helps us feel more connected to the everyday elements of our lives. Through leading questions and time for reflection, the purpose of this guided walk is to see nature through a new lens.

Enjoy a cozy Sunday at the Museum Café as you learn about the new special exhibit, Carving Out the Future: The Rotblatt-Amrany Studio Story, and share your ties and stories of the local area. Complimentary coffee and tea provided. Meet at North Shore Gas Classroom. Museum Admission included in program fee.

Meet some of our live education ambassador animals and learn what makes them unique. Feel scales, fur and feathers of local wildlife on a touch table.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Go behind the scenes to learn how we restore native habitats and how you can help ensure they remain healthy forever.

Drop a line and see if the fish are biting. Learn what fish species live in Lake County and some of their special adaptations. We'll supply the poles, bait and tips on getting started. Our staff will fish alongside you and your family.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Join a history educator for a guided tour of the special exhibition 'Pursuit of Happiness: Many Journeys, One Community' as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The tour will also include the special exhibition 'Dancing for Our Tribe: Potawatomi Tradition in the New Millennium', created by photographer and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Sharon Hoogstraten.

Explore nature from a different perspective, on the water in a solo kayak. We will paddle the Lake at Independence Grove, highlighting its unique features and some of its inhabitants. Suitable for all skill levels.

Designed for families and adult beginners, this introductory bird walk will give you the tools of the trade to help your new hobby take flight!

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Join an Environmental Educator and take a leisurely stroll through one of our preserves. This is a great opportunity to get some exercise and learn about nature. Join us and take a closer look at plants, birds and other wildlife.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Join us for a walk at Grassy Lake Forest Preserve as we enjoy the sights and sounds of fall.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Join us for a guided night walk at one of this year’s Hike Lake County trails.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Starting native plants from seed can be challenging until you know the tricks to sparking germination. Discover what it means to stratify and scarify seeds and which species need which treatment.

Whether you are new to native gardening or a seasoned veteran, join us each month to learn about native plants and how to use them in your home landscapes.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Volunteer Certified Forest Therapy Guide, 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘢 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Discover what animals are awake and most active in the middle of the night. Explore hands-on crafts and activities, and feel scales, fur, and feathers of local wildlife.

Join us for a guided walk on one of this year’s Hike Lake County trails. Walk a new trail each session.

We will paddle the Lake at Independence Grove, highlighting its unique features and some of its inhabitants. Weather dependent, view the sunset and watch the full moon rise. Prior paddle experience recommended.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Join us for a guided walk on one of this year’s Hike Lake County trails. Walk a new trail each session.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Join a history educator to learn about the people, the land, and the events of this historic 1840s farmstead on this outdoor guided walking tour.

On this collaborative walk, join an environmental educator and a history educator to explore Lyons Woods and learn about both the land and the people who have lived here.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Homeschool families are invited to learn about the native gardens that surround the Ryerson Welcome Center and Ryerson Education Center and are used as a model of sustainable solutions to stormwater management as well as provide an accessible view of pollinator-friendly plants for Environmental Education programming.

Help us manage these gardens by assisting with on-going seasonal needs. Activities dependent on season and include weeding, planting, seed collection, pruning, and watering.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Sing, dance, laugh and learn about life down on the farm with Miss Jamie and her puppet animal friends! Kids use the power of their imagination to help with the chores, plant and harvest the crops, and pretend to be pollinators and more in this interactive musical show that’s fun for kids and grownups alike! Perfect for ages 3-7, but younger and older children will enjoy the show as well.

Controlled burning is one of the most effective ways to manage natural communities. Discover the advantages of prescribed burns and the criteria used to select appropriate sites and days.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves! Help our natural communities by removing invasive plants and helping native species thrive.

Go behind the scenes to learn how we restore native habitats and how you can help ensure they remain healthy forever.

Stop by our annual native tree and shrub sale and choose the perfect plant for your yard.