8/13/2021: Food trucks are back, so grab a bite to eat in the great outdoors.
7/30/2021: Join us to celebrate the completion of the new Native American lifeways exhibit and see all the recent improvements around the preserve, plus taste the offerings from local food trucks.
8/6/2021: Food trucks are back, so grab a bite to eat in the great outdoors.
8/20/2021: Food trucks are back, so grab a bite to eat in the great outdoors.
8/27/2021: Food trucks are back, so grab a bite to eat in the great outdoors.
The event schedule offers a wide range of activities that are sprinkled throughout the year to inspire patrons to revisit sites they already love and to motivate others to discover a new place to enjoy the outdoors. Art, food, nature and fitness are all on tap as we get underway for some fun in '21.
The family-friendly food truck program rotates between four preserves from June through August. In addition to grabbing a bite to eat and a dessert, attendees can participate in fun activities and relax on the grass to socialize. Or they can grab a to-go meal to enjoy at home. Check the Event Calend
Isle a la Cache Museum immerses visitors in our cultural heritage and natural history. The museum transports visitors back to the 18th century, when "Illinois Country" was home to the fur trade.
The 182 quilts depict endangered species from around the world, highlighting their plight and the need for human intervention to prevent their extinction. Quilters throughout the country created the colorful 24-inch-by-24-inch quilted panels that will be on display through July 25 at Forest Preserve
The Monee Reservoir Visitor Center offers a variety of educational and recreational opportunities
The new shelter at Isle a la Cache preserve overlooks the Des Plaines River and has a maximum capacity of 150 people. The shelter is a perfect spot for weddings, birthdays, reunions and other family and organizational gatherings.
The series of educational stories and social media posts will focus on the costs of litter and the damage it does to flora and fauna. The campaign also will seek to enlist members of the public to refrain from littering or to clean up the mess left behind by others in an effort to protect Will Count
The 249-acre Whalon Lake was acquired between 1992 and 2007. The preserve is part of the DuPage River preservation system, which conserves more than 1,500 acres.
Hickory Creek Preserve has three shelters available at Hickory Creek Junction and the LaPorte Road Access, and a permit is required for all groups of 25 or more to use a shelter.
The Forest Preserve offers canoeing and kayaking opportunities at locations throughout Will County.
After peeling back the layers, this unique preserve conserves a piece of the 'City of Steel's' heritage.
Four Rivers Environmental Education Center is located at 25055 W. Walnut Lane, off of Blackberry Lane south of Bridge Street, in Channahon.
8/5/2021: Anyone interested in local history will enjoy this insightful tour of the blue-collar origins of Joliet.
At one time, McKinley Woods in Channahon was a German prisoner of war camp.
Get to know the eight species that call the preserves home.
Whalon Lake has two shelters available, and a permit is required for all groups of 25 or more to use a shelter.
The 445-acre Hammel Woods was acquired between 1930 and 2011. The preserve is part of the DuPage River preservation system, which conserves more than 1,500 acres.
Isle a la Cache Preserve has one shelter available, and a permit is required for all groups of 25 or more to use a shelter. Groups smaller than 25 also can purchase a permit, which grants exclusive use of a shelter for the entire day.
The 1,541-acre Hickory Creek Preserve was acquired between 1942 and 2010. The preserve is part of the Hickory Creek preservation system, which conserves more than 2,000 acres.
7/30/2021: Join us for an evening of music, a campfire and the potential to see some shooting stars.
9/16/2021: Contribute to your community, support your local environment, meet fellow nature-lovers and get some fresh air and exercise.
A 40-acre Homer Township purchase will expand Hadley Valley Preserve and provide a missing link for a Spring Creek Greenway Trail extension, and a 40-acre Washington Township donation will begin the establishment of a new eastern Will County preserve.
The new Joliet Iron Works signs were installed this past winter, and they focus more on the workers who braved great heat and heights to earn their paychecks and the neighborhoods and gathering sites they built in and around downtown Joliet.
The Hadley Valley Habitat Restoration project is an ongoing project conducted at multiple locations in Hadley Valley in several phases over the past decade with the assistance of various grants and partnerships.
As part of its "Litter: Public Enemy No. 1" campaign, the Forest Preserve District has scheduled a public litter cleanup day on July 31 at Hadley Valley – Gougar Road Access in Joliet. And free pickers are being given away to the first 100 people who request them at five visitor centers.
The royal-sounding queen snake is common in the Great Lakes region. This snake, often seen near water, is sometimes confused with the garter snake and the northern water snake. Learn what sets it apart.
Test your knowledge with this 10-question quiz.
The 387-acre Riverview Farmstead Preserve was acquired between 1994 and 2012. The preserve is part of the DuPage River preservation system, which conserves more than 1,500 acres.
Despite the trepidation many people feel toward bats, they play a crucial role in the world, one that is critical to our survival.
Learn more about the northern water snake, one of the most common water snakes in Illinois.