Current Headlines

All Forest Preserve visitor centers will be closed Friday, December 10, so employees can attend an annual State of the District meeting. Four Rivers Environmental Education Center, Isle a la Cache Museum and Plum Creek Nature Center will reopen at 10 a.m. Saturday, and Sugar Creek Administration Center will reopen at 8 a.m. Monday. 

In addition to selling gift cards, which can be used for permits and programs, three of the Forest Preserve's visitor centers are stocked with unique nature-themed items that could be the perfect presents or stocking stuffers for your loved ones and friends.

Lockport resident Bob Bruining's photo featuring golden sugar maples viewed from the forest floor won November's portion of the Forest Preserve District's Preserve the Moment Photo Contest.

Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon is about to become a full-fledged visitor center with a 1,000-gallon aquarium, bird and mussel exhibits, an all-abilities trail and more. The work is underway and will continue into 2022.

The Forest Preserve District's 'Woods Walk' program was the perfect prescription for a retired Romeoville librarian whose doctor pushed her to start walking years ago. Now 83, Nancy Hackett has participated in most 'Woods Walk' programs and has discovered new trails and preserves because of it. 

The Forest Preserve's 2022 budget will fund the District's preservation and maintenance efforts and expand access to nature for Will County residents. 

November's episode of "The Buzz," the Forest Preserve's monthly nature show hits the road to visit the Indiana site where sandhill cranes gather during migration.

As the weather turns colder and leaves fall off the trees, coyotes may be more visible in late fall as young males seek new turf and food availability declines. But there are ways you can still live in harmony with the state's largest carnivore, which is beneficial to the environment. 

The Black Road trail connection project grew out of an idea formulated in the late 1990s to connect two trail systems at their closest point. The work culminated Friday, November 12, when the trail connection opened to the public. 

Officials gathered Friday, November 12, to celebrate the opening of a new path that links the DuPage River Trail in Shorewood with the Rock Run Greenway Trail in Joliet. The path's pedestrian bridges over the DuPage River and Interstate 55 will provide a safer route while connecting dozens of miles of regional trails. 

A video titled, "The Dam Project at Hammel Woods" is now available for viewing on the District's YouTube page. The video chronicles the dam removal process and explains why it was necessary and how it was done. 

This map is updated daily as another way to notify the public when a prescribed burn is being conducted.

Rockdale resident Antonio Joseph's photo of a chipmunk at Hammel Woods featured a close-up view of a creature that is normally seen scurrying away. 

The Steger Police Department donated 25 unclaimed bikes to the Forest Preserve District's fall 'Recycle Your Bicycle' program. Almost 1,200 bikes have been donated in the 10 years since the program began. 

Dog park permits can be purchased online or in person at Sugar Creek Administration Center starting Monday, November 1, and at three other visitor centers beginning on Tuesday, November 2. The permits can be used at all six Forest Preserve District dog parks and are good through December 31, 2022.