Current headlines

Featured news

All news

• A man, woman, and their dog pose for a photo along a tree-lined trail.

  ‘TV can wait’: What it takes to climb to the top of the Take It Outside Challenge leader board

  10/23/2023

  As the 2023 Take It Outside Challenge draws to a close, find out more about the participants who have been at or near the top of the leader board. Even if they don't win prizes, these couples say participating in the challenge is the ultimate reward. 

  Read more
• October 'Buzz' highlights spooky creatures and fall colors

  10/20/2023

  Tune in to this month's 'Buzz' nature show for spooky creatures and fall colors. The October episode debuts at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, on Facebook and YouTube. 

  Read more
• A display of artifacts from Joliet Iron Works, including a photo and a brick.

  Hear riveting tales of Joliet’s industrial past with ‘Stories from Steel’ exhibit 

  10/16/2023

  'Stories from Steel,' a Joliet Iron Works artifact exhibit, will be on display at Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville from Nov. 1 through Jan. 31. Each item on display will tell its own story to weave together a tale of Joliet's industrial past. 

  Read more
• A man gets into a kayak by using an accessible launch.

  Leaving the wheelchair behind: Accessible kayak launch provides a smooth, dry experience

  10/4/2023

  Adaptive 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. 

  Read more
• A Forest Preserve bike repair station along a trail.

  Two new bicycle repair stations installed along Forest Preserve trails

  10/2/2023

  Need 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.

  Read more
• A sign explaining what the Golden Opportunity exhibit entails.

  Mellow yellow 'Golden Opportunity' art exhibition runs through Dec. 31 at Four Rivers

  10/2/2023

  The 'Golden Opportunity' exhibition from the Denver Botanic Garden will be on display through Dec. 31 at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon. The art exhibition caps off a year of related programming that examines color in nature.

  Read more
• An aerial view of Joliet Iron Works.

  I&M Canal Trail section at Joliet Iron Works to close for ComEd work

  10/2/2023

  A short section of the I&M Canal Trail at Joliet Iron Works is scheduled to close starting Oct. 4 for a ComEd project. Path users will be detoured onto a service road. The project is expected to last until the end of the year. 

  Read more
• A herd of bison walk through a tallgrass prairie.

  See where the bison roam at Midewin in September's 'Buzz' episode

  9/22/2023

  Tune in to September's episode of 'The Buzz' to see bison roaming Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie and learn more about restoration efforts at the 20,283-acre Will County site owned by the U.S. Forest Service. 

  Read more
• A man and woman take a selfie along a trail.

  ‘We loved them all!': Shorewood couple among the first to hike all 10 Woods Walk trails

  9/21/2023

  A Shorewood couple is among the first to complete all 10 Woods Walk trails this year, just 10 days after the challenge started Sept. 1. Woods Walk runs through Nov. 30, so there's plenty of time to hike seven of the 10 trails to earn a commemorative medallion.

  Read more
• A Forest Preserve volunteer carrying brush.

  Do a good deed while enjoying nature with our Volunteer Mornings this fall

  9/20/2023

  As temperatures dip and energy levels rebound, consider signing up for a fourth quarter Volunteer Morning program. It's a great way to be outdoors, keep moving and meet other nature lovers. 

  Read more