Current headlines

The Forest Preserve District has launched a campaign to get people to stop using or creating unauthorized trails in the preserves. The illegal paths harm the ecosystem and can cause safety issues. Signs have been installed to keep people out of sensitive natural areas. 

Barricades were removed Tuesday, Aug. 20, signaling the end of construction work at Lake Chaminwood Preserve in Channahon. The project included two new accessible fishing piers and the extension of the lake's loop trail to the I&M Canal State Trail via a new bridge over the canal.

McKinley Woods in Channahon will expand by 57 acres after the Board of Commissioners voted on Aug. 8 to approve the acquisition. The purchase will make the preserve easier to maintain and restore by expanding access in a hard-to-reach area. 

Isle a la Cache Museum has four new colorful backpacks chock full of activities and helpful nature information that will guide outdoor exploration. The Bugs, Birds, By the River and Tree backpacks are free to use during museum hours on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Honey being sold at Hidden Lakes Trout Farm in Bolingbrook comes from bees that sip a wide variety of nectar to produce many different varieties of the sweet stuff. The Bee All About It honey ranges from buckwheat to wildflowers. 

In the third installment of the Forest Preserve's Healing With Nature series, Beecher resident John Keslin talks about how he's still having fun playing the harmonica in nature, even though he is facing serious health issues. 

The outdoor education and celebration space at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon has increased this year with the addition of a shelter along the Des Plaines River. 

The Forest Preserve District's General Use Ordinance No. 124 prohibits the feeding or baiting of wildlife in the preserves and violators will be ticketed. The prohibited activity can lead to disease transmission, overpopulation and illnesses in wildlife. 

While the bulk of Take It Outside challenge participants are from Will County, many are crossing county lines to take part in this popular program. 

The Take It Outside Challenge has received an Outstanding Environmental Education Program Award from the Illinois Parks and Recreation Association's Forest Preserve and Conservation Section. The 2023 challenge drew 1,2000 participants in its inaugural year.