This Black Friday, take a tip from our friends at REI and #OptOutside instead of waiting in line at the mall. Spending Black Friday outside is better for your wallet and your health, more respectful to service industry employees, and way more fun. Here’s how you can have an adventure in the Forest Preserves of […]
By Sarah Dennis Cycling on the North Branch Trail through the Forest Preserves of Cook County brought incredible joy to Beth Katsaros and me, her eldest daughter, during the summer of 1998. My mom and I were training for the six-day, 500-mile bike ride from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Chicago to raise money for organizations supporting […]
Under a cloudless sky on the last day of July, something special happened in Dan Ryan Woods. The Forest Preserves of Cook County, its partners and community members celebrated the opening of the new Nature Play and Treehouse on a site, located near the northeast corner of 87th Street and Western Avenue. The Forest Preserve […]
Anyone who appreciates the Forest Preserves of Cook County can share something about what makes them special. At the Foundation’s recent “Summer Soiree,” several speakers did just that. Board member Jeff Gray recalled kicking off summer with a ride along the “swatch of green” that is the North Branch Trail all the way to Lake […]
The Forest Preserve Foundation awarded a $250,000 grant to the Forest Preserves of Cook County in early February, thanks to the generosity of a Palos-area resident whose gift was inspired by seeing Preserves staff and volunteers working in Cap Sauers Holding Preserve last summer. The donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, expressed the hope that […]
On an October day that was perfect for “splashing in puddles,” as her niece happily did, Cornelia Grumman and her family took a stroll through Perkins Woods. Grumman is the great granddaughter of Prairie School architect Dwight Perkins, for whom the small patch of woodlands in Northwest Evanston is named. The Forest Preserves of Cook […]
The subject line of the email I received from a colleague at the Forest Preserves of Cook County was certainly intriguing… “You’re Invited to a Guided Forest Therapy Walk.” Born and raised in the Northwest Suburbs, I’m no stranger to the Forest Preserves. They’re woven into the fabric of my life in memories of picnics, trips with […]
During its November meeting, the Forest Preserve Foundation board of directors approved four grants for the fall cycle totaling $122,530. The grants will go to support restoration/conservation, internships, volunteer training and recognition programs within the Forest Preserves of Cook County. This latest round of grants increases the Foundation’s total giving since its inception to in […]
Isoo O’Brien may be Cook County’s youngest birding expert. The 15 year old has led walks for the Evanston North Shore Bird Club and through the Chicago Botanic Garden. In May, he led walks in LaBagh Woods, part of the Forest Preserves of Cook County, for the International Migratory Bird Celebration Day. That’s where Foundation […]
The 2018 Conservation Cup winning foursome with the trophy. Under a spectacular September sky, the Foundation held its seventh annual Conservation Cup at the George W. Dunne National Golf Course. The Sept. 13 tournament raised a record $210,000 through corporate and individual sponsorships and proceeds from a live auction and a raffle. Conservation Cup is […]
