Nicholas Brown remembers volunteering at a forest preserve when he was in grade school. Then when he got to high school, he joined the environmental club. Those were the experiences he listed on his Student Conservation Association (SCA) application. SCA wanted to know about his experiences in nature and what he might gain from future […]
The Foundation’s 2019 Annual Report is ready. We invite you to read it and learn about the work the Foundation has done this year. Indeed, the last 12 months have been ones of growth and impact for us. We continued to increase our investments in next-generation environmental leaders and key restoration projects in the Forest […]
Forest Preserve Foundation board members, donors and guests pose after their hike through Cap Sauers Holding Preserve. Editor’s note: Earlier this year, the Foundation supported restoration efforts in Cap Sauers Holding Preserves with funds received from a generous anonymous donor. On Oct. 5, two Forest Preserve staff members led a walk through the Preserves to […]
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 […]
The board and staff of the Forest Preserve Foundation offers a hearty thank you to everyone, for their support of the 8th annual Conservation Cup! Because of the generosity of sponsors, board members, friends and supporters, we exceeded our goal again this year, raising a total of $206,000! This success is due to the hard work […]
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 […]
At its February board meeting, the Forest Preserve Foundation Board of Directors approved the nominations of two new board members, Jim Beck and Stephen Friedman. Their board terms begin in May. “We are pleased to welcome Jim and Steve to the Foundation’s board,” Board Chair Stu Cohn said. “Both have demonstrated their commitment to the Foundation through their […]
After serving on the Conservation Cup Host Committee last year, Justin Erkfritz-Gay had an opportunity to become more involved with the Foundation’s annual—and largest—fundraiser. He was asked to take on the role of committee co-chair. He agreed without hesitation. “It’s a great opportunity for me to do more and continue the legacy of making the Cup a great […]
After successfully completing a nine-month green industry training program, 13 participants were ready to step out and apply what they had learned. Nov. 30 was their graduation day and I was there to watch it all unfold. Started in 1994, Greencorps Chicago is a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps program that offers job opportunities to […]
While the air is filled with the roar of chainsaws and the smell of burning wood, a Conservation Corps team was hard at work clearing brush in Wentworth Woods Forest Preserve. This was the scene on a mid-December morning, when my fellow intern, Sam, and I ventured out to work in the field. We were […]
