“Rose” sculpture at Forest Preserves of Cook County headquarters in River Forest. Thanks to the support of the Forest Preserve Foundation and CSX Transportation, there’s something new near the corner of Lake Street and Harlem Avenue in River Forest. It is a sculpture called “Rose.” Oak Park River and Forest High School students worked throughout […]
In the season of Thanksgiving: The gift of nature
I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving, because it provides a long weekend to spend time with family laughing, eating and playing outside. We go out of town and stay at the same hotel every year. The hotel’s location is perfect, because it is across the street from a large park that includes museums and the city’s […]
Four ways to #OptOutside in the Preserves during Thanksgiving weekend
#OptOutside this Thanksgiving weekend REI just released a report reminding us what we are seeing in our daily lives. The average American spends 95 percent of their life indoors. We are sitting too much. We are looking at screens instead of trees. We do not have moments to be bored and to daydream. We know […]
Foundation makes grants totaling $100,000
Conservation Corps crew members work on Preserves restoration. Cranberry Slough Nature Preserve is the Forest Preserves’ top ecological priority. The Forest Preserve Foundation is pleased to announce that it has awarded the following grants in three program areas—Conservation Corps, Restoration and Volunteer Recognition: Forest Preserve Experience/Conservation Corps ($50,000) This is a five-week summer jobs program […]
Foundation Friendraiser, Conservation Corps interns raise awareness
Lance Williams, Bria Foster, Luis Cabrales Conservation Corps veterans share their stories from the field “When people come on the trails and see us working and thank us for our hard work, that means the most to me.” —Bria Foster The Foundation held its second Friendraiser of 2017 on Nov. 2 at JP Morgan Chase […]
Family pays tribute to a Chicago couple who loved the forest preserves
Bike ride participants gather at “The Bench” before the taking off to the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Family pays tribute to a Chicago couple who loved the forest preserves Dave Simmons loves biking, especially through the forest preserves. The president of Friends of Cycling in Elk Grove grew up near the North Branch Trail and Thaddeus […]
Summer of 2017 Conservation Corps group the biggest yet
Conservation Corps crew members work in Dan Ryan Woods. 2017 Conservation Corps group the biggest yet From all over south Cook County they came. Calumet Heights. Hyde Park. Morgan Park. Ashburn. Beverly. They rose early on summer weekdays, arriving at their designated pick-up locations before 7:30 a.m. to be on site and ready to begin […]
Sustainability snapshot 4: Fresh Taste aims to relocalize Chicago foodshed
At another Chicago Sustainability Intern lunch, Foundation interns Emily Teerink and Ebony Ellis had the opportunity to learn about Fresh Taste. Fresh Taste formed in 2002 as an initiative by regional foundations that wanted to work together to relocalize the Chicago foodshed and improve equity of access to good food. It works to create efficient […]
Sustainability snapshot 3: Protecting the Great Lakes
Photo by Cassandra West Forest Preserve Foundation interns Emily Teerink and Ebony Ellis have been attending weekly Chicago Sustainability lunch presentations this summer. In this post, Emily writes about their visit to the Alliance for the Great Lakes: The mission of the Alliance for the Great Lakes is to protect and restore the Great Lakes for […]