The Forest Preserve Foundation had a tremendous response to its Oct. 22 symposium (recording above) that featured two panel discussions on the topic “Racial Equity and Access to Nature.” More than 300 people from around the country joined the virtual 90-minute program. Third annual An annual Foundation event, the symposium brought together six environmental leaders […]
With assist from REI, volunteers help keep Palos trail ready for bikers
Volunteers remove invasive brush during a stewardship workday at Camp Bullfrog Lake. David Ventre, an avid mountain biker who lives on the North Side of Chicago, loves cycling through the Palos trails. Winding through rolling hills and deep ravines, the extensive Palos Trail Systems in south Cook County, offer beautiful views of the Forest Preserves. […]
Spring Symposium showcased breadth of the Preserves
Thersa Salus, left to right, Anely Lopez, Nicholas Brown and Ambassador Fay Hartog-Levin. From one presentation that offered a broad view of what’s happening in the Forest Preserves to another that covered a variety of conservation projects, the Foundation’s Spring Symposium enlightened many on the Preserves’ value and significance. The symposium also underscored the various […]
Show your love for your local outdoors — with help from REI
Here at the Forest Preserve Foundation, we love our local outdoors. But you already know we do. Still, when there’s a chance to have more funds directed toward ensuring that the Forest Preserves of Cook County are protected and maintained, we are on it. Because that’s our mission. We depend on the community to support […]
How a snowshoeing class in the Forest Preserves led to love, then marriage
Brian Murphy and Karen Quasny were strangers when they met on a moonlit and extremely cold night in 2014. They had gone to Spears Woods for a snowshoeing class put on by REI, the outdoor recreation company. Both were separated and interested in activities that allowed them to enjoy the outdoors, which they each loved. They […]
Nature’s fix: Being outdoors can be a balm for your soul
THE OUTDOOR LIFE By Erin Starkey What feeds your soul? Brings you calm during a storm? A few years ago, I realized the answer was being outdoors. I was working as the director of a mental health department for a large local non-profit. This was work that I loved and was at times also very […]