title
PROPOSED CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Department: Department of Conservation and Experiential Programming
Summary: Forest Preserves of Cook County Calendar of Events and Activities 4/13/2021 - 5/11/2021
Please check the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s website, www.fpdcc.com/events, for updates and changes.
All Month
Earth Month Spring Cleaning Donation Drive, River Trail Nature Center, Northbrook
Usable goods do not belong in landfills. Drop off your gently used clothing and household items to help others in need. Donation drive supports GiveNKind, an organization connecting goods to non-profits in order to benefit our community and our environment.
Tuesday, 4/13 through Tuesday, 5/11
Brookfield Zoo Spring Run, Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield
Brookfield Zoo’s first-ever Virtual 5K Spring Run/Walk takes you outdoors to enjoy the warm weather and glorious colors of spring. You choose the time and place-take a hike in a forest preserve, jog along a waterfront trail, or stroll through a neighborhood, for example. Or if you enjoy competition, run the full 5K (3.1-miles) and compare your time with other runners. Each runner will receive a numbered bib and commemorative swag included with registration. To register, visit Brookfield Zoo website.
Tuesday, 4/13 through Monday, 9/6
Dinos Everywhere! Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield
Over 40 animatronic dinosaurs that are BIGGER and BADDER than ever before have arrived at Brookfield Zoo. Dinos Everywhere! features acres of earth shakers, including the largest Argentinosaurus that was estimated to measure more than 100 feet in length and weigh up to 110 tons. Zoogoers will be able to search for this amazing life-like animatronics located throughout the park.
Thursday, 4/15 through 5/18
Native Plant Sale
We are partnering with West Cook Wild Ones again this year for a Spring Native Plant Sale. Sales are open March 16-May 18 at westcook.wildones.org/plantsale. Pick up locations include 2199 1st Ave, Maywood and Sagawau Environmental Learning Center, Lemont. Facemasks required.
Thursday, 4/15; 8am
Bird Walk, Eggers Grove, Chicago
Join a naturalist for a walk while looking for local birds. Visit aprilbirdwalkeggers.eventbrite.com Registration and facemasks required.
Saturday, 4/17; 11am (Facebook Live)
Peak into the Pond, Little Red Schoolhouse Facebook Page
Join us for a virtual Pond dipping experience to discover the wonders beneath the water LIVE from the Pond on Facebook. Suitable for a general audience.
Saturday, 4/17; 12pm - 3pm
Explore: Pulaski Woods-South, Pulaski Woods-South, Willow Springs
Adults and families, come explore on your own with one of our self-guided exploration activities or join us on a guided hike! We will also have litter pickup supplies available if you would like to help in cleaning up the preserves, and a take-home activity for you to continue your adventure at home. Facemasks required.
Saturday, 4/17 and Sunday, 4/18; 11am, 12:30pm, or 2pm
GPS Scavenger hunt, River Trail Nature Center, Northbrook
Learn about and participate in a technology inspired scavenger hunt. Registration and facemasks required. Limited spaces. Call 847-824-8360.
Sunday, 4/18; 1:30pm
Watercolor Spring, Sand Ridge Nature Center, South Holland
A great way to appreciate nature is to paint it! We will go a quick hike to gather inspiration and then spend time in our Story Circle painting the many beautiful Spring flowers we see this time of year. Paper and watercolors will be available. Registration and facemasks required. Call 708-868-0606, or email sandridge.naturecenter@cookcountyil.gov.
Sunday, 4/18 through Sunday, 4/25
Celebrate Earth Week, Sagawau Environmental Learning Center, Lemont
Join us for a week-long celebration, learning how to protect and clean-up the Forest Preserves. Self-guided wildflower walks and in-person programming including a bird hike and garlic mustard pulls will give you opportunity to enjoy nature throughout the week. Various walk and hike themes available. Please visit fpdcc.com/celebrate-earth-day-with-the-forest-preserves for more information. Some events require registration and facemasks are required for all in-person activities.
Monday, 4/19 through Thursday 4/22, and Saturday 4/25; 10am - 12pm
Nature’s Pop-up, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Willow Springs
Join a naturalist as we discuss conservation, water quality, composting, and invasive species removal and how it ties into Earth Week. Registration and facemasks required. For a complete schedule of activities, check out Little Red Schoolhouse’s Facebook page or the list at the nature center welcome tent.
Monday, 4/19 through Sunday, 4/25
Earth day SOLO Clean Up
The Forest Preserves of Cook County will be celebrating Earth Week from Monday April 19-April 25. Celebrate with us by doing your part in helping remove litter at Litter Hotspots. Anyone can commit to regularly volunteering in the Preserves through the Select Organized Litter Obliterators, or SOLO, program. SOLO volunteers can choose to go to a Litter Hotspot (specific locations) for litter clean up or any Forest Preserves site of their choosing. Volunteer information can be found on the Forest Preserves’ website at fpdcc.com/volunteer. We will provide bags and gloves for you to give back to the earth on this special day. Please visit fpdcc.com/celebrate-earth-day-with-the-forest-preserves for locations, dates, and times.
Wednesday, 4/21; 12pm (Facebook Live)
Plug into Nature: Introduction to iNaturalist, Sand Ridge Nature Center Facebook Page
Get prepared for the City Nature Challenge (an international citizen scientist project documenting nature in urban centers) by turning your phone on to iNaturalist; a free program used globally to discover and document wild plants and animals. We will go over the basics of iNaturalist in a Facebook. If you want to test iNaturalist with us in-person, sign up for our 4/25 in-person hike.
Thursday, 4/22, Saturday and Sunday, 4/24 - 4/25; 9:30am - 11:30am
Garlic Mustard Pull, Sagawau Environmental Learning Center, Lemont
Welcome back wildflowers and wildlife by removing the harmful garlic mustard. All ages. Call Sagawau at 630-257-2045. Registration and Facemasks required.
Thursday, 4/22; 4pm - 7pm
Earth Day Celebration Drop-In, Maple Lake Boating Center, Willow Springs
Stop by Maple Lake Boating Center to participate in litter cleanup, self-guided activities, and grab a take-home DIY kit to celebrate the week of Earth Day. Facemask required. For more information, visit experience.camping@cookcountyil.gov.
Thursday, 4/22; 2pm (Facebook Live)
Earth Day - Nature's Heroes, Crabtree Nature Center Facebook Page
Join us to learn a little about some the female pioneers in the environmental movement.
Thursday, 4/22; 7pm (Zoom)
Earth Day: Nature Trivia Night! Crabtree Nature Center, Barrington Hills
Grab a beverage of your choice and Zoom into our online Nature Trivia challenge! Ages 16 and up. Call 847-381-6592 to register for Zoom link.
Thursday, 4/22; Drop in: 12pm - 5pm, Hikes: 12pm and 4pm
Earth Day Celebration, LaBagh Woods, Chicago
Commemorate Earth Day with the Cook County Forest Preserves! Staff-led hikes, on non-paved trails, will take place at noon and 4pm. Participants can also support the county-wide litter cleanup as well as create a project using recycled materials. Registration required for hikes. Facemasks required. Litter cleanup and other activities are drop in. Contact experience.nature@cookcountyil.gov for more information and visit, www.eventbrite.com/e/earth-day-celebration-tickets.
Thursday, 4/22; 7pm (Zoom)
Trailside Nature Book Club, Trailside Museum, River Forest
We will be discussing the book Why Fish Don’t Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller. Please call 708-366-6530 to register, and we will send you the Zoom link so you can join us virtually.
Friday, 4/23; 8pm
Spring Sensory Night Hike, Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center, Willow Springs
Join a naturalist as we hike along the trail opening our senses to the tunes and wonders of the night. Ages: 10 and older. Hiking pace is average to slow. Registration and facemasks required. Call (708)839-6897.
Saturday, 4/24; 9am - 3pm
Earth Day Celebration, Sand Ridge Nature Center, South Holland
Celebrate Earth Day with a self-guided litter cleanup along the Burnham Greenway, take home artmaking project, nature play, and Earth Day-themed games. Facemasks required.
Saturday, 4/24; 11am
Creative Reuse: Bird Feeders, Sand Ridge Nature Center, South Holland
Use things you commonly have at home to make unique bird feeders for our feathered friends.
Registration and facemasks required. Call 708-868-0606, visit in-person or email: sandridge.naturecenter@cookcountyil.gov.
Saturday, 4/24; 9am - 10:15am, 10:45am - 12pm
Earth Day Celebration with the BackYard Nature Center, Tower Road Boat Launch, Northfield
Celebrate the 51st anniversary of Earth Day with a morning of service, learning and exploration. Activities include nature play, fishing clinic, guided hike, litter cleanup, monitoring and stewardship exhibits, and a demonstration on how to repurpose buckthorn. Registration and facemasks required. Contact experience.nature@cookcountyil.gov for more information.
Saturday, 4/24; 10am (Facebook Live)
Ribbit, Croak, or Chirp: Frogs and their Calls, Crabtree Nature Center Facebook Page
One of the best ways to identify frogs is through their calls during the spring and early summer mating season. Get ready by learning which frogs are common in our area and learn to identify them through sight and sound.
Saturday, 4/24: 9am - 2pm
Earth Day: A Party for the Planet, Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield
Every day is Earth Day at Brookfield Zoo, but on this very special day we will be showcasing some of the steps you can take that will make a difference for animals across the globe! If you have been storing items in your basement and garage waiting for the perfect time and most Earth-friendly way to dispose of them, you can recycle them at Brookfield Zoo. The zoo will be collecting electronics, textiles, and used books. For more details, visit the Chicago Zoological Society website.
Sunday, 4/25; 1:30pm
Plug into Nature: Introduction to iNaturalist, Sand Ridge Nature Center, South Holland
Get prepared for the City Nature Challenge (an international citizen scientist project documenting nature in urban centers) by turning your phone om to iNaturalist; a free program used globally to discover and document wild plants and animals. We will use iNaturalist on an in-person walk to get users comfortable with the program in the field. Registration and facemasks required. Call 708-868-0606, visit in-person or email sandridge.naturecenter@cookcountyil.gov.
Sunday, 4/25; 10:30am and 1:30pm
Spring Stroll, River Trail Nature Center, Northbrook
A walk to highlight the signs of spring. Registration and facemasks required. Call 847-824-8360 to register. All ages.
Sunday, 4/25; 12pm - 3pm
Celebrating Earth Day, Crabtree Nature Center, Barrington Hills
Create a cute native animal out of recycled materials, learn how to go greener in your cleaning, pick up supplies to clean-up a preserve or neighborhood park and/or start a native plant to take home for your garden in our Mini Earth Day Celebration. Facemasks required.
Friday, 4/30; 4pm
City Nature Challenge and Nature Journaling, Killdeer Wetlands, Tinley Park
Join us to document Cook County’s biodiversity in the City Nature Challenge. Hundreds of cities worldwide will compete to see who can make the most observations of urban flora and fauna, find the most species, and get the most people participating. We will use iNaturalist.org or the iNaturalist app to take photos that will be added to the challenge on www.chicagowilderness.org/page/citynaturechallenge. We will also be offering a chance to journal. Nature journaling improves observational skills and memory, connecting you to nature in a new way. For artists and non-artists alike, come join us to try this rewarding practice. Registration required at citynaturechallenge2021.eventbrite.com. Facemasks required.
Friday, 4/30; 6:30pm
Creative Reuse: Bird Feeders, Sand Ridge Nature Center, South Holland
Kickstart the 2021 City Nature Challenge weekend with a sunset walk on our trails. We’ll work together to find and document the nature around us to help study and protect it. More information can be found at citynaturechallange.org. Registration and facemasks required. Call 708-868-0606, visit in-person, or email sandridge.naturecenter@cookcountyil.gov.
Saturday, 5/11 through Monday, 9/6
Dinos Everywhere! Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield
Over 40 animatronic dinosaurs that are BIGGER and BADDER than ever before have arrived at Brookfield Zoo. Dinos Everywhere features acres of earth shakers, including the largest-argentinosaurus-that was estimated to measure more than 100 feet in length and weigh up to 110 tons. Zoogoers will be able to search for these amazing life-like animatronics located throughout the park.
Saturday, 5/11 through Sunday, 5/30
Brookfield Zoo Spring Run, Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield
Brookfield Zoo’s first-ever Virtual 5K Spring Run/Walk takes you outdoors to enjoy the warm weather and glorious colors of spring. You choose the time and place-take a hike in a forest preserve, jog along a waterfront trail, or stroll through a neighborhood, for example. Or if you enjoy competition, run the full 5K (3.1-miles) and compare your time with other runners. Each runner will receive a numbered bib and commemorative swag included with registration. To register, visit the Chicago Zoological Society website.
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