Old Forest photo exhibit at Four Rivers Channahon opens Tuesday

A traveling exhibit that focuses on old growth forests and savannas will open Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon.

“Lost and Found: Remnants of Savannas and Old-Growth Forests” will run through Sunday, Dec. 29. Exhibit hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.

The exhibit is on loan from the Chicago Botanic Garden and features large black-and-white photos with oversized pieces made up of smaller pictures hung together, according to a news release from the forest preserve district.

The photos were taken by Miles Lowry of St. Charles, who created the exhibit to highlight the role of forests and savannas in the local ecosystem for future generations, according to the forest preserve district.

In addition to the photography, visitors will be able to view a companion exhibit created by forest preserve district staff that features a huge interactive oak tree in the middle of the education center’s DuPage classroom, according to the forest preserve district.

“Visitors can open doors to peek inside the tree and see how different animals are using this mature tree,” Four Rivers program manager Jess McQuown said in the news release.

“They also will get to meet life-sized and over-sized animals using the tree as they would out in the wild. They can interact with leaf litter to see how decomposers keep forests healthy. On the walls, you’ll see many of the caterpillars who call oaks home. And you’ll get to learn about the oaks that grow specifically here in Will County with real examples of the unique leaves and acorns from our species,” McQuown said in the release.

Other complimentary programs are being offered in conjunction with the exhibit.

• Mushroom Wonders: 10 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 25. Learn more about the incredible fungus in the forest. Walk the trails in search of living organisms and then visit the “Lost and Found” exhibit. Free, all ages. Register by Oct. 24.
• Gifts From the Forest: 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov. 23, Four Rivers. Hike the forested areas to rediscover gifts the forest gives us, and then spend time giving back by removing invasive honeysuckle before sipping warm cocoa, tea or cider. Free, ages 14 and older. Register by Nov. 19.
• Upcycled Book Wreath: noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, Four Rivers. Create a festive wreath built from pages of old books. All supplies will be provided. Free, ages 14 and older. Register by Nov. 19.
• Four Rivers Story Trail: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1 to Sunday, Dec. 29, Four Rivers. Stroll down the paved Four Rivers Woodland Loop Trail and follow along with “Winter Trees” by Carole Gerber. Free, all ages. No registration is required.
• Season of Sticks: 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, Messenger Woods Nature Preserve, Homer Glen. Once the leaves have fallen, discover the beauty of individual tree species’ barks, the distinct shapes they form and the nests and cavities they created and protected earlier in the year. Free, all ages. Register by Dec. 20.

The “Lost and Found” exhibit at Four Rivers is made possible through the The Nature Foundation of Will County.