Forest Preserve District of Will County

The 17th MLK Day of Service in Joliet attracted 700 volunteers performing 2,100 service hours in 30 different projects.

Beginning Friday, 19 paintings depicting Smokey Bear, the immensely popular symbol of the U.S. Forest Service’s wildfire prevention campaign, will be on display at four Will County forest preserve visitor centers.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s annual celebration of bald eagles will be held 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon.

Mark your calendars now with the dates of Forest Preserve District of Will County’s events and programs in the new year.

Sarah Goodin of Channahon completed all 212 of the Fall Frolic missions to win the Forest Preserve District of Will County's Take It Outside Challenge.

Destinee Ortiz of Romeoville was elected president of Will County Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners during a reorganization meeting held on Thursday, Dec. 19.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Healing with Nature series features six Will County residents and their stories.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County will close all of its visitor centers after 12 p.m. on Tuesday and all day on Wednesday, for the Christmas holiday. All preserves, including dog parks, will be closed on Wednesday. .

Here are the Forest Preserve District of Will County programs for the week of Dec. 2. Online registration is available on the Event Calendar at ReconnectWithNature.org.

Forest Preserve District of Will County gift shops are stocked with unique gifts for the holiday shopping season and Museum Store Sunday on Dec. 1.

Museums around the world - and in Will County are participating, giving patrons a chance to learn and shop on Museum Store Sunday..

The Will County Forest Preserve District approved its 2025 budget, including a reduction of property taxes by 27% while still funding capital improvements.

Sunday, Dec. 1, through Tuesday, Dec. 31, on designated Will County forest preserve trails, run a virtual 5K. Choose one of 11 designated trails to run your own race in December.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County is seeking participants for its volunteer morning program, gathering seeds for future restoration efforts or clearing brush to give native plants room to grow.

The Indige-Facts traveling exhibit at the Isle a la Cache Museum covers such topics as terminology, population size and the sovereign rights of Native people.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Take It Outside Challenge challenges participants to complete nature-themed missions to earn points and win prizes. Two Take It Outside Meetups are scheduled for Oct. 23 and Nov. 17.

A new trail connection wraps along and under the 135th Street bridge in Romeoville on the east side of the I&M Canal, and links 14.5 miles of continuous pathway, allowing travel from Lemont to Joliet.

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.

The Nature Foundation held its first board meeting in 2014 as the Friends of the Forest Preserve District of Will County. Since then, the nonprofit has raised funds to make education programs, infrastructure improvements possible.

Hidden Lakes Trout Farm in Bolingbrook will be hosting a Trout Season Celebration beginning at 6 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19.

Fall Frolic, running Oct. 6- Dec. 24, will take people of all ages on an adventure across Will County forest preserves.

Wear your favorite costume and search for spooktacular natural and super-natural items in the forest at the Spooky Scavenger Hunt at Four River Education Center in Channahon.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County is throwing a Pelican Party on Saturday, Sept. 28 at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon. Live pelican presentations are scheduled.

Goodenow Grove Campground in Crete is holding a Family Campout from Saturday, Sept. 28, to Sunday, Sept. 29. Forest Preserve District staff will help with setup and be there with entertainment.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County will host “Indige-Facts” an exhibit examining Native Americans contributions to society at Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville.

Close out summer with a fishing excursion to idden Lakes Trout Farm in Bolingbrook. Two-hour sessions will be offered at 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., on Saturday, Sept. 21.

A new kayak rental station is now up and running at Will County’s Lake Chaminwood Preserve in Channahon and is ready to go for the Labor Day weekend.

Participants who hike at least seven of 10 designated trails in Will County forest preserves this fall earn a special medallion that can be pinned to a backpack or walking stick.

Tuesdays through Sundays, Sept. 1-29, at Hidden Lakes Trout Farm in Bolingbrook stop by the Tackle Box bait shop to pick up your guide to the scavenger hunt.

Indige-Facts Exhibit will be held this fall at Isle a la Cache in Romeoville and features facts about contemporary Native Americans, terminology and population size to the sovereign rights of Native people.

A new paved path connecting the Lake Chaminwood Preserve in Channahon to the I&M Canal State Trail is now open. This new trail section connects via a bridge over the canal.

Explore the habitat of local bat species in Will County and watch bats emerge go out on their nightly hunt at Hammel Woods in Shorewood.

Rise and Shine Paddle will be held the morning of Thursday, Aug. 22. at the Will County forest preserve in Monee Township.

The Will County Forest District Board voted Aug. 8 to acquire 57-acres at cost of $1,037,400 to grow the forest preserve in Channahon.

Come out to the Plum Creek Nature Center to see these fascinating birds up close and check out monarch and honeybee displays at forest preserve programs.

View nesting herons, egrets and cormorants at Lake Renwick while the rookery is closed for nesting season.

Museum Campus Day at the Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville is a good day trip and educational family outing.

Backpacking 101 Part 1 – Introduction to Backpacking will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 27, at the center in Channahon, 25055 S Walnut Lane. Register by Friday, July 26.

The Will County Forest Preserve District is hosting a program at the Braidwood Dunes and Savanna in Reed Township on Saturday, July 27

Explore the stone foundations of Joliet’s once-thriving industrial plant that are over 100 years old.

The Nature Foundation of Will County presented a $33,400 donation check to the Forest Preserve at the District to be used for a variety of programs and projects.

Fish at night when the water is cooler and fish are more active at some Will County forest preserves this month.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County’s spring Take It Outside Challenge ended with seven first-place winners and hundreds of fun memories and accomplishments for participants.

These are the Forest Preserve District of Will County programs for the week of June 24. Online registration is available on the Event Calendar at ReconnectWithNature.org.

Isle a la Cache Museum hosts a drop-in for a self-guided exploration of the campus on Sunday, June 22. Visit the 18th century-era Traders Cabin or peek inside the Native American longhouse.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County family event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday in Romeoville celebrates pollinators and the special role they play in our lives. Admission is free.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County board voted 16-2 for a bond plan with the only no votes from two commissioners who stirred an online campaign to reject the proposal.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources sponsors one weekend each summer to sample fishing without requiring a fishing license.

Two Forest Preserve District of Will County commissioners who plan to vote against $50 million bond plan pay for poll that shows opposition.

Commissioners point to popularity of preserves.