Outdoors

Spring trout fishing season kicks off in April. That means the annual Kids’ Fishing Day sponsored by the Northern Illinois Anglers Association is nearing.

Beginning Wednesday, a portion of the Rock Run Greenway Trail in Joliet is scheduled to close for several months.

A Wellness Workshop –Wellness Workshop – Our Place in Nature: 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, at the Sugar Creek Administration Center, Joliet.

The Village of Channahon announced Monday that construction on the I&M Canal Gateway Project at 25450 W. Eames St. is beginning this week.

As spring creeps closer and closer, gardeners start to get the itch to go outside and start digging in the dirt.

Forest Preserve District of Will County programs offer plenty of family fun for spring break outings in March.

Tracy Chapman of Shorewood has been named incoming executive director by the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s Board of Commissioners. 

Join a naturalist for a hike to find wildflowers and hear stories of how these beauties were named on Thursday, March 20, at the Raccoon Grove Nature Preserve in Will County.

March is Women’s History Month and the Forest Preserve District of Will County will be hosting events to celebrate.

The March session of the Will County forest preserve district’s monthly Wellness Series will feature a presentation from The Conservation Foundation on its NatureRx initiative.

As tickets for spring and summer concert tours, festivals and sporting events begin to go on sale, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul cautioned about ticket scams.

Learn the do’s and don’ts for birdhouses and bird feeders at a Forest Preserve District of Will County webinar Wednesday, Feb. 26.

Join the Forest Preserve District of Will County for Fossil Rock Weekend at Four Rivers Environmental Education Center.

Enjoy a day on the slopes and trails at these downhill and cross-country skiing locations in the suburbs and northwest Illinois.

Learn why. when and how the Forest Preserve District of Will County uses fire as a tool for conserving and restoring the habitats from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30, at Sugar Creek Administration Center in Joliet.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County will host a Mutts and Mugs program from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, at Forked Creek Preserve near Wilmington. A 2025 dog park permit is required to attend.

The Forest Preserve District of Will County will host a Mutts and Mugs program from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, as a social event for dogs and dog owners.

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.

Bicyclists left the former Green River Cyclery on Wednesday, Jan. 1, and rode the bike path to Lowell Park and back before meeting for lunch.

Outdoor ice rinks are a great way to have fun, fit in some physical activity and enjoy fresh air this winter.

Fight cabin fever with anticipation of theater productions under the stars in just a few months, presented by American Players Theatre and Peninsula Players.

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

There are some steps to try to get perennial potted plants through the tough winter months and enjoy them again come spring.

The primary objective is to provide unique recreational amenities for the southwest region of the Plainfield Park District.

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. .

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.

Choose curling, cross-country skiing, ice fishing and snowmobiling to make winter weekends a blast.

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.

Take in fall colors at Will County forest preserves with special hiking days or family programs celebrating the season.

Glow Holiday Festival will be shown at Joliet Slammers Stadium from Nov. 27 through Jan. 5. Show owner says festival is an event for all ages and will be 'selfies galore."

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 city held a rededication of Joliet’s Gardens and Arbors on 129th Infantry Drive Tuesday, thanks to a $25,000 grant from Canadian National.

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.

The Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves in Will and Grundy counties has received $99,439.56 from the state of Illinois for a program aimed at removing invasive species at local sites.

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.

Get into the spirit of fall by participating in the Spooky Scavenger Hunt at our Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon.

It's never too late to plant a tree and other woody plant as long as the hole is pre-dug, according to Nancy Kuhajda, Illinois Extension horticulture educator serving Grundy, Kankakee, and Will Counties.

The Rock River Valley Bike Club is looking to add more volunteers and trail miles to their already impressive system.

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 Nature Conservancy held its annual Autumn on the Prairie on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, at the Nachusa Grasslands near Franklin Grove.

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.

Armed with a 25-year-old film camera and a 20-year-old roll of 36-exposure film, photographer Alex T. Paschal made it his mission to take 36 individual portraits of people he met at a southern Illinois music festival. Here is the result.