Forest Preserves of Cook County 2026 Fall Brochure

Restoration Workday* Ages 8 & up. Children under 15 w/ adult. High schoolers may earn service hours. Saturdays, Oct 24, Nov 28; Sundays, Sept 20, Oct 11, Nov 15 • 10 am–Noon SEPTEMBER National Wildlife Day Discover and celebrate the wildly wonderful wildlife of Illinois and abroad. Thursday, Sept 3 • 11 am National Hummingbird Day Explore the conservation and historical importance of these birds throughout the Americas. Saturday, Sept 5 • 10 am–3 pm 10 am–3 pm: Family-friendly activities & crafts 2 pm: Walking presentation for ages 16 & up Hoarders! Learn how local animals are scurrying about and stocking up in preparation for winter. Sunday, Sept 13 • 1 pm Fall Equinox Forest Bath* Welcome fall with a guided forest therapy walk with certi ed forest therapy guide Gayle Byck. Tuesday, Sept 22 • 6:30 pm Moon Cake Festival* Celebrate this Chinese cultural festival with a guided forest therapy walk, moon-viewing, and the sharing of traditional mooncakes. Friday, Sept 25 • 6:30–9 pm Celebrate Party for the Preserves: Celebrate Nature! Saturday, Sept 26 • 10:30 am–3 pm 10:30 am: Spanish/English Bilingual Prairie Walk 11 am–3 pm: Family-Friendly Activities 1:30 pm: Seed Collecting OCTOBER World Animal Day Celebrate Filipino American History Month with this year’s theme: See the World Through Their Eyes during this English/ Tagalog bilingual program. Saturday, Oct 3 • 11 am Oak-tober Learn what makes oak trees special. Sunday, Oct 4 • 1 pm Hispanic Heritage Month Nature Art Studio Create art inspired by renowned Hispanic artists. All ages. Drop in. Monday, Oct 5 • 1:30–3:30 pm Rust at Dusk* Explore an old farm trail surrounded by tallgrass prairie and relics of the past. Ages 12 & up. Friday, Oct 9 • 5:45–7:15 pm Animal Enrichment Studio for Teens Create enrichment items for our ambassador animals, then see how they are used as an important part of their care. Saturday, Oct 17 • 11 am Fall Color Walk Saturday, Oct 17 • 1 pm Reptile Awareness Day Learn about and experience reptiles from Illinois and abroad. Tuesday, Oct 20 • 11 am *Registration required. For more information or registration, call 847.381.6592 Continued on page 16. CRABTREE NORTHWEST 15