Upcoming Events

Learn the sweet science behind how trees make sap, and how we turn that sap into real maple syrup as you hike along this self-guided trail. Informational signs will be placed along a designated trail at Ryerson Woods for you to enjoy at your own pace for free during preserve hours 6:30 a.m.-sunset.

Join an Environmental Educator and take a leisurely stroll through one of our preserves. This is a great opportunity to get some exercise and learn about nature. Join us and take a closer look at plants, birds and other wildlife.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves!

Learn the sweet science behind how trees make sap, and how we turn that sap into real maple syrup as you hike along this self-guided trail. Informational signs will be placed along a designated trail at Ryerson Woods for you to enjoy at your own pace for free during preserve hours 6:30 a.m.-sunset.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves!

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves!

Build a bridge to nature with your young ones. Experience how multisensory nature connections help young children develop healthy and happy brains and bodies. Time spent in nature is critical to children's social-emotional, and physical development. Child-centered, exploratory, imaginative play fosters creativity, emotional well-being, independent learning, and problem solving.

Learn the stories artifacts can tell by taking a closer look at quilts, clothing, and sewing artifacts in the exhibit, Threads of Time. We will then do activities and create crafts around the objects we discuss.

Learn about the unique life cycles and adaptations of frogs and toads as well as which species can be found in Lake County. Practice identifying different frog calls and then head out on the trail to listen for who's "croaking" in the woods at night.

Join us for an exploration of the remarkable adaptations, fascinating behaviors, and unique calls of our local frogs and toads.

Join us for a walk at Ethel's Woods as we enjoy the sights and sounds of spring.

Join us at this Lake County birding hot spot to look for migratory bird species. Spotting scopes and binoculars will be available at our education table.

Join a naturalist and take a leisurely stroll through this beautiful preserve. Learn about the history of this site and take a close look at some of the interesting plants and animals that we come upon.

Join a history educator on a guided tour of the temporary exhibition, Threads of Time: Quilts and Textiles and take a closer look at the artifacts that provide a colorful glimpse into Lake County's past.

Join us for an opportunity to see the amazing courtship flight of the male American woodcock as he performs his areal courtship flight in the evening in the springtime marsh.

April brings the beginning of songbird migration. Join skilled birders on these walks. Bring binoculars if you have them.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves!

Únase a un educador ambiental y explore la reserva forestal Nippersink. Caminata es en Español y Ingles.
Join an environmental educator and explore Nippersink Forest Preserve. Walk is in Spanish & English.

Discover the benefits of gardening with native plants. We'll cover the basics of how to get started including site inventory, plant selection, and maintenance.

Join an Environmental Educator and take a leisurely stroll through one of our preserves. This is a great opportunity to get some exercise and learn about nature. Join us and take a closer look at plants, birds and other wildlife.

Members of the family Parulidae, wood-warblers are the colorful jewels of spring bird migration. Learn identification tips as well as the fascinating behaviors of these tiny dynamos during this indoor presentation.

Join us as we learn the calls of our local springtime frogs. We will also talk about their adaptations and behaviors, followed by an evening stroll into the woods listening for their songs.

Welcome warblers and other migrating bird species back to Lake County through crafts and hands-on activities. Then take to the trails to practice spring migration identification!

Join us for an opportunity to see the amazing courtship flight of the male American woodcock as he performs his areal courtship flight in the evening in the springtime marsh.

On this collaborative walk, join an environmental educator and history educator to explore Raven Glen and learn about both the land and the people who have lived here.

Our local woodlands come alive with wildflowers and migrating birds in spring. Join us for a leisurely stroll and experience bursts of colorful birds in the tree tops and wildflowers on the forest floor during this morning walk to celebrate Earth Day.

Come out to Nippersink Forest Preserve to do some pond scooping. Participants will use nets to see what can be found under the water. Learn how to identify some of the aquatic critters using scientific pond keys and scopes.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves!

Move your kids outdoors for unstructured seasonal play, proven healthful and beneficial. Celebrate seasonal fun outdoors. Build mini habitats for toy animals and use natural materials and your imagination for creation. Try fort building, mud creations or other seasonal activities. Nature provides infinite possibilities to express creativity. See how nature ignites a spark in everyone.

Whether you are new to native gardening or a seasoned veteran, join us each month to learn about native plants and how to use them in your home landscapes.

Join us to observe the spectacular evening sky dance of the American woodcock. One of Lake County's spring wonders, learn about this peculiar looking bird and its marvelous tactics to win over a mate.

Join us at this Lake County birding hot spot to look for migratory bird species. Spotting scopes and binoculars will be available at our education table.

Join other community scientists throughout the greater Chicago Region taking part in the City Nature Challenge. Educators at the Ryerson Welcome Center will orient you to the iNaturalist app (or Seek for young explorers) so you can take pictures and record wild plants and animals at Ryerson and later in your own backyard. Information gathered is used by scientists and researchers to better understand and care for nature throughout Lake County and beyond.

You can find bobolink, cranes and warblers if you know where to look. This presentation reveals the lives of birds, how habitat is important and why your Lake County Forest Preserves are crucial to their continued success in our area.

The Education Center is a net-zero energy building located within Ryerson Conservation Area, which means the building aims to produce as much energy as it consumes each year. Stop by between 2 and 4 PM and discover the strategies used to meet this goal.

May is the month for songbird migration. Join skilled birders on these walks. Bring binoculars if you have them.

Grab some work gloves, help restore the environment, and get a behind-the-scenes look at your preserves!

Build a bridge to nature with your young ones. Experience how multisensory nature connections help young children develop healthy and happy brains and bodies. Time spent in nature is critical to children's social-emotional, and physical development. Child-centered, exploratory, imaginative play fosters creativity, emotional well-being, independent learning, and problem-solving.

May is the month for songbird migration and wildflowers. Join an Ecologist for a look at wild flowers and birds that pass by. Bring binoculars if you have them.

Únase a un educador ambiental y explore la Área de Conservación Edward L. Ryerson. Caminata es en Español y Ingles.
Join an environmental educator and explore Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area. Walk is in Spanish & English.

Meet our red-tailed hawk and eastern screech owl. Learn about their roles as animal ambassadors in our education programs and get a sneak peek at their training and enrichment.

Discover the characteristics that make insects and spiders unique, then set out and see what critters can be found. Using tools and resources, identify the insects and spiders of the area and learn their importance in the ecosystem.