Upcoming Events

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.

May is the month for songbird migration. Join a skilled birder on one of the multiple walks this day along the Des Plaines River. By using Citizen Science, you can help locate and count the total number of species and the total number of birds seen on the walk. We will teach techniques on how to identify birds using your eyes and ears. Bring binoculars if you have them.

May is the month for songbird migration. Join a skilled birder on one of the multiple walks this day along the Des Plaines River. By using Citizen Science, you can help locate and count the total number of species and the total number of birds seen on the walk. We will teach techniques on how to identify birds using your eyes and ears. Bring binoculars if you have them.

This walk is geared toward beginner birdwatchers. May is the month for songbird migration. Join a skilled birder on one of the multiple walks this day along the Des Plaines River. By using Citizen Science, you can help locate and count the total number of species and the total number of birds seen on the walk. We will teach techniques on how to identify birds using your eyes and ears. Bring binoculars if you have them.

May is the month for songbird migration. Join a skilled birder on one of the multiple walks this day along the Des Plaines River. By using Citizen Science, you can help locate and count the total number of species and the total number of birds seen on the walk. We will teach techniques on how to identify birds using your eyes and ears. Bring binoculars if you have them.

May is the month for songbird migration. Join a skilled birder on one of the multiple walks this day along the Des Plaines River. By using Citizen Science, you can help locate and count the total number of species and the total number of birds seen on the walk. We will teach techniques on how to identify birds using your eyes and ears. Bring binoculars if you have them.

May is the month for songbird migration. Join a skilled birder on one of the multiple walks this day along the Des Plaines River. By using Citizen Science, you can help locate and count the total number of species and the total number of birds seen on the walk. We will teach techniques on how to identify birds using your eyes and ears. Bring binoculars if you have them.

Children will learn about spring birds through different hands-on activities and stations.

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

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.

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

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.

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!

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 us as we stroll through a portion of Ryerson which features some of the best spring wildflowers in the county. You'll learn not only how to identify them, but we will also touch on the plant's adaptations and lore.

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

Join us for a magical hike under the flower moon. Experience the tranquility of Grant Woods at night while listening for signs of wildlife.

Discover the challenges our native pollinators are facing and how home gardeners can support them through plant choice, garden design and sustainable maintenance practices.

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

Join us at the Dunn Museum for a free night celebrating all types of scouts! Make crafts, try games, g on a scavenger hunt and more as you explore the Dunn Museum with your troop and fellow scouts.

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

Purchase native plants for your home garden at this yearly event.

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

Purchase native plants for your home garden at this yearly event.

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

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.

Celebrate World Turtle Day with turtle species native to Lake County! Learn about turtles and what makes them special through crafts and other hands-on activities.

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.

Enjoy a leisurely paddle at the lake at Independence Grove while learning about its unique features and native plants and animals.

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.

Drop a line and see if the fish are biting. Learn what fish species live in Lake County and some of their special adaptations. We'll supply the poles, bait, and tips on getting started. Our staff will fish alongside you and your family.