Connect with nature at DuPage Forest Preserves
Join the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County for forest hikes on Wednesdays, bird walks on Fridays, and nature walks on Saturdays. They also are offering Centering Meditation Walks, Egg Collecting, Tours of Mayslake Hall Gardens, Fresh Air Friday, and Marvelous Monarchs.
Participants must wear a cloth face mask if they're less than 6 feet away from other visitors. To register or get more details on upcoming programs, visit dupageforest.org.
Nature walks
Discover new and exciting nature facts and finds as you explore Fullersburg Woods on a casual 45-minute walk with an experienced naturalist. Walks leave at the top of the hour, starting at 9 a.m. Saturdays with the last walk at 2 p.m. The walks are open to all ages; those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Cost is $2 per person; credit card only. Registration not required. Questions? Call (630) 850-8110.
Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve at 3609 Spring Road in Oak Brook offers a 220-acre prime wildlife haven in an urban setting, hosting a wide variety of wildlife, nesting songbirds and spring and fall migratory birds, especially warblers. The Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center is closed until further notice. Graue Mill & Museum will remain closed through the end of 2020.
Egg collecting
Join this first-time opportunity at Kline Creek Farm from 2:30 to 3 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays. Register and then bring up to nine friends or family members to collect eggs from the chicken coop to take home. (The number of eggs you collect will vary.) As you collect, a costumed interpreter will teach your group about chickens and the role they played on an 1890s farm.
The program is open to all ages; those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Cost is $15 per group up to 10 people. The farm is located at 1N600 County Farm Road in West Chicago. Register online or call (630) 876-5900.
Meditation walks
Rediscover your center during a peaceful meditation walk from 8 to 9 a.m. Friday, July 24, at Mayslake Forest Preserve, on 31st Street, just west of Route 83 and east of Midwest Road/Cass Avenue in Oak Brook.
Participants will head in each of the cardinal directions, making stops for guided meditations and opportunities for reflection, journaling and relaxation. After the walk, spread out and use your experience to create a mandala using supplied materials.
Mayslake features 13 acres of wetlands, 9 acres of lakes and ponds and a 15-acre savanna and restored prairie.
Walk is for ages 18 and up. Cost is $10 per person. Register online or call (630) 206-9566. The next dates will be: 9 to 10 a.m. Saturdays, Aug. 1 and 15, Sept. 26; and 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5; and 8 to 9 a.m. Friday, Sept. 25
Mayslake Hall Gardens Tour
What do a fertile prairie, a "gentleman's farm" and an English heritage garden have in common? They're all part of the rich and diverse history of the natural landscape that surrounds Mayslake Hall.
Discover how nature and humans have shaped the land during this guided, outdoor walking tour from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturdays, July 25 and Aug. 8, and Wednesdays, Aug. 12 and Sept. 9, and 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Aug. 14 and Sept. 18, at Mayslake Forest Preserve, on 31st Street, just west of Route 83 and east of Midwest Road/Cass Avenue in Oak Brook.
Tour is for ages 12 and older; under 18 with an adult. Cost is $10 per person. Register online or call (630) 206-9566.
Forest hikes
Enjoy the wonders of the preserves with a naturalist, and get some healthy exercise on a brisk 90-minute walk from 9 to 10:30 a.m., noon to 1:30 p.m. and 3 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays, July 29, Aug. 5, 12, 19, and 26, Sept. 2, at Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve, 3609 Spring Road in Oak Brook. You must bring a mask that covers your nose and mouth and wear it when there is less than 6 feet between you and other hikers. Ages 18 and older. Cost is $5 per person. Register online or call (630) 850-8110.
Bird walks
Join a 90-minute naturalist-led observational walk to see how the diversity of birds changes through summer from 8 to 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 2 to 3:30 p.m. Fridays, July 31, and Aug. 7, 14, 21 and 28, and Sept. 4, at Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve, 3609 Spring Road in Oak Brook. Ages 18 and up. Cost is $5 per person. Register online or at (630) 850-8110.
Fresh Air Friday
Breathe deep on a guided walk through the forest preserve from noon to 1 p.m. Fridays, Aug. 7 and Sept. 4, at St. James Farm, on the east side of Winfield Road, just north of Butterfield Road in Warrenville. Ages 18 and up. Cost is $5 per person. Register online or call (630) 580-7025. Park at the lot off Winfield Road and meet at the indoor riding arena. Dress for the weather and bring water. The 595-acre St. James Farm Forest Preserve contains more than 100 acres of woodlands, prairies and wetlands.
Marvelous Monarchs
Learn about the monarch butterflies and how you can help them and other pollinators on a leisurely walk to find monarchs in their various life stages from 2 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, at St. James Farm, on the east side of Winfield Road, just north of Butterfield Road in Warrenville.
Leave with a packet of milkweed seeds to start your own native garden at home. This presentation will cover the monarch butterfly life cycle, migration, and ways you can help monarchs and other pollinators. Park in the lot off Winfield Road and meet at the indoor riding arena. Ages 12 and up; those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Cost is $5 per person. Register online or call (630) 580-7025.
For information, call (630) 933-7200 or visit dupageforest.org, where you can also find links to the district's e-newsletter, blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.