Get out to your local forest preserve and explore the natural beauty of winter!

Snowshoe & Qamutiik Sled Building
Snowshoe & Qamutiik Sled Building

Serve the Community during Forest Preserves’ Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Event

Public invited to participate in day of stewardship, service

The Forest Preserves of Cook County is hosting a day of stewardship and service in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The event will take place on Monday, Jan. 16 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Dan Ryan Woods Pavilion, located at 8700 S Western Avenue in Chicago.

During the event, attendees will help staff remove invasive plants while learning about efforts being made to maintain healthy habitats, as well as enjoy fun, family-friendly wintertime activity stations, hot drinks and a brush pile burn. Activity stations include snow shoe hikes (weather permitting) or guided hikes, animal tracking, crafts and more.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service event is free to attend. The brush pile burn and invasive removal work is appropriate for attendees ages 10 and up. Attendees younger than 10 can participate in activities. Attendees between the ages of 10-14 must be accompanied by an adult.

Registration is not required; however, groups with more than 10 people are asked to register in advance by emailing Credell.Walls@cookcountyil.gov. For more information, call 708-386-4042 x19.

A complete listing of all special events and programs, including other camping-related events, is posted to the Forest Preserves’ events website at fpdcc.com/events with seasonal brochures that can be downloaded.

Get out to your local forest preserve and explore the natural beauty of winter!

Each Winter Exploration Days special event offers activities to prepare attendees for a delightful wintertime experience. The series is designed to focus on what to explore during the wintertime in people’s local preserves as well as the means to do so. Each event will feature winter-based activities including tracking local wildlife, flora identification, bird adaptation, exploration hikes, compass-based orienteering using primitive and modern methods, lantern and backpack building using natural materials and a campfire. If snowfall permits, snowshoeing, sledding and winter-based shelter building will be offered.

There are four upcoming events as part of the series:

· Saturday, Jan 14 • 12 – 4 pm

Caldwell Woods, 6350 W Devon Ave, Chicago

· Saturday, Jan 28 • 12 – 4 pm

Dan Ryan Woods Pavilion, S Western Ave and W 87th St, Chicago

· Saturday, Feb 11 • 12 – 4 pm

Thatcher Woods Pavilion, 8030 W Chicago Ave, River Forest

· Saturday, Feb 25 • 12 – 4 pm

Rolling Knolls, 11N260 Rohrssen Rd, Elgin

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