Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Crabtree Nature Center’ Category

Crabtree Nature Center Summer hours start this morning

Posted in Cook, County, Crabtree Nature Center, FPDCC, Property Taxes on March 1, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Read Full Post »

Forest Preserves of Cook County February 2026 Newsletter

Posted in Crabtree Nature Center, FPDCC, Horizon Farm on February 24, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Horned larks (Eremophila alpestris) are hardy ground-dwelling birds often spotted in open fields during winter. Their tiny feather tufts, which resemble horns, give them their distinctive name. | Horned Lark, Photo by: Edward Boe

In this Issue:

  • Crack, Snap & Pop: The Surprising Sounds of Winter in the Forest Preserves
  • Lunar New Year Finds a Home in the Forest Preserves
  • Rooted in Resilience: Celebrate Black History Month Across Cook County
  • Language is Not a Barrier in the Forest Preserves; Chicago Botanic Garden’s Annual Orchid Show Opens; Don’t Miss Your Chance to Join a Conservation Corps Program; Step Onto the Ice for a Winter Fishing Adventure; The Foundation Offers Creative Way to Show Your Love
  • Upcoming Events & Programs
  • Volunteer Opportunities: Calling Frog Survey

You can find the newsletter here.

Read Full Post »

Forest Preserves of Cook County December 2025 Newsletter

Posted in Crabtree Nature Center, FPDCC, Horizon Farm on December 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Prairie rose (Rosa setigera), also known as Illinois rose, is a native shrub that produces large pink flowers in June that eventually fade to white. After blooming, the flowers leave behind a red rose berry called rose hips. | Photo by: Fidencio Marbella

In this Issue:

  • Compassion in the Woods: How the Forest Preserves is Helping the Unhoused
  • The Secret Life of Winter Plants
  • Breaking Down the Forest Preserves’ 2026 Budget
  • The Runaway Muskies of Busse Reservoir
  • Get Your 2026 Wall Calendars & Winter Guides!; Forest Preserves’ Des Plaines River Trail Improvements Earn National, State Awards; Reduce Waste by Composting at Your Next Forest Preserves Event; 2025 Contributions to the Foundation Plant Seeds for the Future
  • Upcoming Events & Programs
  • Volunteer Opportunities

Read about it here.

Read Full Post »

Forest Preserves of Cook County November 2025 Newsletter

Posted in Crabtree Nature Center, FPDCC, Horizon Farm on November 27, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Resembling tiny gray umbrellas, pleated inkcap mushrooms can be found in grassy areas alone or in small groupings. | Pleated Inkcap Mushrooms (Parasola plicatilis), Photo by: Katy Schafer

In this Issue:

  • Forest Preserves, Partners Celebrate New Recreational Amenities at Beaubien Woods
  • Wood Ducks and the Science of Health: 40-Year Study Enters New Era
  • 2025 Photo Contest Winners Announced
  • Sharing the Grove: What to Know About Barn Swallows at Picnic Shelters
  • Discover Your Camping Adventure in the Forest Preserves; New Partnership Helps Forest Preserves, Residents Safely Dispose of Hazardous Waste; The Secret Lives of Squirrels; Illuminate Your Holidays with Lightscape at Chicago Botanic Garden; Learn About the Forest Preserve Foundation
  • Upcoming Events & Programs
  • Volunteer Opportunities: Calumet Seed Processing Workdays

Read more here.

Read Full Post »

Crabtree Nature Center Pride Night Friday: Queer Trivia

Posted in Crabtree Nature Center, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, FPDCC, Property Taxes on November 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

All are welcome to test their knowledge of animal gender fluidity and courtship. Enjoy comradery in nature around the campfire.

Ages 13 & up. Registration required. Call 847-381-6592.

Source

Read Full Post »

Forest Preserves of Cook County October 2025 Newsletter

Posted in Crabtree Nature Center, FPDCC, Horizon Farm on October 12, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Visitors to Busse Forest—one of the largest and most ecologically diverse locations in the Forest Preserves—can enjoy hiking, biking, fishing, boating, leaf peeping, wildlife watching and more. | Busse Forest, Photo by: Maria Sacha

In this Issue:

  • Volunteers Find Purpose and Peace in Seed Collecting
  • Deer Grove is a Restoration Landmark After Nearly 20 Years
  • Identifying Leaves in the Forest Preserves
  • Mexican-American Artist Brings Color and Culture to Trailside Gallery
  • Public Hearing Set for 2026 Budget Recommendation; Plan Ahead for Your 2026 Celebration in the Forest Preserves; Use Our Web Map to Discover Fall Color; Boo! at the Zoo Returns to Brookfield Zoo Chicago; Conservation Cup Raises Over $150,000 to Support Restoration and the Next Generation of Conservation Leaders
  • Upcoming Events
  • Volunteer Opportunities: Together for Trees

Find it here.

Read Full Post »

“Party for the Preserves” at Crabtree Nature Center Saturday

Posted in Crabtree Nature Center, Entertainment, FPDCC on September 26, 2025| Leave a Comment »

“Get ready to PARTY! This Saturday, Sept 27th is Party for the Preserves. Crabtree has a slough of activities planned from 10:30-2:30. Join a guided prairie walk at 10:30 to see the tall grasses and fall flowers on the Phantom Prairie trail (2 miles). Enjoy family friendly activities, games, and crafts from 11 am – 2 pm.

At 1 pm, learn all about the owls and hawk living at Crabtree during our Meet our Ambassador Animals talk. Then help the preserves growth and thrive by collecting native seeds at 1:30 pm.”

3 Stover Rd, Barrington Hills. 847-381-6592

Source

Read Full Post »

Forest Preserves of Cook County September2025 Newsletter

Posted in Crabtree Nature Center, FPDCC, Horizon Farm on September 20, 2025| Leave a Comment »

One of the largest bird species found in the Forest Preserves, sandhill cranes can easily be spotted in their preferred habitat—wetlands and prairies—before migrating to the southern United States or Mexico for winter. | Sandhill Cranes (Antigone canadensis), Photo by: Leonardo Estrada

In this Issue:

  • Join us for Party for the Preserves!
  • Forest Preserves Takes Learning Beyond the Classroom
  • River Trail Nature Center: Explore for an Hour, a Day, or Even a Night
  • From Farmland to Flourishing Habitat: Visit Orland Grassland; Glow Big or Glow Home at Chicago Botanic Garden’s Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns; Spot Migrating Birds this Fall in the Forest Preserves; Free Mental Health Resources Available; Renew Your Off-Leash Dog Area Membership!; Forest Preserve Foundation Awarded $50,000 Grant for Chicago Conservation Leadership Corps
  • Upcoming Events
  • Volunteer Opportunities

Read it here.

Read Full Post »

Crabtree Nature Center “Movie Under the Stars” Friday

Posted in Crabtree Nature Center, Education, Entertainment on September 11, 2025| Leave a Comment »

Calling all movie lovers!

Join us Friday as we present the documentary Full Circle, celebrating Helen Hays’s Great Gull Island Project —a 50-year effort to save the threatened Roseate and Common Terns. This film features up-close footage of nesting birds and highlights the international conservation efforts and volunteers inspired by Hays.

We will have a quick demo about bird conservation at Crabtree Nature Center.

Feel free to bring lawn chairs, picnic blankets, and a beverage of choice for the showing. We will have popcorn and light refreshments.

Movie Under the Stars happens this Friday, September 12th, 7-9 PM. Call to register: 847-381-6592

Source

Read Full Post »

Crabtree Nature Center in Barrington hosting annual Art in Nature Festival

Posted in Crabtree Nature Center, Daily Herald, Education, Entertainment, FPDCC on September 4, 2025| Leave a Comment »

The 15th annual Art in Nature Festival returns to Crabtree Nature Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6. Visitors can enjoy plein air painting, live music, art activities and food. | Courtesy of the Forest Preserves of Cook County

By Steve Zalusky | Daily Herald

Outdoor painting, live music, art activities and food can be enjoyed at the 15th annual Art in Nature Festival at Crabtree Nature Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6.

Crabtree Nature Center, at 3 Stover Road in Barrington, is one of six nature centers operated by the Forest Preserves of Cook County and offers a variety of art classes, nature programs and other activities throughout the year.

Attendees can view and purchase plein air paintings, which feature artists painting the landscapes of the nature preserve.

“We will be offering a number of art workshops, including buckthorn dyeing, watercolor painting and paper cutting, to allow people to create artwork that showcase the beauty of the forest preserves,” said Jeff Rapp, director of Crabtree Nature Center.

In addition, there will be honey sales, animal encounters and a presentation by travel blogger Melissa Schwartz in the center’s classroom.

More here.

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »