08/09/2026
That’s a wrap on year 11 of our FPE program! Over the last five weeks we brought together 72 crew members, 13 crew leaders, 6 assistant crew leaders, and 3 program assistants to six preserves–engaging in hands-on stewardship and skills training in the woods. Here’s just a snapshot of everything we got up to:
🌱Restored an acre of previously unhealthy forest preserves in the Calumet region. That’s one football field!
🫶🏿Learned traditional Indigenous and African environmental knowledge from Dr. Nataka Moore and the American Indian Center, making Face Jugs and Cornhusk Dolls
🪺 - Met baby barn swallows, a family of wild turkeys, turtles, scarlet admiral butterflies, deer, chipmunks, and horses while at work each day.
🛶 - Canoed, hiked, forest bathed, wood burned, and identified wildlife with partners from the Indiana Dunes, Sand Ridge Nature Center, Illinois Extension, and Friends of the Chicago River.
🧠 - Taught local community leaders about our sites by presenting handmade field guides. Did you know Midlothian Meadows used to have a bullet factory?
Don’t miss out next year. Help us help our community–from the smallest butterfly to the biggest oak–and join us for a forest preserve experience you won’t forget.
