Forest Preserve District of Will County

10/14/2026

Are you looking for a new place to experience fall like never before? We have plenty of preserves where the season really shines, and not just the obvious spots where trees dominate the landscape.

If fall is your favorite color, it's time to seize the season and head outdoors. Looking for someplace new to explore? Plenty of the Will County preserves shine at this time of year.

10/14/2026

The Forest Preserve District will start using Will County’s Smart911 system this fall to provide controlled burn notifications. Those interested in receiving the notifications should create a Smart911 account and opt in to the Forest Preserve’s controlled burn alerts to receive notifications of burns happening near your location.

Residents can opt in to receive notifications when burns are planned nearby.

10/14/2026

October is Squirrel Awareness Month. If you have bird feeders in your yard, you're probably plenty aware of these little rascals.

10/13/2026

For white-tailed deer, peak mating season – called a rut – is late October to mid-November. During this time, deer tend to move about more freely, causing an uptick in collisions with vehicles. These collisions are second only to hunting in causes of deer mortality in Illinois.

During mating season, deer tend to move about more freely, causing an uptick in collisions with vehicles.

10/13/2026

How good is the camouflage on great horned owls? Pretty good, and the first photo here shows how well they can blend into their surroundings. It's a good reminder to slow down on the trails and really take it all in so you don't miss those cool wildlife encounters.

And speaking of cool wildlife encounters, there were plenty of others over the weekend.

10/13/2026

You don't have to look very hard these days to find fungus in the preserves. What's your favorite one to see?

Two things to note:
1) It is against the District's General Use Ordinance to harvest mushrooms in the preserves.
2) We never give guidance on whether or not a particular mushroom is edible for two reasons ...
* No. 1: Refer to No. 1 above.
* No. 2: There are many lookalike mushrooms in which one type is perfectly good to eat and a different one that looks very similar would leave you in a world of hurt.

(Photos by Glenn P. Knoblock)

10/12/2026

Can you name this ?

10/11/2026

What's your favorite place to do some fall leaf peeping?

Mother Nature's twists and turns can have a big impact on how the trees change in autumn.

10/11/2026

October is Bat Appreciation Month, so let's take a moment to learn a few things about these cool creatures.

Think you know bats? There's probably plenty you don't know about these unique mammals. 

10/11/2026

Embrace the season with some new T-shirts from OutsiderThreads.com. Our festive fall collection is just what you're looking for.
* Free shipping on all orders.
* All proceeds go to The Nature Foundation of Will County, a 501(c)(3) organization that helps fund a variety of Forest Preserve District initiatives.
Shop now: https://outsiderthreads.com/collections/fall-drop

All proceeds from the sales of our shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and other items go to fund conservation, restoration and nature education.