The Wilder World Trust

10/09/2026

Happy Friday! Tomorrow is the first Quarry Care event of the 2026/27 season! This will be a special Lakes Management and Fishing Event at The Forge Quarry. We're super excited to be partnering with instructors from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Fisheries again.

Learn more: https://www.thewilderworldtrust.org/event-details/quarry-care-fishing-education-lake-management-2026-10-10-09-00

If you're looking for a different vibe, consider registering for our upcoming Wild Teas Workshop with The Conservation Foundation on Saturday, October 24th! That event will take place at the TWWT Nature Education Center, located at the Lemont Heritage Quarries Recreation Area.

Register here: https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E11571&id=240

10/01/2026

Happy October!! Can you believe the first Quarry Care of the 2026-27 season is already almost here? Registration is still open... We will be kicking off with a special lakes management and fishing date next Saturday, October 10th.

Register now: https://www.thewilderworldtrust.org/event-details/quarry-care-fishing-education-lake-management-2026-10-10-09-00

No experience is necessary – all ages and backgrounds are welcome! Instructors from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Fisheries will help teach us about our aquatic neighbors, the importance of lakes management, fishing tips and tricks, and other related topics. We will have fishing poles and other supplies, but you are welcome to bring your own gear if you wish. We expect to primarily catch bluegill, largemouth bass, and/or black crappie.

09/24/2026

Join TWWT and The Conservation Foundation next month for our Making Wild Plant Herbal Tea Workshop! We will learn about tasty tea plants in the local landscape, have the opportunity to taste wild herbal tea, and make a sample tea blend to take home and enjoy.

Register for free here: https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E11571&id=240

We hope you'll be able to join us! All experience ranges are welcome.

09/16/2026

In today's world of convenient consumables, it can be easy to think of "tea" as an exotic, foreign thing that grows in special places and that needs to be purchased from stores or cafes. That said, tea doesn't have to be so complicated! With a little knowledge, you can grow and/or forage your very own fresh, naturally-sourced teas right from your backyard.

Learn more by joining us and The Conservation Foundation next month for our Making Wild Tea Workshop! Register for free: https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E11571&id=240

Participants will learn how to safely identify and forage wild plants for herbal teas, learn which local wild plants are great for making tea, have the opportunity to taste wild herbal tea, and make a sample tea blend to take home and enjoy. This event will be held at the TWWT Nature Education Center, located at the Lemont Heritage Quarries Recreation Area.

09/10/2026

Quarry Care is back next month! We'll be starting off the 2026-27 QC season with a special lakes management & fishing class. No experience is necessary – this event is open to all ages and backgrounds.

Register for free here: https://www.thewilderworldtrust.org/event-details/quarry-care-fishing-education-lake-management-2026-10-10-09-00

Participants will receive instruction from IDNR Fisheries staff and learn about the importance of lakes management, our aquatic fishy neighbors, and receive some fishing tips and tricks. After we learn, we will fish Great Lakes Quarry, record our catch data, and see what we find! We hope to see you there. The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 10th from 9AM to 12PM.

Learn about Fishing and Lake Management! This half-day experience combines environmental education with real-time action as we work to restore balance to one of our quarry lakes. We will be led by instructors from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Fisheries.

09/03/2026

We're getting close! Join us next weekend on Sunday, September 13th for our free Birding at the Quarries event. People of all experiences and ages are welcome to come.

Register here: https://www.thewilderworldtrust.org/event-details/birding-at-the-quarries

We will be led by local Naturalist, Emily Szymanski, and learn about native birds, basic identification, and other bird facts at the Nature Education Center. After we learn, we will head out to the trails to put our new skills in action! We hope to see you out there.

Join us at the Heritage Quarries Recreation Area to learn about native birds, bird identification, and more! We will be led by Alyssa Szymanski, Naturalist.

08/06/2026

(Bats part 2) It's a real problem – bat populations everywhere are being threatened by factors like habitat loss and diseases like white-nose syndrome (WNS). That said, hope is not lost. Researchers and citizen scientists around the world are working together to conserve bat habitat, educate people, and report instances of WNS and other diseases. In Illinois, 5 bat species are federally or state endangered and 1 is state threatened, granting further protections.

Illinois bat species: https://dnr.illinois.gov/education/wildaboutpages/wildaboutwildmammals/wildaboutmammalsbats.html

If you're looking for bats on your own, woodland edges and clearings near waterbodies are great places to start. Make sure to go in the evening when bats are active! To take it a step further, ultrasonic microphones are a great way to record and identify bat species.

If you want to go even deeper, citizen scientists can submit data to the NABat Monitoring Program through the Midwest Bat Hub. Learn more here: https://midwestbathub.nres.illinois.edu/

07/30/2026

They can eat thousands of insects per night, are the only true flying mammals on Earth, can "see" the world with sound, and some even pollinate plants... Today we're talking bats! Eight native species live locally in Will County, but over 1,300 species are known across the globe.

Learn about our local bats with the Forest Preserve District of Will County: https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/headlines/news/the-bats-of-will-county

Bats play a critical role in the environment by eating insects like mosquitos and agricultural pests. They often live in places like caves, hollowed out trees, and under peeling tree bark, but some species (like the big brown bat) are also known to reside in human structures. Bats hunt by echolocation, meaning they use high-frequency "clicks" that reflect off the environment to allows them to "see" in the dark. It's a similar technique to what toothed whales use!

(Bats part 1)

07/24/2026

It looks like a tropical fruit, has a one-of-a-kind flavor somewhere between bananas, apples, vanilla, and citrus, and a texture described like custard. Meet the Paw Paw, Asimina triloba! This uncommon native understory tree produces large fruit beloved by wildlife and people alike. While we don't currently have a fruiting specimen at the Heritage Quarries, it is one of many species that we plan to cultivate in the wooded parts of the site.

Aside from its value as a food source, pawpaw serves as a host to at least 12 species of moths and butterflies including the pawpaw sphinx moth. It is also the only host plant for the female Zebra Swallowtail butterfly.

Learn more: https://www.chicagobotanic.org/plant-information/plant-profiles/pawpaw

Paw paw can be cultivated relatively easily, but a colony requires at least 2 genetically distinct plants to produce fruit. Remember that if you want to grow your own paw paw fruit. The plants form clonal colonies, so it is possible to form large colonies incapable of fruiting. If you find paw paw in the wild, please remember that it is unlawful to harvest or remove materials from a Forest Preserve or any other protected land.

07/17/2026

It's almost wild blackberry season here in Illinois! The wild blackberry, Rubus allegheniensis, is an Illinois-native edible fruit loved by people and wildlife alike. It produces thorny, vine-like "canes" with distinct 5-lobed leaves. Unlike black raspberry (which has smooth canes), wild blackberry stems are squared with "wings" extending from the corners. As the fruit ripen, they turn from red to a dark black-purple color. Wild blackberry fruits later in the season than black raspberry. At the Quarries, that time is right about now.

Learn more: https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/wild-blackberry/ #!

Wild blackberry is easy to cultivate, though, the plants can form dense, thorny brambles if left unchecked. The thorns can be extremely sharp, so please be careful when foraging for wild blackberry fruit!