The Wilder World Trust

06/08/2026

Happy Monday! If you're free this weekend, Saturday, June 13th is the last Quarry Care of the 2025-26 season! Register now to join us in the fight against invasive species at the Lemont Heritage Quarries Recreation Area.

Register here: https://www.thewilderworldtrust.org/event-details/quarry-care-volunteer-day-2026-06-13-09-00

While we will be working from 9AM to 12PM, volunteers are not required to stay for the full duration if you have other plans. Weekends can get busy; we appreciate any help you can give! We will be switching things up from our usual woody removal focus to target biennial invasive species like burdock and mullein. These species get tall (sometimes up to 6 feet+) in their second year before dropping mountains of seed. Cutting and pulling before this happens stops the seeding and prevents the next generation of invasive plants from dropping all over the site. Invasive species like burdock grow rapidly, shading out and competing native species from the ecosystem.

Thanks for another great year of Quarry Care! We will be back later this October to kick off the 2026-27 Quarry Care season.

06/04/2026

Join The Wilder World Trust and The Conservation Foundation at the Heritage Quarries Recreation Area on July 11, 2026 for our free Summer Berries Foraging at the Forge event! Eric Izzo of The Conservation Foundation will be guiding our walk. Participants will be able to learn topics like plant identification, which parts of the plants to eat and how to prepare them, safety, and foraging ethics.

Register today: https://theconservationfoundation.org/event/summer-foraging-plant-walk/

No prior experience is necessary to join the foraging walk! This is a free event open to all ages and backgrounds.

06/01/2026

Can you believe it? The last Quarry Care of the 2025-26 season is just under 2 weeks away, coming up next weekend on Saturday, June 13th. We will be working on invasive species removal at the Lemont Heritage Quarries Recreation Area.

Register here: https://www.thewilderworldtrust.org/event-details/quarry-care-volunteer-day-2026-06-13-09-00

We were able to achieve so much good in the past year thanks to the help of all of our Quarry Care participants! Whether we're seeding native plants or cutting and burning invasive trees, your help is setting the stage for a better tomorrow at the Heritage Quarries.

This is your opportunity to participate in the restoration and beautification of the Heritage Quarries Recreation Area in Lemont. Work includes clearing and burning invasive plants, removing decades-old litter and trash, improving public trails, and more.

05/24/2026

We want to give a massive thank you to Monarch Watch for their generous milkweed donation! These plugs are being planted across ~10-11 acres at the Heritage Quarries Recreation Area, supporting our ecological restoration efforts and helping to create quality, productive habitat that can support a diverse range of wildlife.

Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) are especially important for the Illinois state insect, the monarch butterfly. Female monarch butterflies only lay eggs on milkweeds, and once hatched monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed leaves. In doing so, they can store toxins from the milkweed foliage within their bodies to form a defence against predators. While monarch butterflies are not currently listed as endangered by the federal government, monarch populations have been collapsing across North America. The US Fish and Wildlife Service's recent species assessment report (released December 2024) suggests that "by 2080, the probability of extinction for eastern monarchs ranges from 56 to 74% and the probability of extinction for western monarchs is greater than 95%." Some of the greatest threats to monarch butterflies include habitat loss (especially from agriculture, logging, and urban developments), continued exposure to insecticides, and climate change.

Fortunately, we can take action by building and supporting viable monarch habitat in our communities! Even a small backyard garden can support a few migrating monarch butterflies. The key is to provide a diverse mix of native milkweeds and other nectar sources. In general, it's recommended to have at least 2-3 other sources of nectar that bloom sequentially to ensure lasting food sources across the growing season. While the larvae and eggs will only be found on milkweeds, the monarch parents need food too!

Learn more about saving the monarchs: https://www.fws.gov/initiative/pollinators/save-monarch

05/14/2026

Thank you to Friends of the Chicago River, Village of Lemont, and all of the wonderful volunteers who joined us last Saturday for Chicago River Day 2026! We cleaned along the Des Plaines River and Lemont Centennial Trail under the Lemont Road Bridge.

Volunteers found everything from ordinary fishing debris (like fishing line and styrofoam bait containers) and old bottles to car parts and metal fragments. We even found a buried mattress and a heavy concrete roller! Some of this litter has likely sat outside for decades, slowly degrading and pumping pollutants like microplastics into the environment. Removing and preventing litter is paramount to ensuring future waterway health and minimising negative impacts on people and wildlife.

If you want to join us at our next volunteer event, our June Quarry Care is open for registration: https://www.thewilderworldtrust.org/event-details/quarry-care-volunteer-day-2026-06-13-09-00

The June date will be the last Quarry Care for the 2025-26 season. The 2026-27 Quarry Care season will resume later in October. Keep an eye out for more information!

05/07/2026

You're invited! Join us at the Lemont Heritage Quarries Recreation Area next Saturday, May 16th to learn about native birds and go on a guided birding walk. We will be led by Alyssa Syzmanski, Naturalist.

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

This is a free event open to all ages and backgrounds. Whether you're a seasoned birder or a first-timer, this should make for a fun, casual, and educational outing. The event will run from 10AM to 12PM. The first hour will be the classroom portion, then we will go on a guided walk in search of birds using our newly acquired knowledge. We recommend dressing for the outdoors, wearing hiking shoes, and bringing extra drinking water. Binoculars are also great to bring if you can!

Join us at the Heritage Quarries Recreation Area to learn about native birds, bird identification, and more!

04/30/2026

Can you believe it? Chicago River Day 2026 is only 10 days away! Join us, Friends of the Chicago River, and the Village of Lemont on Saturday, May 9 for this year's annual cleanup extravaganza. Registration for the Lemont Centennial Trail site is still open, but slots are going fast!

Secure your spot now: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chicago-river-day-2026-lemont-centennial-trail-tickets-1984582856748

Chicago River Day is an annual volunteer cleanup event dedicated to restoring and cleaning the Chicago-Calumet River System. While the System is healthier now than it’s been in 150 years, litter continues to be detrimental, harming people and wildlife and causing negative community, economic, and public health impacts. Volunteers will be gathering at over 80 locations in the Chicagoland region to help take care of this shared natural resource!

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day 2026!!! This year's theme is "Our Power, Our Planet." The official poster was designed by Miles Wintner, an artist and musician born, raised, and residing in Los Angeles, CA

Our Power, Our Planet™ reflects a fundamental truth that transcends political cycles. Environmental stewardship has never depended on a single administration, institution, or election. It is sustained by the daily decisions of communities, educators, workers, innovators, and families who understand that protecting the places they live and work is both a responsibility and a long-term investment.

Read more >> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wzDjeJnGW9vYMYLZYMSrRlj3XlHCS7K7/view?usp=drive_link

Sometimes it can feel overwhelming or impossible for an individual to make a "real" impact, but it's often the small, consistent actions that ultimately lead to larger change. If you're looking for ideas or ways to make a change in your community, here are 50 potential ideas: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-tips/

04/15/2026

Registration for our April Foraging Walk with The Conservation Foundation is full, but you can still join the waitlist if you are interested! Eric Izzo of The Conservation Foundation will lead a walk showing wild leafy greens and other wild edible plants that are common in our local landscapes. Eric will discuss plant identification, which parts of the plants to eat and how to prepare them, safety, and foraging ethics.

April 26 Foraging Walk (Waitlist): https://theconservationfoundation.org/event/spring-foraging-plant-walk/

Alternatively, you can sign-up for our Summer Foraging Walk to take place on July 11, 2026! Eric will be leading us as we look at berries and other summer-time forageables.

July 11 Foraging Walk:
https://theconservationfoundation.org/event/summer-foraging-plant-walk/

Join us at our Spring Greens: Foraging at The Forge Plant Walk for a walk showing wild leafy greens and other common, local edible plants.

04/08/2026

Last call! Join us for Quarry Care this Saturday, April 11th for a special planting date at the Heritage Quarries Recreation Area. We will be planting a mix of native shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers that will beautify the Quarries and provide a sustainable, long-lasting source of food and habitat for wildlife.

Register here: https://www.thewilderworldtrust.org/event-details/quarry-care-volunteer-day-2026-04-11-09-00

Don't worry if this is your first time planting! Planting locations will be marked, and our staff will be available to help. If you can, we ask that volunteers bring their own shovel and/or trowel – we will likely be stretched on spares.

This is your opportunity to participate in the restoration and beautification of the Heritage Quarries Recreation Area in Lemont. Work includes clearing and burning invasive plants, removing decades-old litter and trash, improving public trails, and more.