The Wilder World Trust

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!

07/09/2026

Now that we're getting into the thick of summer, native plants everywhere are starting to pop (if they haven't already). With that comes pollinator species likes bees and butterflies. Today, we will talk about our state insect, the monarch butterfly!

4 generations of monarch butterflies call Illinois' prairies and wetlands their home each year. The first generation arrives in early Spring when butterflies migrate up from Mexico, but the monarchs that you see now were all likely born here. These summer generations typically live for 2 to 6 weeks and feed on native milkweeds (as caterpillars) and other flowers (once adults). The final generation will be born in September and make the long trip down to Mexico for the winter. Unlike the summer broods, the final generation can live for 6 to 8 months as it travels to and from Mexico!

Learn more here: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/garden-scoop/2018-07-12-monarch-butterfly

Supporting monarch butterflies can be as simple as avoiding pesticides, or as involved as growing your own pollinator garden. Either way, every little step helps! Monarch butterfly populations are currently threatened across the continent, largely due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change.

07/02/2026

Join The Wilder World Trust and The Conservation Foundation next weekend on Saturday, July 11 for a morning of foraging fun! We will be walking at the Lemont Heritage Quarries Recreation Area. This is a free event open to all backgrounds and experience levels.

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

Eric Izzo of The Conservation Foundation will lead the walk and discuss plant identification, which parts of the plants to eat and how to prepare them, safety, and foraging ethics. We hope to see you out there!

06/25/2026

It is black raspberry season!! While the thorns are unpleasant, this native shrub produces tasty fruit that are enjoyed by people and wildlife alike. The taste is similar to that of the raspberries you can get at the store, but ripe black raspberries can be said to have more of a sweet, floral note.

Black raspberry is an important native food source for a wide variety of birds, mammals, and insects. It is a biennial species, meaning that the plants live for 2 years. First year plants produce green, vegetative canes that lack flowers or fruit. Second year plants become woody before flowering and fruiting in late spring or early summer. Ripe fruit become a dark black-purple color. The plant is thorny throughout its life, though, is not as sharp as common blackberry (a native close relative!).

Because it is an important food source for wildlife, please be mindful if you decide to forage for black raspberry. In a healthy wild population, it is generally recommended to harvest no more than 1/3 of the fruit (or seed). For smaller populations, less (or no) harvesting is recommended. Luckily, black raspberry is a hardy species that takes well and can be easily cultivated. That said, it can produce dense thickets so watch out!

Finally, do not forage on private property without permission or protected lands like forest preserves or national parks. Do not consume wild food unless you are 100% confident in your identification. Please do thorough research before foraging! We will not be held responsible if you get sick from eating wild food.

06/17/2026

Join The Wilder World Trust and The Conservation Foundation next month for our Summer Berries: Foraging at the Forge plant walk! We will be led by Eriz Izzo of The Conservation Foundation and learn topics like plant identification, which parts of the plants to eat and how to prepare them, safety, and foraging ethics.

Register for free here: https://theconservationfoundation.org/event/summer-foraging-plant-walk/

The plant walk will take place at the Lemont Heritage Quarries Recreation Area. The event is open to all ages and experience, but slots are limited so make sure to register before the event fills up!

Join us at our Summer Berries: Foraging at The Forge Plant Walk for a walk showing wild berries and other wild common, local edible plants.

06/12/2026

Last call! If you're free, the final Quarry Care of the 2025-26 season will be tomorrow (Saturday), June 13th from 9AM to 12PM. We will cut and pull invasive plants at the Lemont Heritage Quarries Recreation Area.

Registration is still open on our website: https://www.thewilderworldtrust.org/event-details/quarry-care-volunteer-day-2026-06-13-09-00

We can't believe that we're already at the end of another season. We were able to achieve a lot of great things together, and we feel truly blessed to be supported by you all! The future of the Quarries will be bright and colorful, filled with native plants, wildlife, and people alike. Stay tuned for more Quarry Care – while the current season ends tomorrow, we will be back at it for the 2026-27 Quarry Care season later this October! Thank you!

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.