Science & Nature
Climb a Glacial ‘Mountain,’ Churn Some Butter or Pick Up Free Milkweed Seeds: Here’s 6 Picks for Outdoor Weekend Adventures
It’s going to be the kind of gorgeous weekend that Chicagoans live for, so get out and enjoy it.
This week’s “Pick Six” — our new weekly roundup of outdoorsy recommendations in each of the region’s six counties — ranges from family-friendly fests to a mellow stroll around a bog.
COOK COUNTY: Fall Nature Fest at LaBagh Woods
Jesse White Tumblers perform at the 2023 Fall Nature Fest. (Forest Preserve District of Cook County / Facebook)
This fifth annual free fest is a celebration of green living.
There will be food vendors (including Rainbow Cone), music, games and entertainment — featuring the Jesse White Tumblers — but the focus is definitely on the environment.
Several organizations will be collecting items for recycling, from electronics to packaging materials to athletic shoes. Giveaways will include rain barrels, milkweed seeds and tickets to Brookfield Zoo.
In all, representatives from nearly 70 local eco-friendly organizations will be on hand.
The event runs from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at LaBagh Woods, located at Foster and Cicero avenues. Click here for more details.
DUPAGE COUNTY: Moon Watching
(Lim Yaw Keong / Pixabay)
Forest preserves would be some of the best places for moon and stargazing — if only so many of them didn’t close at sunset.
Well, on Saturday, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is hosting an after-hours moon watching event at Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center.
Swing by any time between 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Bring your own chair or blanket, and telescopes are welcome if you have one. Binoculars will be available.
The event is free, and no registration is required. The center is located at 3609 Spring Road in Oak Brook.
KANE COUNTY: Fabyan Japanese Garden
Created more than 100 years ago as a private garden, this utterly charming oasis along the Fox River is now open to the public, but time is running out to visit before the garden closes for the season.
The Fabyan Japanese Garden is open noon to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 29. While you’re in the area, check out the Fabyan Forest Preserve, where additional gems include the Fabyan Windmill and the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Fabyan Villa Museum.
LAKE COUNTY: Volo Bog
Volo Bog is one of the more unique natural areas in the region, actually in all of Illinois. It’s the only open-water quaking bog in the state — essentially a floating mat of plant life surrounding an open pool of water.
If you’ve never been, join a guided tour at 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. on Saturday or Sunday to learn more about this fascinating place.
Volunteers will also be on site Sunday for ongoing restoration work. If you’d like to participate, email [email protected] for more information.
The bog is located approximately 55 miles northwest of Chicago in Ingleside.
MCHENRY COUNTY: Have a Peak Experience
Wanna go “mountain” climbing?
Check out High Point Conservation Area in Harvard, where you’ll find the highest glaciated point in Illinois, all 1,189 feet of it. If you feel up to the challenge, click here for a map.
Highest glaciated, by the way, describes a hill created by the depositing of glacial material, as opposed to Illinois’ highest natural point, Charles Mound, a bedrock exposure in Jo Daviess County, elevation 1,235 feet.
Neither of those peaks tops Willis Tower, so Chicago wins this round.
WILL COUNTY: Fall on the Farmstead
It definitely still feels like summer, but that won’t take away any of the fun planned for Saturday’s free Fall on the Farm event at Riverview Farmstead Preserve in Naperville.
Tour the 19th-century house and barn, try your hand at butter churning and other farmstead chores, and then spring back to the modern era for food, drinks and music. Kid-friendly crafts and other activities, including a barnyard-themed bounce house, make this a great event for the whole family.
Heads up, gardeners: The Nature Foundation of Will County will host a native plant pop-up sale at the fest. Plants are $3 each; click here for a list of what will be available.
Fall on the Farmstead runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 | [email protected]
