Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve

Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve today to experience and learn about nature. Preserve open 8 a.m.-sunset; Nature Center open 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
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The Forest Preserve District of Will County's Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve provides parking areas, two shelters, latrines, drinking fountains, primitive campsites, and access to a 40-foot sledding hill, the Plum Creek Nature Center, and the 3.15-mile Plum Creek Greenway Trail, ideal for horseback riding, bicycling, hiking/running, and, in the winter, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Tuesday-Saturday, Noon-4 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m.-sunset when sled hill is open, and closed Monday.

The alphabet is all around us in nature, and that will be the focus of our next after-hours Nature Play Day program desi...
09/04/2026

The alphabet is all around us in nature, and that will be the focus of our next after-hours Nature Play Day program designed specifically for kids ages 3 to 5. Preschoolers can learn about the ABCs with a story, games, crafts, a hike and more.

Nature's Play Day After Hours: Nature's Alphabet
When: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16
Where: Plum Creek Nature Center at Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve
Registration required.

9/15/2026: Young kids can learn all about the alphabet in nature at our after-hours Nature Play Day program designed just for them.

Spark your imagination and experience the many ways nature can inspire art in many forms for all ages.
09/04/2026

Spark your imagination and experience the many ways nature can inspire art in many forms for all ages.

9/26/2026: Find your nature’s muse at this event full of hands-on activities that let you express yourself through music, movement and visual arts

The month's full moon will be on Sept. 26, reaching its fullest point at 11:49 a.m. September's full moon is known as th...
09/03/2026

The month's full moon will be on Sept. 26, reaching its fullest point at 11:49 a.m. September's full moon is known as the harvest moon.

Like it or not, it's almost fall, and with it comes the harvest moon and more celestial happenings.

Did you know there are seven states that have the northern cardinal as their state bird? And Illinois is one of them! En...
08/31/2026

Did you know there are seven states that have the northern cardinal as their state bird? And Illinois is one of them! Enjoy creative interpretations of state birds through 28 unique paintings. Chicago-based artist and writer Marcia Whitney-Schenck portrays her subject matter in playful ways. She illustrates the state birds and adds visual word puns and unexpected associations. Enjoy Whitney-Schenck's art while taking in the birds at our bird feeders.

Chicago artist and writer Marcia Whitney-Schenck brings humor and imagination to “Winged Ambassadors,” a summer art exhibit at Plum Creek Nature Center featuring creative interpretations of America’s state birds.

Sugar gliders are a woodland animal, inhabiting forests and wooded areas in eastern Australia and New Guinea. They spend...
08/28/2026

Sugar gliders are a woodland animal, inhabiting forests and wooded areas in eastern Australia and New Guinea. They spend most of their life in the trees, rarely reaching the ground. Like the southern flying squirrels that inhabit Illinois forests, sugar gliders are mostly nocturnal.

Australia is full of marsupials, including the sugar glider, a curious-looking creature that is reminiscent of the tree squirrels we are familiar with. 

Male hummingbirds are the first to leave each year. They aren't involved in raising their offspring, so they will leave ...
08/27/2026

Male hummingbirds are the first to leave each year. They aren't involved in raising their offspring, so they will leave before the females and young birds. The hummingbirds typically continue departing on their migration through early October.

Hummingbirds are here in Will County for a good portion of the year, but knowing when they migrate can help determine when to have hummingbird feeders out. 

Learn all about monarchs and take home a seed bomb to help them thrive in your own yard with this evening program at Plu...
08/26/2026

Learn all about monarchs and take home a seed bomb to help them thrive in your own yard with this evening program at Plum Creek Nature Center. Join us to learn about monarchs and their incredible migration and how you can help them at home, plus make a milkweed seed bomb to help these essential insects thrive.

Bombs Away for Butterflies
When: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4
Where: Plum Creek Nature Center at Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve
Registration is required.

9/4/2026: Help monarch butterflies one seed bomb at a time in this hands-on program.

Their name, which means "ear creature," actually comes from the idea that earwigs crawl into people's ears while they ar...
08/21/2026

Their name, which means "ear creature," actually comes from the idea that earwigs crawl into people's ears while they are sleeping. Luckily, though, there's no truth to that old superstition.

Earwigs may look menacing, but they are completely harmless to humans. And they don't want to crawl into your ears either.

Whether you paint regularly or want a little guidance from a professional artist, don't miss this!
08/20/2026

Whether you paint regularly or want a little guidance from a professional artist, don't miss this!

8/30/2026: Join The Nature Foundation of Will County for a plein air painting fundraiser at Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve.

Find your nature’s muse at this event full of hands-on activities that let you express yourself through music, movement ...
08/18/2026

Find your nature’s muse at this event full of hands-on activities that let you express yourself through music, movement and visual arts. Contribute to colorful community art installations, shop one-of-a-kind works from artists and enjoy tasty culinary treats along the way. Spark your imagination and experience the many ways nature can inspire art in many forms for all ages.

9/26/2026: Find your nature’s muse at this event full of hands-on activities that let you express yourself through music, movement and visual arts

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Beecher, IL
60417

Telephone

(708) 946-2216

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