IDEA #3 — GET OUTSIDE May 27, 2009
Posted by Ms. Klemundt in Uncategorized.trackback
It’s summer — get out of the house! Get some exercise by biking or hiking, or learn about animals and habitats, or just go commune with nature.
- North Park Village Nature Center (http://chicagoparkdistrict.com) Choose the “Parks & Facilities” menu tab and then use the drop-down menu on the right side. This nature preserve and educational center is open every day from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and is free. It’s located at 5801 North Pulaski Road.
- Cook County Forest Preserve (http://www.fpdcc.com) Use the menu tabs along the top horizontal bar to find preserves and activities to meet your needs: Events, Conservation & Restoration, Recreation, Maps.
- Lake County Forest Preserve District (http://www.lcfpd.org) Click on “Preserves & Facilities” to find locations. Lake County Forest Preserves generally have well-marked trails and allow a variety of activities. There are even places where you can take your dog. Look for the Calendar of Events under the “Things to Do” menu tab. You can also use the Calendar to find classes.
- Forest Preserve District of DuPage County (http://www.dupageforest.com) Use the “Forest Preserves” link along the left-side menu to find locations to hike or bike or ride horses. Most locations have trails with a variety of distances and the trails are well-marked. There’s also a Calendar of Events that lists everything from hayrides to blacksmithing demonstrations to workdays where you can participate in habitat restoration.
- Chicago Park District (http://chicagoparkdistrict.com) Click on the “Parks & Facilities” menu tab and then use the right-side menu to find out more about a specific park, or enter your zip code and see what parks are near you. Chicago parks have become much more than just swing sets and ball fields. Many have gardens and other environmental resources, fitness centers, skateparks, and golf courses.
- The Lakefront — you don’t need a website, just go east and you’ll find it! Go early in the morning for the best “nature” experience.
- Elmhurst College Arboretum (http://public.elmhurst.edu/collections/arboretum) Elmhurst College has created an arboretum by planting trees right on the college campus. Check the website to see a map of where the various trees are planted. You can have a college visit (see yesterday’s post) and a nature experience all in one!
- Biking Trails. Check any of the Forest Preserve websites listed above. One of the closest bike trails is the North Branch trail which starts at Devon & Lehigh. It’s 20 miles long and ends at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe (see below).
- Morton Arboretum (http://www.mortonarb.org). Check the website for entrance fees. They’ve just opened a new exhibit called “Animal Houses.” If you have little brothers and sisters, their Children’s Garden is just amazing. And if you want to hike, they have great trails that cover a variety of habitats.
- Chicago Botanic Garden (http://www.ohwow.org) It’s free to enter the CBG, but there is a parking fee. Bike in from the North Branch Bike Trail and skip the parking fee (see above). Go online and plan your visit — there are so many gardens to see and the CBG has programs and events running all summer. Visit the exhibit, “Peggy McNamara : The Natural Art of Nests,” which is being held in the Regenstein Center.
- Lincoln Park Zoo (http://www.lpzoo.com). Admission to the Zoo is free but, thanks to outsourcing, parking is now $19 per car. Yikes! Take the CTA and save some dough. Ratchet up your nature experience by visiting the Lincoln Park Conservatory, which is just outside the gates of the Zoo or wander the gardens and pathways of Lincoln Park itself.
- Brookfield Zoo (http://www.czs.org/czs/Brookfield/Zoo-Home.aspx) The Zoo charges both an admission fee and a parking fee (not to mention all those Mold-A-Ramas you’re going to buy), so costs can add up. The new ”Dinosaurs Alive!” exhibit is sure to bring huge crowds, but if you want more of a nature experience, visit the Butterfly Garden, Dragonfly Marsh, and Indian Lake and the Salt Creek Wilderness Area.
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