Gardening Events

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  • A close-up of a person carving wood at a crafting event.

    Woodworking for Your Garden

    Swallow Cliff Woods-North • Cook County, IL 60464 (near Palos Park)

    Create your own bat box or bee house for your garden! Supplies included. Hosted at Swallow Cliff Woods Pavilion. Waitlist available.

    Free • Registration Closed
  • Seed collecting bags showcasing various different seed types.

    Conservation @ Home: Seed Swap & Plant Exchange

    Swallow Cliff Woods-North • Cook County, IL 60464 (near Palos Park)

    Bring and/or take some seeds and plants home at this free swap. Experts available for advice. Hosted at Swallow Cliff Woods Pavilion.

    Free

  • The visitors center at the Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center

    Houseplant 911

    Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center • Willow Springs, IL 60480

    Learn care tips, beginner basics and how to choose your flora friends.

    Free
  • people evaluating a home garden

    Conservation @ Home: Spring Ephemerals

    Virtual Event

    Have you ever wondered how some wildflowers bloom while the ground is still cold and the air feels like winter? Join University of Illinois Extension for this […]

    Free • Registration Required
  • Seed collecting bags showcasing various different seed types.

    Conservation @ Home: Seed Swap and Plant Exchange

    Dan Ryan Woods Pavilion • Chicago, IL 60620

    Plant lover Unite! Native plant presentations are followed by seed and plant sharing. All Welcome. Bring a mug, warm beverage provided.

    Free
  • group of people kneeling around sweetgrass garden

    Green Lake Gardening

    Sand Ridge Nature Center • South Holland, IL 60473

    Help us restore the pollinator garden at Green Lake. Equipment provided. Ages 12 & up.

    Free • Registration Required

  • Sagawau Environmental Learning Center in summer.

    Plant Appreciation Day: The Under-appreciated Plants

    Sagawau Environmental Learning Center • Lemont, IL 60439

    Investigate some of the underappreciated gems that call Sagawau home on a short walk. Ages 18 & up.

    Free • Registration Required

  • Earth Day

    Trailside Museum of Natural History • River Forest, IL 60305

    There are many things you can do to celebrate our planet Earth. Help us pick up litter, make a bird feeder, take home a tree […]

    Free

  • Earth Day Celebration

    Sauk Trail Woods-Central • South Chicago Heights, IL 60411

    Join us for a vibrant celebration of planet Earth, filled with interactive activities, games, and creative artmaking for the whole family! This event is designed […]

    Free

  • Earth Day Celebration

    Little Red Schoolhouse Nature Center • Willow Springs, IL 60480

    Celebrate Earth’s biodiversity through stewardship, art and educational activities. Free plant giveaways. Drop in.

    Free

  • Earth Day, Nature Play

    Featured
    Crabtree Nature Center • Barrington, IL 60010

    Celebrate Earth Day with fun nature activities. Design an upcycled toy planter, create art using natural materials and enjoy outdoor exploration.

    Free
  • group of people kneeling around sweetgrass garden

    Green Lake Gardening

    Sand Ridge Nature Center • South Holland, IL 60473

    Help us restore the pollinator garden at Green Lake. Equipment provided. Ages 12 & up.

    Free • Registration Required

  • An adult and child engaging in outdoor games at an event.

    Spring Festival

    Featured
    Thatcher Woods • River Forest, IL 60305

    Enjoy interactive programs, kids’ tree climb, guided wildflower walks, kid’s nature crafts, gardening info and much more!

    Free
  • group of people kneeling around sweetgrass garden

    Green Lake Gardening

    Sand Ridge Nature Center • South Holland, IL 60473

    Help us restore the pollinator garden at Green Lake. Equipment provided. Ages 12 & up.

    Free • Registration Required

  • A monarch butterfly.

    Butterfly Walk

    Crabtree Nature Center • Barrington, IL 60010

    Kick off Pollinator Week with a guided butterfly walk! Join a trained local butterfly monitor as we discover which species are visiting the center, learn […]

    Free
  • A garden with a variety of native plantings

    Ethnobotany & The Power of Plants

    Weekly Wellness Programming
    Caldwell Woods Wellness Center • Chicago, IL 60646

    Discover the healing stories of Chicago’s landscapes in this immersive indoor-outdoor herbalism workshop. Led by University of Illinois-Extension.

    Free • Registration Required
  • A person scanning a plant with a phone application.

    Using Plant Identification Apps

    River Trail Nature Center • Northbrook, IL 60062

    Presented in partnership with the University of Illinois Extension: Turn your smartphone into a powerful nature tool and learn how to identify plants with confidence […]

    Free • Registration Required

  • open prairie at Sand Ridge Nature Preserve

    Wild Edibles Walk

    Sand Ridge Nature Center • South Holland, IL 60473

    Learn about wild plants with culinary and medicinal uses on a casual walk.

    Free • Registration Closed

  • looking up at a large bur oak tree

    Canceled Together for Trees

    Kickapoo Woods • Riverdale, IL 60827

    Kick it at Kickapoo Woods & Prairie! From casual walks and invigorating paddling excursions to peaceful wildlife watching and more. Kickapoo Woods offers something for […]

    Free
  • A set of weaving materials and tools.

    Weaving a Community

    Trailside Museum of Natural History • River Forest, IL 60305

    Learn weaving techniques and its history as well as the natural history of invasive plants. Supplies provided.

    Free
  • two people in a canoe on the Little Calumet River

    Plant and Paddle

    Little Calumet Boat Launch • Cook County, IL 60827 (near Riverdale)

    Help restore habitat by planting native species from canoes. Gear provided. Presented with Friends of the Chicago River.

    Free • Registration Required