Sand Ridge Nature Center will celebrate the heritage of the local Calumet Historic Region on Saturday, Nov. 18 with their Sand Ridge Heritage Day event.

The event will start at 10 a.m. and will include guided walks, activities, light refreshments, classroom presentations and hands-on interactive displays. Visitors will also be encouraged to share their own stories to help create a more informed understanding of the land, people and industry of the region.

Included among the guests and presenters will be representatives of The Field Museum, Little Calumet River UGRR Project, Paul Sereno of University of Chicago Fossil Lab, and Native American food vendor Chef Walks First. 

The Calumet Region has been home to indigenous people who were stewards of the land for thousands of years prior to the arrival of European colonizers. The land has also been part of the Underground Railroad for freedom seekers finding their way North prior to the Civil War, and recent ancestors in this region created the steel and railroad industries that contributed to building our nation’s cities into the 20th Century.

“Through this event, we hope visitors will leave feeling reconnected to the heritage of the Calumet region while also creating a stronger connection to the Forest Preserves of Cook County,” Sand Ridge Nature Center Director Cre Walls shares.

Sand Ridge Nature Center, located at 15891 Paxton Ave. in South Holland, is one of six nature centers operated by the Forest Preserves of Cook County, and offers a variety of educational events and festivals throughout the year. Overflow parking for this event will be at Camp Shabbona Woods (adjacent to Sand Ridge Nature Center with connecting trail), 15810 S. Torrence Ave., Calumet City, IL 60409. For more information on the Annual Heritage Day, call the Nature Center directly at (708) 868-0606. A complete listing of all programs is posted to the Forest Preserves’ events website at fpdcc.com with seasonal guides that can be downloaded.

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About the Forest Preserves of Cook County
Don’t you sometimes just want to escape? Explore the natural beauty of Cook County for an hour, a day or even a night. When you’re surrounded by 70,000 acres of wild and wonderful there’s no better place to feel free.