Isle a la Cache Museum/Preserve

06/01/2026

Attendees will learn how to support pollinators at home through insect hotels, pollinator gardens and native plants. To help visitors get started with pollinator-friendly activities, a native plant sale will be held as part of Pollinator Party festivities in partnership with The Nature Foundation of Will County. Get the details >>> https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/news-events/news/pollinator-party-returns-to-isle-a-la-cache-with-live-bats-native-plants-and-family-fun

05/29/2026

Slime molds are one of those things in nature that are just fascinating, and the more you know about them the more you want to know.

Slime molds are highly diverse, exhibiting various colors and textures, along with surprising intelligence.

05/24/2026

Pollinators are some of nature’s hardest workers. Bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, beetles and other pollinators help plants reproduce by carrying pollen from flower to flower, supporting healthy ecosystems, native landscapes and food production.

Here in Illinois, pollinators are essential to the health of our prairies, woodlands and gardens.

You can help protect pollinators by:
• Planting native flowers that bloom throughout the growing season
• Reducing or avoiding pesticide use
• Leaving small areas of natural habitat in your yard
• Supporting local conservation and education efforts

Buzz by our summer party for the birds, bees, bats and more on June 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. >>> https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/event-calendar/pollinator-party-2026!

(Photo courtesy of Lili Duan)

05/22/2026

Native plants are key.

Looking for tips on how to have a prosperous pollinator garden? We can help.

05/18/2026

No matter how much space you have to devote to a native plant garden, before you get started planting make sure to spend some time studying the space so you know how much light it gets throughout the day.

You don't need a big yard — or any yard at all — to add native plants to your outdoor space. A small garden plot or even a container garden are more than enough to attract pollinators and other creatures.

05/18/2026

Learn about the insects and the animals that perform the important task of pollinating plants, especially those that provide us with much of the food we eat. See live bats and learn about their roles in pollination from our friends at Incredible Bats. Find out how to support pollinators at home with insect hotels, gardens and plants native to our region. Try your hand at exciting pollination challenges, crafts and activities.

6/13/2026: Get a head start on celebrating Pollinator Week at this family-friendly event where you can learn about the insects and animals that perform the important task of pollinating plants.

05/16/2026

Don't miss your chance to explore the entire Isle a la Cache campus on Saturday, May 23. The museum as well as the Traders Cabin and Native American longhouse will all be open so visitors can learn more about what life was like in our area in the 18th century. Drop in for as little or as long as you would like. Museum admission is always free!

Museum Campus Day
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 23
Where: Isle a la Cache Museum

5/23/2026: If you’ve never visited Isle a la Cache Museum, take advantage of this opportunity to see what’s going on in our 18th-century Traders Cabin and peek inside the Native American longhouse.

05/15/2026

By heron standards, green herons are small with stocky builds, about the same size as a crow. Because of their hollow bones, they only weigh about a half-pound. They have short, orange or orangish-yellow legs. They have dark crown feathers that are sometimes displayed as a crest, and their bills are long and sharp.

(Photo courtesy of Laurie’s Trail)

05/11/2026

"You win by forgetting your troubles for awhile," she said of how Be a Trailblazer helped her take her mind off her health struggles. "You focus on the surroundings. You escape a little bit. For that moment, you can forget."

Forest Preserve's Be a Trailblazer experience provides welcome distraction during woman's cancer treatment.

05/09/2026

While today's monofilament could be around for centuries, anglers can prevent wildlife injuries from their leftover line by properly disposing of it. The Forest Preserve provides receptacles to dispose of fishing line at all of its main fishing sites. To properly dispose of the line, cut it into pieces less than 6 inches long and place it, along with any hooks and tackle, in the provided containers or another covered trash container.

Fishing line seems like an innocuous tool, but in reality it's a death trap for untold numbers of wildlife.