Foundation enhances access, education and enjoyment across Will County preserves
- The Nature Foundation of Will County
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
No matter how you enjoy your Will County preserves this year, The Nature Foundation of Will County helps make it better. We’ve allocated over $100,000 to restore natural areas and enhance visitors’ experiences in the preserves and visitor centers – and we’re just getting started!
As the Forest Preserve District of Will County’s nonprofit partner, we receive donations from the public as well as businesses and other philanthropic organizations to help achieve our mission – to support and celebrate the Forest Preserve District’s preservation, conservation, education, and recreation priorities in perpetuity.
We support the Forest Preserve District’s programs and activities that protect nature, inspire discovery, and bring people and nature together. Last year, we provided over $260,000 to help advance the District’s priorities.
“We exist to help give you more of what you love about the Forest Preserve District,” said Tara Neff, the Foundation’s executive director.
The Forest Preserve District exists to protect and enhance Will County’s natural and cultural resources for the benefit of current and future generations. Thanks to two private donors who love and value nature, we’re able to provide $35,000 to help the District increase the amount of restoration work they’re able conduct in 2026.
Because we support the District’s work in so many ways, we help make the preserves a destination for everyone, no matter their interests.
“I think getting a diverse group of visitors in the door is part of the continuum of getting people into the Forest Preserve. We are more than just trails and paths and trees,” says Lydia Pond, The Forest Preserve District’s director of visitor services. “The education and recreation opportunities we provide broaden horizons, broaden preserve access, broaden who comes through the doors.”
We help the Forest Preserve District reach more people in more ways. At Hidden Oaks Preserve in Bolingbrook we’ll help get interpretive signs installed around the nature center and Hidden Lakes Trout Farm. Museum staff at Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville will purchase new historical clothing and hats for the facility’s hat shop, new storage supplies for the museum collections, and interpretive items for temporary exhibits and displays. They’re creating a new Zen space in the alcove on the front porch and we hope you’ll have a seat in one of the new Adirondack chairs we’re providing.
Natural and cultural exhibits are another way to connect people to nature. That’s why we’ve been supporting their installations at visitor centers since our beginning almost 12-years ago. Our additional funds allow staff to bring in high quality exhibits, even as the costs continue to climb each year. We’re supporting exhibits at Plum Creek Nature Center and Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in 2026.
The Forest Preserve District’s newly redesigned nature education website for children and families, WillysWilderness.org, will also benefit from our continued support. And we’re bringing back two popular recreation programs that incentivize getting outside, Woods Walk and Be a Trailblazer.
We’ll help provide care for the District’s animal ambassadors and fund additional STEM/STEAM equipment and supplies at the visitor centers. Each visitor center determines whether to grow a collection, supplement educational materials, or replace worn-out equipment. Our funds allow the flexibility interpretive staff need to meet evolving needs.
“We are in tune and aligned with each other,” says Pond, of the relationship between the Foundation and the Forest Preserve District. “The Foundation amplifies the mission of the Forest Preserve.”
While the year-end fundraising campaign fell short of our goal, we will work throughout the year to bring additional support to all the things you love about the Forest Preserve District. Ready to help? Visit our donation page or mail your gift to The Nature Foundation of Will County at the Sugar Creek Administration Center.