Forest Preserves of Cook County 2022 Spring Brochure

A fpdcc.com EXPLORE MORE PAGES 4–9 Fishing Derby Join the Village of Palos Park and the Forest Preserves for a family-fun day of fishing. Saturday, Apr 9 • 8 am Papoose Lake – McCarthy Rd, west of S La Grange Rd, Palos Park World Mental Health Month Celebration Exercise and time in nature are proven ways to improve your mental health. Climb the stairs, join a guided walk, and explore mental health resources. In partnership with Advocate Health Aurora. Tuesday, May 10 • 5–7 pm Swallow Cliff-North Pavilion Calumet Sag Rd, west of La Grange Rd, Palos Hills *Registration required. For more information, unless otherwise noted, please call 312-533-5751. Southwest Zone VOLUNTEER Join an ecological stewardship day and do hands-on restoration work to improve bird habitat, or sign up for a community science program to collect critical information about plants and animals. PLANT NATIVE PLANTS Lawns provide almost no value to wildlife, yet Americans maintain an estimated 40 million acres of turf grass. Native flowers, grasses, shrubs and trees provide habitat for birds and pollinators like bees and butterflies. Learn more about gardening with native plants and get your yard certified as “Forest Preserves Friendly” through the Conservation@Home program. KEEP CATS INDOORS Free-ranging domestic cats kill an estimated 1.3 to 4 billion birds (and even more mammals) each year. MAKE WINDOWS SAFER Birds try to fly through transparent windows, and reflective windows that mirror the sky or plants outside are just as problematic. Reduce transparency and reflectivity by using blinds, window films or decals. AVOID PESTICIDES From rat poison to insecticides, pesticides impact more than just their targets—studies show they can move up the food chain and kill birds, pollinators and other wildlife. Avoid using pesticides in your own yard and, if you can, choose organic produce at the grocery store. • Chicago 27 SOUTHWEST