Get Involved in Stewardship

Opportunities to Connect to Nature & Conservation Efforts

ECCo's committment to ecological stewardship is part of many regional initiatives throughout Chicago Wilderness that connect people and nature. We invite you to help lend a hand in conserving our important natural areas.

Photos: Laura Milkert

Stewardship Workdays & Taking Care of Local Preserves

Along with natural resource managers and stewardship leaders, workdays bring together volunteers to collect seeds, remove invasive species, promote healthy and diverse habitats, and learn about the plants and animals in local preserves.

Join us as ECCo leads a volunteer stewardship day at Beaubien Woods Forest Preserve and helps connect local residents to the site.
Check out places to volunteer throughout the Forest Preserve District of Cook County and Chicago Wilderness.
Take care of Calumet waterways.
Learn about local ecology and how to do restoration by participating in the The Calumet Volunteer Enrichment Series.

Nature-Based Community Events

Enjoy free, guided hiking and paddling events as a part of The Calumet Outdoor Series, which offers opportunities for people to learn about and explore the vast and globally rare geology and ecology of the Calumet region in a fun way.

Participate in a variety of free community events and volunteer opportunities put on by the Calumet Stewardship Initiative organizations. Visit the CSI Facebook page for the latest on the interesting and multi-faceted work of CSI.
Meet and network with other people that are involved in environmental projects at the bi-monthly Southland Green Drinks.
Leave No Child Inside! Discover the outdoors with guided activities and resources for engaging kids of all ages.

Monitoring Projects for Community Scientists

Connect to bird, butterfly, and frog monitoring projects through The Habitat Project, a network of scientists, community members, monitors, land managers, and advocates—who work side by side to assure the holistic and effective conservation of Chicago Wilderness.
Monitor the Chicago Wilderness region's rarest plants as a volunteer with Plants of Concern, which engages citizen scientists to assess trends in plant populations and provide important data used to conserve our rapidly declining floral heritage.