April 2026 Newsletter

Happy April! It’s Earth Day month… Got any conservation plans?

April Quarry Care - Planting!

For our April Quarry Care date (Saturday, April 11th), we will be planting a variety of native shrubs, wildflowers, and grasses in honor of Earth Day. These species beautify the Quarries and will provide a sustainable, long-lasting source of food for wildlife once mature. Other ecosystem benefits include erosion control, improved water filtration, and increased local biodiversity. We hope to see more and more wildlife at the Quarries as native plant populations continue to grow!

We will meet up at the northwest corner of parking lot 1 at 9AM. Look out for our staff!

Please wear clothing appropriate for the elements, close-toed shoes, and secure any long hair. We recommend bringing your own shovel or trowel – spares will be limited and we will likely run out quickly. Work gloves and drinking water is always good to bring, too.

Spring Greens: Foraging at the Forge Plant Walk

Learn about Spring greens and other foragables with us at the Heritage Quarries Recreation Area (HQRA) on Sunday, April 26th from 10AM to 11:30AM! We will be led by Eric Lizzo of The Conservation Foundation and discuss plant identification, which parts of the plants to eat and how to prepare them, safety, and foraging ethics. You can register for free here. Slots are limited, so it’s better to sign-up sooner rather than later!

Chicago River Day 2026

The Wilder World Trust is excited to be partnering with The Village of Lemont and Friends of the Chicago River for another year of Chicago River Day! The annual volunteer cleanup date will be taking place on Saturday, May 9th at over 80 locations throughout the greater Chicago area where volunteers work to remove litter and other debris from the Chicago-Calumet River system. This event will take the place of Quarry Care for the month of May.

We will be working on a site under the Lemont Road bridge where the Centennial Trail parallels the Des Plaines River. It is important that we keep our waterways clean – litter pollutes the environment with microplastics and other chemicals, looks bad, and creates economic and health problems for everyone!

May Birding Day – Save the Date

Interested in birds? Come to the Heritage Quarries on Saturday, May 16th and learn about native birds with us at the Nature Education Center! Please keep an eye out for registration information. Alyssa Syzmanski, Naturalist, will be leading the discussion. After the classroom portion of the event, we will go on a short walk around the Quarries to look for birds.

We should be able to find a good mix of species – the variety of ecosystems at the HQRA attracts a diverse crowd of different birds ranging from small species like killdeer to towering herons!