September 2026 Newsletter

Happy September! Can you believe that the summer is almost over?

It’s almost time! This Sunday, September 13th marks the date for our special Birding at the Quarries event. Join us at the Heritage Quarries Recreation Area to learn about native birds, basic identification, and other birding facts! No experience is necessary – all backgrounds and experience levels are welcome to join us.

Register on our website here.

We will be led by local naturalist, Emily Szymanski. The first portion of the event will take place at the Nature Education Center. After learning, we will take to the trails to put our new skills to the test to find some birds! It will be a fun time – we hope to see you there. All you need to bring is an open mind, walking shoes, and drinking water. Binoculars are always a plus too.

Fishing at the Quarries – October Quarry Care

This October marks the return of our Quarry Care volunteer program! We will kick off the 2026-27 season with a special fishing and lakes management event led by instructors from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. With their help, we will learn about our aquatic neighbors, fishing tips, the importance of lake management, and hopefully catch some nice fish. Any and all experience ranges are welcome to join us. If you’re curious about the type of fish to expect, it’ll mostly be bluegill, largemouth bass, and black crappie. You don’t have to bring your own gear, but are welcome to do so if you are so inclined.

If you’re interested in joining us for other environmental stewardship opportunities, we welcome you to join us for our other Quarry Care dates as well! Registration is open on our website for the full 2026-27 Quarry Care season. It’s usually pretty fun. After all, how often do you get to smash through trees in a positive way? We work closely with volunteers to perform stewardship activities like removing (and sometimes burning!) invasive plants like buckthorn and honeysuckle, planting native species, and cleaning up litter. If you’re interested, we’d love to see you out there some time!

Wild Plant Herbal Teas Workshop with TCF

Did you know that you can make wild herbal teas using native plants? Join The Conversation Foundation and The Wilder World Trust on Saturday, October 24th from 10AM to 12PM for an interactive workshop on how to safely identify, select, and forage wild plants for herbal teas. Participants will also have the opportunity to taste wild herbal tea, and can make a sample tea blend to take home and enjoy! 

Register here with The Conservation Foundation.

We will be meeting at the Nature Education Center, located at the Lemont Heritage Quarries Recreation Area near The Forge Adventure Park. This is a free event open to all ages and experience levels!

Monarch Migration 2026

Did you know that September is the peak month for monarch butterfly migration sightings in Illinois? September 6th was estimated to be the peak day for sightings. Every Fall, monarch butterflies east of the Rocky Mountains and as far north as Canada make the long journey south to the mountains of Central Mexico. Monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains also migrate, but generally stick to their own separate route. Many of the butterflies that we see passing through Illinois in the fall months are a part of this generation! After migrating, the butterflies spend the winter in Mexico until March. 

Monarch butterflies are a specialized species. They only lay their eggs on milkweed plants, and monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed leaves (NPS). As the monarch caterpillars feed on the milkweed plants, they take in toxins from the milkweed plants that they use as a deterrent against predators. Without milkweeds, monarch butterflies cannot survive. Habitat loss, climate change, and the use of pesticides are leading contributors to the decline in monarch butterflies.

We are truly grateful for your continued support. We hope to keep up the good work with your help.