Deer Grove Natural Areas Volunteers

The Deer Grove Natural Areas Volunteers is a project of the Nature Conservancy's Volunteer Stewardship Network (VSN) in conjunction with the Cook County Forest Preserve District. Our goal is to restore to pre-setelment conditions, the native plant and animal communities found in the Deer Grove Forest Preserve. Volunteers are what make this project possible and new faces are always welcome. Deer Grove Forest Preserve is located in Palatine, a northwest suburb of Chicago, IL. The western half of the preserve, where most restoration work is done, is bounded by Quentin Road on the east, Dundee on the south, Ela on the west and Lake Cook on the north.

General Work Day Information
Work days are held on the first and third Saturday of the month, starting at 9:00 am.

We always look forward to seeing new volunteers, as well as our regulars and would like to remind you of a few considerations for work clothes. We work as long as it isn't raining (at least not too hard) so dress warmly for cold weather with good work shoes for walking in rough terrain. Layering is always good so you can shed a layer as you warm up from working. Long sleeve shirts and pants are usually good even in warm weather to avoid mosquitoes and the occasional poison ivy patch. Bring insect repellent if you are sensitive. Work gloves and tools are provided.

Feel free to bring water and anything else you might want while working.

Don't let all this information scare you off, there are activities for people of every age and ability level. Come out, meet people and learn about our local ecosystems and how to identify the various plants.