Category Archives: Events

Sunday, December 14, 1:00pm
Free event @ the Historic Prairie House, 11225 Constitution Drive, Westchester

Presenter: Patricia Reaves

Come learn about the origin and practices of decorating trees for the holidays, where the ornamentations of today were traditionally made, how holiday markets grew to spread the cheer and how it all evolved with trends throughout the decades.

Every Sunday in November, 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Free event @ the Historic Prairie House, 11225 Constitution Drive, Westchester

Join us for a historic fashion exhibit going back in time from 1920 to 1820. Authentic clothing from the different periods will be on display accompanied by brief explanations of the items’ sources, materials and what made them representative for their periods. Judge for yourself how they compare to what we wear today and wonder at the artistry, workmanship and resourcefulness of their creators.

Sunday, September 14, 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Free event @ the Historic Prairie House, 11225 Constitution Drive, Westchester

Join us for our late summer Insect Safari with naturalist guides Michael Rush and Larry Godson.

Using nets provided by Save The Prairie Society, participants will be able to catch, identify and study a variety of insects. In the end, we will release them back onto the prairie. Note: please wear sturdy shoes and long pants!

Saturday, September 6, 10:00am to 4:00pm
Free event @ the Historic Prairie House, 11225 Constitution Drive, Westchester

Save the Prairie Society’s invites you to a free community event: The Annual Old Fashioned Prairie Fest! at the parkway of the Prairie House. Rain date September 13.

FREE Event! Something for everyone:

• Vendors will offer Arts and Crafts
• Prairie Society experts will offer Prairie Walking Tours
• STPS local historian will give tours of the 1870s farmhouse and the historic 1853 Schoolhouse Museum within
• Ledo’s Pizza will offer Food and Beverages
• Dulcimer Players will perform music on the front porch
• Our Information Booth will have more details on Prairie Events, Restoration Efforts and other Save the Prairie Society Volunteer Opportunities
• JG’s Reptile Roadshow will introduce you to a variety of interesting animals
• A Cook County Forest Preserve Ecologist will explain a new program involving research on bats
• Historical reenactors will be available to talk about the time periods they interpret

Sunday, August 10, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Free event @ the Historic Prairie House, 11225 Constitution Drive, Westchester

Experience the country of Belize, located on the northeastern coast of Central America, through the lens of Wolf Road Prairie volunteer and photographer Fidencio Marbella as he shares images and impressions he gathered on a recent journey there.

Learn about the wide array of tropical birds and other characteristics of Belize’s diverse landscape as Fidencio focuses on the jungles and rain forests of the interior of this unique land.

Sunday, August 3, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Free event @ the Historic Prairie House, 11225 Constitution Drive, Westchester

In part one of a continuing series, photographer and naturalist Jim Rowan will present some of his favorite images from decades of travelling to State Parks in the United States and Provincial Parks in Canada. His focus is on the unique travel opportunities to visit unusual sights that help us stay in touch with native landscapes and the wildlife they support.

Sunday, July 27, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Free event @ the Historic Prairie House, 11225 Constitution Drive, Westchester

Learn all about the long history of the Chicago Portage at our next talk with STPS naturalist E.J. Neafsey!

Topics covered will include: Glaciers, Lake Chicago, Native Americans, Marquette & Jolliet, Fort Dearborn and the Sanitary & Shipping Canal.

Sunday, July 13, 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Free event @ the Historic Prairie House, 11225 Constitution Drive, Westchester

Join us for our summer Insect Safari with naturalist guides Michael Rush, Jim Rowan and Larry Godson.

Using nets provided by Save The Prairie Society, participants will be able to catch, identify and study a variety of insects. In the end, we will release them back onto the prairie. Note: please wear sturdy shoes and long pants!

Sunday, June 8, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Free event @ the Historic Prairie House, 11225 Constitution Drive, Westchester

Patricia Reaves and John F. Doyle will present a program on the history of the area and on the founding years of the Village of Westchester in celebration of its centennial.

The presentation will cover the beginnings and growth of Westchester as a planned community newly connected to downtown by commuter rail expansion. It began in mystery as the German settler farmers were given offers they could not refuse to sell lands that the government had first made available after the removal of native Potawatomi peoples. Learn about the grand plans for what was to be a model British-themed version of Chicago’s future, which the 1929 stock market crash delayed, and was eventually to take shape later with new and different designs in the post-war period.

Sunday, April 6, 1:00pm
Free event @ the Historic Prairie House, 11225 Constitution Drive, Westchester

Plant and animal extinctions are occurring globally at an accelerating rate. “Habitat loss” is often given as a reason and around the world people attempt to reverse these losses by preserving remaining habitats. Unfortunately these areas are not immune to what happens outside their boundaries.

John Cebula, who is actively involved in many conservation projects, examines the most common and most harmful threats to protected areas, threats that compromise their intended purpose and offers suggestions on how individuals can aid threatened species.