Your connection to nature is found locally.

National parks are breathtaking but the wonder of nature is right outside. Monarch caterpillars munch on your neighbor's milkweed, an excitable squirrel uncovers a cash of acorns - maybe one will go unnoticed and grow into a great white oak one day. Our local ecosystems do not contain immense caverns or steep mountains but they do contain an incredible diversity of life awaiting discovery. Let the University of Illinois Extension Grand Prairie Master Naturalists share their knowledge of local Oak Savannas and Tallgrass Prairies; we are here to help you connect with local parks, prairies, and preserves.

Take a hike. Join a lecture. Become a steward.