Isle a la Cache Museum/Preserve

10/09/2026

Much like real spiderwebs trap insects, those fake ones do too.

Fake spiderwebs are a popular Halloween decoration, but they can be a death trap for wildlife.

10/08/2026

Fall is officially here, and so is the fall mission drop in the Be a Trailblazer experience. We have new places to explore, photos to take, and plenty of reasons to truly embrace this season.

Haven’t joined Be a Trailblazer yet this year? No problem. Fall is a perfect time to start. Cooler temperatures, changing leaves and so many opportunities for outside exploration. And yes, there are still plenty of prizes up for grabs.

Download the free Goosechase app, search for “2026 Be a Trailblazer” or enter code JYBKK4, and start checking off those fall missions.

The fall session runs through Dec. 12, with another batch of missions coming in November.

Ready to blaze some trails?

The first mission drop for Fall in the 2026 Be a Trailblazer experience landed on Wednesday, Sept. 23 and the second will come during the week of Nov. 1.

10/05/2026

Isle a la Cache Museum is a great place to visit and get in touch with local history!

Hours: Wednesday-Sunday: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Admission is free

After you've visited the museum, explore the grounds, which feature natural surface trails along the river

10/02/2026

Despite its name, the red-bellied woodpecker may be better known for the red on its head. Unlike the red-headed woodpecker, it has a black-and-white barred back and a white or cream belly that may have a faint reddish patch. Males have red from the crown to the nape, while females have red only on the nape. These medium-sized woodpeckers are about 9½ inches long.

(Photo courtesy of Jen Lynn)

09/28/2026

Cooler weather. Stunning foliage. Crunchy leaves. Is fall your favorite season? Then you’re in luck! The fall session of our Be a Trailblazer experience has begun! Be a Trailblazer is a fun experience for all ages, and you can do as much or as little as you’d like. Every mission you complete in the Goosechase app earns you an entry for a prize! There’s no need to rush. Complete missions at your own pace. There’s no bonus for finishing first or even for completing every mission. So get outside, enjoy the fall colors and start completing missions!

09/25/2026

This traveling exhibition, developed by South Carolina silhouette artist Clay Rice and the South Carolina State Museum, is based on the artist’s children’s book “The Stick,” about a young boy who embarks on an exciting journey after finding a stick.

9/23/2026-12/13/2026: This traveling exhibition, developed by South Carolina silhouette artist Clay Rice and the South Carolina State Museum, follows a young boy who embarks on an exciting journey after finding a stick.

09/21/2026

"Just a few years ago, Monee Reservoir was the only Forest Preserve location that served as a drop-off site for bikes," said Cindy Wojdyla Cain, the Forest Preserve's public information officer. "But the recycling effort proved to be so popular, and the bikes are used for such a worthy cause, that four more Forest Preserve locations were added to the mix."

The fall Recycle Your Bicycle program returns from Sept. 12-27. Bikes can be donated at five Forest Preserve sites.

09/18/2026

Creature feature: The common snapping turtle. The common snapping turtle is one of two snapping turtles found in Illinois, but it’s the only one that lives in the northern part of the state. Snapping turtles are named for their snapping bite, but they aren’t generally aggressive, particularly in water. They can be a little feisty on land, however.

A snapping turtle’s shell can be 8 inches to 18 inches long, and they can weigh between 8 pounds and 35 pounds. They spend almost all their time in the water, preferring slow-moving waterways with muddy or sandy bottoms.

Snapping turtles are picky when it comes to food. The eat both plant and animal matter, including aquatic leaves and grasses, algae, fish, frogs, snakes, birds, mammals, insects and even other turtles.

While snapping turtles are not often hunted by other animals, their nests are. Birds, raccoons, skunks and more will raid their nests to eat the eggs. As many as 90% of snapping turtle nests are destroyed by predators every year.

Fun fact: Snapping turtles have existed for about 90 million years — since dinosaurs roamed the earth — and they have changed surprisingly little in that time. They still look and live much the same as they did in the age of dinosaurs.

(Photos courtesy of Joe Viola)

09/14/2026

It’s here! The original artwork for The Stick has arrived! Step into a world of imagination when The Stick opens Sept. 23 at Isle a la Cache Museum. This colorful and captivating exhibition celebrates the simple wonder of a child finding a stick and imagining all the possibilities it can become. The exhibition runs Wednesday, Sept. 23, through Sunday, Dec. 13, and is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. We can’t wait to share it with you!

9/23/2026-12/13/2026: This traveling exhibition, developed by South Carolina silhouette artist Clay Rice and the South Carolina State Museum, follows a young boy who embarks on an exciting journey after finding a stick.

09/12/2026

Your old bike may be done taking you places, but that doesn't mean it's reached the end of the road. Give it a second life through our Recycle Your Bicycle collection event.

Isle a la Cache Museum has been added as a drop-off site for this program, which runs through Sept. 27. Bikes can be dropped off on the far west side of the museum's parking lot. All collected bikes will be given to Working Bikes, which refurbishes and distributes bicycles locally and globally to people in need.

Get all the details here: https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/headlines/news/recycle-your-bicycle-working-bikes