Scouting
Welcome
In addition to managing over 25,000 acres of woodlands, prairies and wetlands in over 60 forest preserves, the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County offers a range of opportunities for Scouts and other youth groups working toward badges and other achievements.
Table of Contents
General Information.................................................. 4 Extension and Districtwide Programs......................... 5 Danada Equestrian Center ....................................... 6 Mayslake Peabody Estate.......................................... 7 Kline Creek Farm...................................................... 8 Willowbrook Wildlife Center................................... 10 Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center........... 11
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County P.O. Box 5000 • Wheaton • Illinois • 60189 (630) 933-7200 • TTY (800) 526-0857 dupageforest.org 8/14
General Information Fees
Accessibility
Some programs have associated tuition or fees, which are listed with each description. All fees are subject to change, so group leaders should confirm the current rates when making reservations.
The Forest Preserve District is committed to making its educational programs available to all groups. Please mention any accessibility needs or concerns when you reserve your program.
Clothing
Picnicking
Clothing for outdoor activities should be appropriate for the weather. Outdoor trails are paved or have crushed-limestone surfaces, but group leaders and children should wear waterproof shoes on muddy days. Items such as bottled water, sunscreen and insect repellent are also recommended. The District will cancel a program if there is severe weather.
Picnic sites are available at no extra charge, and many forest preserves have shelters that are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Chaperones The Forest Preserve District encourages adult chaperones based on the following guidelines unless noted in a program description: One adult per five Scouts Daisy One adult per 10 Scouts Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelo, Boy Scout, Daisy, Brownie, Junior and Cadette Girl Scout One adult per 15 Scouts Boy Scout, Senior and Ambassador Boy Scout
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Special Requests Forest Preserve District staff will consider requests to develop special programs but reserve the right to decline any request. If a special request is granted, staff will calculate the fee at the time of the reservation based on the time needed to develop, prepare and present the program and to travel to the location. Special-request programs are charged at a rate of $20 per hour per staff member for DuPage County groups and $50 for out-of-county groups.
For the Latest Subscribe to the Office of Education’s e-newsletter at dupageforest.org under “Follow Our Tracks.”
Observe Your Preserve Observe Your Preserve is a Forest Preserve District website that gives Scouts, group leaders and forest preserve fans a way to share observations and interact with District naturalists and ecologists while learning about plants, animals and cultural resources. Visit dupageforest.org/observe or call Mayslake Peabody Estate at (630) 206-9586 for more information.
General Information
Extension Programs
Districtwide Programs
The compass course on Mount Hoy at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville is the perfect place to practice and sharpen navigation and math skills. Groups use compasses to locate checkpoints with information about natural and cultural history. Call Mayslake Peabody Estate at (630) 206-9586 to reserve materials. Free. Year-round. Rank All
For details on group projects or options at special events, call Volunteer Services at (630) 933-7681.
Blackwell Compass Course
Waterfall Glen Orienteering Scouts learn how to navigate through a marked course with a map and a compass at Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve in Darien. For a map of the beginner course and instructions, visit dupageforest.org and click on Things to Do, Recreational Activities, and Navigation and Wayfinding. Groups of 25 or more must request permits through Visitor Services at (630) 933-7248 at least three business days before their visits. Free. Year-round. Rank All
Greene Valley Tree Trek Signs along this 1-mile self-guided hike point out 11 different trees and give descriptions of their barks, seeds and leaves. Instructions on how to get started are posted on the information kiosk south of the Thunderbird Road parking lot. Free. Year-round. Rank All
Extension and Districtwide Programs
Volunteer Service Projects
Eagle Scout Projects The District has a limited number of Eagle Scout projects. The list is routinely updated, but staff availability, location and seasonal factors may affect availability. The District will consider requests when appropriate projects and staff are available. Prospective Eagle Scouts must independently call Volunteer Services at (630) 933-7681.
Educational Loan Boxes Loan boxes are a great way for Scout leaders to introduce young people to DuPage County’s natural and cultural history. Each box contains suggested lessons and activity outlines, books, DVDs and specimens for Scouts to examine. Boxes are available for up to two weeks. Call Mayslake Peabody Estate at (630) 206-9586. District Boxes Feathers ELL/ESL Nature Detectives Owls Prairie Plants
Prehistoric Life Skulls Tracking Watersheds
IDNR Boxes Aquatic Illinois Illinois Birds Illinois Fossils Illinois Insects and Spiders Illinois Invasive Species Illinois Prairies Illinois State Symbols Illinois Trees Illinois Wild Mammals People and Places from Illinois’ Past
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Danada Equestrian Center 3S507 Naperville Road • Wheaton • (630) 668-6012 • Office Hours 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday The center has been committed to filling the niche of horsemanship education in DuPage County since its establishment in 1984. Continuing to support its original charter as a “learn to ride” stable, Danada offers basic horsemanship and instructional riding programs for students ages 12 and up from April through November.
Guided Programs for Girls and Boys Guided Group Tour
Your group can reserve a one-hour tour that gives insight into the world of horses and their management and care. $35 per group of 20 for DuPage County groups; $65 for out-of-county groups. Year-round. Rank All
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Length Max 60 min 20
Danada Equestrian Center
Mayslake Peabody Estate
1717 W. 31st Street • Oak Brook • (630) 206-9566 • Hours Vary This cultural education center offers formal and informal programs for Scouts, training opportunities for teachers, lecture series, team-building activities, professional retreats and multilevel recreational workshops that introduce new skills or give participants the chance to improve existing ones. Additionally, its professional resident theater company, First Folio Theatre, presents award-winning theater and performances for school groups.
Programs for Girls Local Lore
Heritage Hunt
Scouts will enjoy a short PowerPoint presentation on the life and times of the Gilded Age (1880 – 1920) and will then take a tour of Mayslake Hall. This trip will include a clean-up project followed by a parlor game with lemonade and cookies. $5 per Scout.
Scouts will enjoy a short PowerPoint presentation on the life and times of the Gilded Age (1880 – 1920) and will then take a tour of Mayslake Hall. During the tour, they will learn about the hall’s architect, previous owners and how the building has been used over the years. While enjoying lemonade and cookies, girls can ask questions about the estate’s role in the community and the types of jobs that are available at the hall, including educational and training requirements. $5 per Scout.
Rank Junior Girl Scouts
Length Min/Max Adult per Child 90 min 6/12 1/5
Architecture and Environmental Design Scouts will take an tour of Mayslake Hall and discover the work of Chicago architect Benjamin Marshall through architectural elements of the building. They will create freehand drawings of the exterior of the building, an interior room and the view from a room of the mansion. After, groups will discuss their works and the importance of these three perspectives in the work of an architect as they enjoy lemonade and cookies. $5 per Scout.
Rank Length Min/Max Adult per Child Cadette and 90 min 6/15 1/8 Senior Girl Scouts
Rank Length Min/Max Adult per Child Cadette and 90 min 6/15 1/8 Senior Girl Scouts
Mayslake Peabody Estate
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Kline Creek Farm
1N600 County Farm Road • West Chicago • (630) 876-5900 • Farm Hours 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Thursday – Monday This 1890s living-history farm is the only place in DuPage where Scouts can see a lamb born, learn how to put up preserves, collect eggs, build a barn and help harvest crops in the field. Here they can learn about the life cycles of crops and animals, explore the economic role of farmers as producers, discover the effect of technological change on work and everyday life, and consider interactions between humans and natural resources.
Public Programs
Bring your Scouts to one of the farm’s annual special events, which are free and open to the public. Reservations are not required.
Corn Harvest Bring your work gloves, and help pick, shock, shuck and store the corn that will feed the farm’s cows and sheep over winter. After a quick session in “Corn College,” fill horse-drawn wagons with corn from the fields, and make shocks from cut stalks. Create corn-husk figures to take home. Activities ongoing. Oct. 11 and 12 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Ice Harvest Help cut and haul ice from Timber Lake and load it into the ice house for use at the farm later in the year. January. Call the farm for specific dates and times.
Lambing See the farm’s spring lambs — perhaps as they’re being born! — and learn how farmers breed, raise and sell livestock. Starts mid-January. Call the farm for estimated due dates.
Shearing See how trained border collies herd the flock and farmhands shear the sheep. Learn how washed wool becomes spun yarn, and see spinning, quilting and other hand-work demonstrations. April. Call the farm for specific dates and times.
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Self-Guided Programs for Girls and Boys
Pick a stand-alone trip, or add one to a guided tour.
Alphabet of Agriculture Scouts learn the ABCs and sharpen observation skills with a scavenger hunt for objects that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Free. Year-round Thursdays – Mondays. Rank Length Min/Max Adult per Child Wolf and Bear 60 min 10/100 1/10 Cubs, Webelos, Brownies and Juniors Girl Scouts
Architecture Adventure Acting as detectives, Scouts resolve mysteries of the design and function of various buildings. Free. Yearround Thursdays – Mondays. Rank Length Min/Max Adult per Child Wolf and Bear 60 min 10/100 1/10 Cubs, Webelos, Brownies and Junior Girl Scouts
Discovery Tour Scouts use magnifying lenses and spyglasses to explore the farm while leaders use picture booklets to guide them. Free. Year-round Thursdays – Mondays. Rank Tiger Cubs and Daisies
Length Min/Max Adult per Child 60 min 10/50 1/10
Kline Creek Farm
Guided Programs for Girls and Boys Maple Sugaring
Busy As a Bee
Scouts learn how to tap a tree using hand tools, check for sap in collection buckets and watch sap turn into maple syrup over a fire during this true rite of spring. $5 per Scout. March.
Scouts meet expert beekeepers, examine a hive, learn how to plant bee-friendly gardens and get a taste of Kline Creek Farm honey. The visit will extend home with “make-and-take� projects. $5 per Scout.
Rank All
Rank Length Min/Max Adult per Child Wolf and Bear 60 min 5/15 1/10 Cubs, Webelos, Daisies, Brownies and Junior Girl Scouts
Length Min/Max Adult per Child 60 min 10/20 1/10
Christmas on the Farm This three-part program includes a visit to the kitchen to experience the sights, smells and tastes of holiday cookies baking in wood-burning oven. A tour the farmhouse focuses on Christmas trees, gifts and other traditions. A self-guided tour of the farm shows Scouts how shorter, cold winter days affected life from transportation to animal care. $5 per Scout. December. Rank All
Length Min/Max Adult per Child 60 min 10/40 1/12
Hands-On Hand Tools Introduce your Scouts to hand tools that have been in use since the 1890s - and in some cases even longer. Participants will learn how to safely handle and use an array of measuring tools, shaping tools, striking tools and boring tools. Along the way, scouts will pick up some of the fundamental skills of working with wood to create things both beautiful and useful. $5 per scout. September Rank All
Length Min/Max Adult per Child 60 min 5/15 1/10
My First Visit to the Farm A costumed guide introduces Scouts to this 1890s farm and the people who care for it. Scouts discover what makes farm animals different from wild animals and the purposes animals serve on a farm. They explore fields, pastures and agricultural buildings as they learn about agriculture in the 1890s and today. $5 per Scout.
Taffy-Pulling Party As Scouts use a historic recipe to prepare molasses taffy candy of their very own, they tour our 1890s farmhouse to learn how kids lived more than a century ago. One of the ways farm kids in the 1890s had wintertime fun with their friends was to host taffy pulling parties. $5 per Scout. Select Saturdays in February. Rank Length Min/Max Adult per Child Wolf, Bear 60 min 5/12 1/12 and Tiger Cubs, Brownies, and Junior and Cadette Girl Scouts
Guided Farm Tour Scouts discover how members of a farm family worked together as they tour the farmhouse, barn and other buildings and interact with livestock. Seasonal content helps them understand how work related to the time of year in terms of crop and animal life cycles. $5 per Scout. Rank Length Min/Max Adult per Child Wolf and Bear 90 min 10/30 1/10 Cubs, Webelos, Boy Scouts, Brownies, and Junior, Cadette, and Senior Girl Scouts
Rank Length Min/Max Adult per Child Tiger Cubs, 60 min 10/30 1/5 Daisies and Brownies
Kline Creek Farm
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Willowbrook Wildlife Center
525 S. Park Blvd. • Glen Ellyn • (630) 942-6200 • Center Hours 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Daily As the Forest Preserve District’s wildlife rehabilitation and education center, Willowbrook offers multifaceted learning experiences through live animal exhibits, interpretive signs and displays and representative habitat areas.
Programs for Girls
Programs for Boys
This program will get Brownies thinking about the basic needs humans and animals have in common. It discusses how animals interact and how hazards from human activities affect wildlife. A craft at the end of the program illustrates predator-prey relationships. This program satisfies requirements for the eco explorer achievement. It includes an outdoor component, so groups should dress appropriately. $40 per program. Rank Length Min/Max Adult per Child Brownies 90 min 6/18 1/10
Scouts will learn how to use binoculars, field guides and other resources and how to help birds and encourage activity in their own backyards. There’s a naturalist-led bird hike, so Scouts should dress for the weather. This program satisfies arrow point elective 13 birds. $40 per program. March 1 – Oct. 31.
Brownies Eco Explorer
Junior Wildlife Badge This program will help Junior Girl Scouts earn their wildlife badges. It discusses local wildlife, the ways animals are suited to where and how they live, and home remedies and medicines that come from nature. It ends with a hike to look for birds and other wildlife, so Scouts should dress for the weather. This program must start by 2 p.m. $50 per program. Rank Length Min/Max Adult per Child Junior Girl Scouts 2 hr 6/18 1/10
Wolf Cub: Bird Arrow Point Achievement
Rank Wolf Cubs
Bear Cub: Sharing Your World With Wildlife Before arriving, each Scout will need to create a poster about his favorite wild animal to share with peers. Scouts will then learn the role of a wildlife educator, discuss extinct and endangered animals and learn what they can do to help local wildlife. They will then tour the center on their own. $40 per program. Rank Bear Cubs
Length Min/Max Adult per Child 90 min 6/18 1/10
Webelos Naturalist Badge Webelos will learn about the natural world, including birds and migratory flyways, venomous animals and poisonous plants. They’ll also serve as producers, consumers and decomposers in an activity that creates a food chain. They’ll then tour the center on their own. $40 per program. Rank Webelos
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Length Min/Max Adult per Child 90 min 6/18 1/10
Length Min/Max Adult per Child 90 min 6/18 1/10 Willowbrook Wildlife Center
Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center 3609 Spring Road • Oak Brook • (630) 850-8110 • Visitor Center Hours 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Daily Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center’s certified counselors help Scouts and other youth groups enjoy, explore and learn about the natural world. The center offers a variety of programs throughout the year. Please call for program and registration information.
Fullersburg Woods Nature Education Center
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