Sagawau Environmental Learning Center

Sagawau Environmental Learning Center Sagawau provides field -based, environmental education during the spring, summer and fall. In the winter, Sagawau becomes the cross country ski center.
(1)

We are the Environmental Learning Center for the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Our mission is to provide valuable environmental education to teachers; college, high school, and junior high school students; adults; family groups. The purpose of our programming is to increase environmental awareness, appreciation and respect for Chicago region ecosystems and to inspire our visitors to develop an

"Ecological Conscience" on a global scale. About Forest Preserve District of Cook County

Don’t you sometimes just want to escape? Explore the natural beauty of Cook County for an hour, a
day or even a night. When you’re surrounded by 70,000 acres of wild and wonderful, there’s no
better place to feel free. This page has been created for the Forest Preserves of Cook County's Sagawau Environmental Learning Center and its visitors to share news, ideas and events. We welcome your engagement and feedback, but
comments posted by a member of the public are the opinion of the poster only, and do not
necessarily imply endorsement of or reflect the opinions or policies of the Forest Preserves. Comments containing any of the following content will not be permitted and are subject to removal
and/or restriction at any time and without prior notice:
• Obscene, sexual or pornographic content and/or language
• Content that promotes discrimination by the government on the basis of race, age,
religion, gender or other protected class
• Private, personal information published without consent
• True threats to any person
• Conduct that violates any federal, state, or local law or encourages illegal activity
• Spam, commercial promotions or links to malware or viruses
• Actual defamation

The Forest Preserves reserves the right to deny access to our social media sites for any individual
who repeatedly violates the Forest Preserves social media policy, at any time and without prior
notice. All comments posted to any Forest Preserves social site are bound by the social media
platform’s terms of use or code of conduct. Users who enter private or personal information do so at their own risk, and the Forest Preserves is
not responsible for any damages resulting from the public display of, or failure to remove, private or
personal information. Content posted on the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s social media sites
may be subject to disclosure under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act and retention under the
Local Records Act. This policy and terms of use may be amended from time-to-time, without further notice

Hours
Learning Center: 9 am -- 3:45pm
Trails: 8 am -- 4 pm

As a nordic ski center, Sagawau offers a complete cross country ski program when snow conditions permit. Hours: 9 - 4 pm
All skiers must register and obtain a free trail pass at the Nordic Center on the Lower Level

Trail Information:
Length: 6 km
Groomed: Classic and Skating, watch for updates
Difficulty: 4 loops are Easy and 2 loops are More Difficult

Ski equipment rental:
Available daily from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm. Must be returned by
3:45 pm. Stays on premises. Cost: Individual -$15
Senior (55 and over) - $10
Family - $40

Lessons:
Available on weekends, beginning of January until early March, at 9:30 am
Ages 12 & up
Registration begins the Monday prior to the lesson. Cost:
Lesson only: $20
Lesson and Rental: $30

Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day

Do you have hard to recycle materials, sitting around and taking up space? This Weekend at Sagawau, We are holding the T...
05/29/2026

Do you have hard to recycle materials, sitting around and taking up space? This Weekend at Sagawau, We are holding the Trash Bash, where you can bring difficult to recycle materials such as electronics, prescription drugs, books, musical instruments, bikes, clothing, and more. To bring in recyclables, register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/trash-bash-tickets-1988568126798

Visit Eggers Grove for Nature Block Party this Saturday, May 16!
05/13/2026

Visit Eggers Grove for Nature Block Party this Saturday, May 16!

05/12/2026

🌿 Calling all environmental educators, sustainability practitioners, and anyone curious about conservation education: registration is now open for the Green Teacher Gathering 2026 . This is more than a conference. It’s a space to reconnect and get inspired.
This year’s theme, “Guided by Nature: Reconnect, Restore, Revolutionize—advancing nature-centered teaching for a sustainable future,” invites you to reimagine what learning can look like, no matter who your learners are.
With hands-on workshops and community-building sessions, you’ll leave empowered and equipped to bring environmental education to life.
📅 Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 8:30am-4pm CST
📍 Academy for Global Citizenship, Chicago
📝 Learn more and register at https://www.chicagowilderness.org/page/GreenTeacherGathering2026

We had a great turnout for World Migratory Bird Day! Thank you to everyone who showed up for bird banding and bird hikes...
05/10/2026

We had a great turnout for World Migratory Bird Day!

Thank you to everyone who showed up for bird banding and bird hikes, and a huge shoutout to Edward Warden for his amazing presentation on Nighthawks!

There’s still a chance to attend more bird hikes and bird banding demos. Check out our page for program updates or the Forest Preserves of Cook County website here: https://fpdcc.com/places/locations/sagawau-environmental-learning-center/

Happy birding!

Migration is on! Check out these photos of our migrating birds taken today by a Sagawau staff member.Come visit us tomor...
05/08/2026

Migration is on! Check out these photos of our migrating birds taken today by a Sagawau staff member.

Come visit us tomorrow and celebrate this bird migration season for World Migratory Bird Day from 9am-2pm. We will have bird banding, bird walks, and a Nighthawk presentation by Edward Warden.

Happy Birding!

We are one week away from World Migratory Bird Day! Come join us for a day of bird banding, bird hikes, and a Nighthawk ...
05/02/2026

We are one week away from World Migratory Bird Day!

Come join us for a day of bird banding, bird hikes, and a Nighthawk Watch presentation by Edward Warden.

Happy Birding!

Bienvenidos Birds! Come take flight with us on the Mississippi Flyway tomorrow Saturday, May 2nd at 1pm to learn about t...
05/02/2026

Bienvenidos Birds!

Come take flight with us on the Mississippi Flyway tomorrow Saturday, May 2nd at 1pm to learn about the bird migration journey from Mexico to the Chicagoland area with an indoor presentation followed by a bird hike.

Registration required. Call (630)257-2045.

This weekend, get out and support The City Nature Challenge. This weekend, all of your INaturalist submissions will be a...
04/25/2026

This weekend, get out and support The City Nature Challenge. This weekend, all of your INaturalist submissions will be added to help us learn about our public lands. And find cool things like this Cranesbill Mining Bee (Andrena distans)

Cranesbill Mining Bees are oligolectic or pollen specialists on Wild Geranium, Alternatively known as Cranesbill. Sometimes, at dusk, you can even find the bees sleeping in the flowers.

Address

12545 111th Street
Lemont, IL
60439

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+16302572045

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Sagawau Environmental Learning Center posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Sagawau Environmental Learning Center:

Share