Sagawau Environmental Learning Center

Sagawau Environmental Learning Center, located in southwest Cook County near Lemont, is an environmental education center established to promote the study of nature in a relaxed setting. It is open only for scheduled programs. Some of these are: environmental education workshops; college credit courses; outdoor nature photography; naturalist guided walks; field trips for adult groups, college and high school classes; winter Nordic ski program.

Field Camp: The camp is available as an environmental field station for college and adult groups. These programs are customized for your group.

Sagawau Canyon Nature Preserve: The canyon is a unique area with unusual plants and rock formations. Visitation is permitted but some age and other restrictions have been established to protect the ecology of this fragile site.

Seasonal Programs

Over eighty family oriented ecology and conservation programs are presented by naturalists at Sagawau Environmental Learning Center and neighboring sites year round. Come take advantage of the diversity that abounds in the 17,000 acre Palos/Sag Preserves. Programs and hikes offer the opportunity to view areas of unique scenery and special scientific interest. Please contact Sagawau for a current calendar with exact times and dates. Call ahead for registration and meeting points.

Examples of programs and hikes are listed below.

• Bird Migration Census
  
• Wildflower Key
  
• Earth Day All Day
  
• Fossil Hunt
  
• Wolves & Coyotes
  
• Dragonflies & Damselflies
  
• Local Archaeology
  
• Fall Night Sky
  
• Feeding Our Feathered Friends
  

CANYON HIKES — Explore the only example of a rock canyon in Cook County. It remains today much as it was when settlers first arrived in this region. Wade the stream, and discover the ecology of this one-of-a-kind Nature Preserve.

BIRD HIKES — Expect the unexpected! Sagawau’s numerous habitats provide homes to over 100 species of resident and migrating birds. Naturalists will teach identification by sight, sound, and behavior. Come out and you will see why bird watching is America’s fastest growing hobby.

Environmental Education Workshop

Each summer, Sagawau Environmental Learning Center offers week long workshops that may be taken for personal enrichment or as and accredited class through Governor’s State University (GSU). All programs are designed as in-service courses for teachers but are of value to anyone desiring more knowledge of Chicago area ecology. Workshop topics include:

• Terrestrial Biology
  
• Biological Field Science
  
• Forest Investigations
  
• Investigations in Limnology
  
• Earth Science
  
• Drawing Nature with Watercolor
  

To obtain credit through GSU, participants must: register with, and pay tuition to GSU and complete additional work. GSU enrollment and tuition payment is completed during the first class session. All paricipants must pre-register with Sagawau Environmental Learning Center. To request a syllabus for a course, call the center.

School Programs

Bring a bit of nature to your class by having Sagawau Environmental Learning Center visit your school. Sagawau’s school visitation program is part of a District-wide initiative entitled “Getting In Touch With Nature.” Offerings include: interactive classroom presentations, multimedia programs and numerous hands-on activities. Presentations may be tailored to a specific curriculum.

Even more exciting is bringing your class to Sagawau Environmental Learning Center, and experiencing the living classroom. After all, Nature is the best teacher. At Sagawau, we have the facilities and staff to offer a full day “in the field.” As more schools move towards multidisciplinary curricula, our extended programs provide the cutting edge of interactive educational experiences.

General topics include:

• Astronomy
  
• Botany
  
• You In Your Environment
  
• Earth Science
  
• Ecology
  
• Sagawau Nordic
  

Nordic Ski Program

Sagawau Nordic is open for skiing daily, pending adequate snow conditions, 9:30am until sunset or 5pm, from late December until early March. Please call for existing snow conditions and exact opening and closing dates. We have six kilometers of groomed and tracked trails, free parking, washrooms, drinking water, and warm-up and waxing areas. Alcoholic beverages and pets are prohibited.

The Sagawau Nordic Ski Program is designed to teach technique, assist in selecting equipment, and help you share the excitement, wonder, and beauty of winter in your Forest Preserve District of Cook County. Some age restrictions apply. All groups must pre-register. School groups are always welcome.

COST

All prices subject to change without notice.

LESSON: $10.00 per person
RENTAL: $10.00 per person, includes: skis, poles, boots
COMBO: $18.00 per person, includes: lesson and rental

Rental equipment can be checked out from 9:30am — 3:00pm, and is for use only on Sagawau trails. A valid driver’s license or $100.00 deposit is required.

All lessons require pre-registration. Reservations for lessons can be made NO EARLIER than on the Monday morning immediately preceeding the activity.

For information regarding any of our programs and general operation, please call (630) 257-2045, or fax (630) 257-8026.

Nature Center Hours

7:00 a.m. — 3:00 p.m. daily

CLOSED on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day

Location:

Sagawau Environmental Learning Center
12545 West 111th Street
Lemont, IL 60439

100 yards east of Archer Ave., or four miles west of Swallow Cliff Sledding Hill on Rt. 83 near Lemont, Illinois.

(630) 257-2045

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