River Trail Nature Center

We piled into our seats, and paused before we got going. Our journey was about to begin. The destination was River Trail Nature Center.

That was decades ago. That was my first visit to River Trail Nature Center for an elementary school field trip. I vividly remember our school bus pulling up to the front doors. We school children were so excited. The indoor exhibits kept us fascinated. The trails we found beautiful and stimulating. And the live animals were inspiring to see up close, their stories of having been rescued plain to see.

That was then. And this is now. With all the growth and evolution, the spirit of River Trail Nature Center stays strong.

Scroll down to see more photos and read more about River Trail Nature Center.

01_RTNC — The welcome sign illustrates the paths off the beaten map.

02_RTNC — Ranger Ryan warms up everyone to a GPS Scavenger Hunt, also known as geocaching.

03_RTNC — The first cache (this time) is discovered in a compost bin near the River Trail Nature Center.

04_RTNC — The second cache starts an emerging trend of discovering prizes hidden inside or beneath fallen tree trunks.

05_RTNC — The third cache is more easily found, but head scratching and walking in small circles is inevitable.

06_RTNC — The fourth cache is catch and release; stamp the passport for a souvenir.

07_RTNC — This is the fourth cache in its undiscovered state; look for the flash of blue.

08_RTNC — Bookmark the penultimate cache as the queen stage.

09_RTNC — The sixth and final cache is another proof of a successful find, the conclusion of this session of geocaching.

10_RTNC — Four prizes and two stamps later, we are first to report to Ranger Ryan for the ultimate prize—a bandanna.

“River Trail Nature Center and I go back a long way! My first experience was years ago when my elementary school visited for a field trip. Ever since then, I keep returning with new visitors. Everyone loves the indoor exhibits, trails, rescued animals, and more. The River Trail Nature Center keeps growing and evolving. I feel like I have experienced this too!”

Lisa, my mom and I scheduled a full day of outdoor activities. We wanted to spend a summer day outside to take advantage of the good weather; but, not on the cheap. Not on anyone’s dime. All free. The River Trail Nature Center has always offered free indoor exhibits, events, trails, onsite nature educators, and rescued wildlife. The “GPS Scavenger Hunt” is a session of geocaching. GPS devices are loaned to everyone temporarily in exchange for their IDs. GPS coordinates are then assessed during trail walks along with map guidance in search of six hidden caches of prizes. Each cache has specific GPS coordinates that are detailed on the scavenger hunt list. “What’s On The Menu?” is a daily mid-afternoon feeding of their rescued animals. A friendly, experienced guide leads everyone through the animals, their backgrounds and the feedings. With our plates full, we were ready to dig in.

Ranger Ryan gave us a warm welcome as we walked up to the entrance of the River Trail Nature Center. He confirmed pre-registrants and walk-ups. A handful of small groups showed up to take part in the “GPS Scavenger Hunt.” Lisa held the GPS device while my mom carried the map. I had the camera. We were on our way to zeroing in on the first cache.

As we walked, Lisa apprised us of our “hot” or “cold” proximity to the next destination. We kept our eyes on the prize—literally—as we referenced the changing GPS coordinates that approached the listed numbers. It helped to try and achieve a visual during our lay of the land as we stepped closer and closer to perfecting the GPS final coordinates. Sometimes the numbers did not match up exactly when we held the stash in our hands, but this might have been due to lag from the satellites. We were close enough most times, and I think we might have even sharpened our senses as we searched deeper with every successive cache.

After we collected our sixth and final prize, we were first to return to Ranger Ryan for our choice of an ultimate prize. I picked the bandanna (see below) as a keepsake for the nice day it was shaping up to be. We were getting maybe a little hungry, but the menu consisting of mice, chicks, chow, and quail was definitely not for us. “What’s On The Menu?” was served up next.

“River Trail Nature Center has so much to see and do! Some visitors come to hike, enjoy nature, or see the animal feedings. I really like geocaching because it is fun and free. Everyone should try the GPS Scavenger Hunt!”

Charlie announced to the gathering group that it was time for the afternoon feeding. We were treated to learning about each animal’s general background, its specific previous injury, and the type of diet demonstrated by the feeding. Every animal was energized to see Charlie. The most enthused was the coyote, whose only “injury” was its pre-existing domestication. Perhaps a good samaritan who meant well but was ignorant took in this coyote as a pup and unwittingly exposed it to human interaction, rendering it unable to live in the wild. This coyote displayed some doglike behavior, but also flashed some reminders that it will always retain some of its wild nature. The River Trail Nature Center is the perfect home for this hybrid of domestic and wild existence.

Many native birds of prey were resident, some of which are rarely or never seen. The biggest attraction was unquestionably the bald eagle. It gleamed proudly in the bright sunlight, its white head and tail feathers so pure. The other big draw was the red-tailed hawk, that large bird everyone notices while driving on the highway, sometimes perched above or circling as they ride the thermal currents. This was a choice opportunity to see this impressive bird up close. Although it didn’t make its well-known hawk scream, it left its mark as it perched regally for photos. The diversity of animals and stories carried quite a range, and changes often as animals come and go, always in need of rescue.

“River Trail Nature Center offers many interesting activities: hiking trails, bee hives and pollinator garden, educational animals, and indoor exhibits! The GPS Scavenger Hunt is a new experience for me. After I found the first cache, I discovered that geocaching is a lot of fun. This is a great way to explore all the trails. The What’s On the Menu feeding program is a nice live demonstration to learn about these rescued animals. There is something for everyone. I want to go back in a couple months to see all the fall colors!”

I asked everyone for their thoughts. My mom: “River Trail Nature Center has so much to see and do! Some visitors come to hike, enjoy nature, or see the animal feedings. I really like geocaching because it is fun and free. Everyone should try the GPS Scavenger Hunt!” Lisa: “River Trail Nature Center offers many interesting activities: hiking trails, bee hives and pollinator garden, educational animals, and indoor exhibits! The GPS Scavenger Hunt is a new experience for me. After I found the first cache, I discovered that geocaching is a lot of fun. This is a great way to explore all the trails. The What’s On the Menu feeding program is a nice live demonstration to learn about these rescued animals. There is something for everyone. I want to go back in a couple months to see all the fall colors!” And me: “River Trail Nature Center and I go back a long way! My first experience was years ago when my elementary school visited for a field trip. Ever since then, I keep returning with new visitors. Everyone loves the indoor exhibits, trails, rescued animals, and more. The River Trail Nature Center keeps growing and evolving. I feel like I have experienced this too!”

11_RTNC — The River Trail Nature Center offers free, year-round: exhibits, rescued wildlife, onsite nature educators, and events.

12_RTNC — The bright energy inside the River Trail Nature Center reflects the positive conservation, restoration and growth initiatives of the Forest Preserves of Cook County.

13_RTNC — The Des Plaines River is 133 miles long, and stretches back to Native Americans and French explorers.

14_RTNC — The Sugar Shack might not be shakin’ just yet; so, it might be a sweet move to pack some hydration and energy snacks. Please recycle and leave only footprints.

15_RTNC — The Pollinator Garden is lush with native flowering plants, some of which we call “weeds” but are food for bees.

16_RTNC — The barred owl is famous for its hoot call, sometimes heard but rarely seen.

17_RTNC — Charlie leads us through “What’s On The Menu?” with the feeding of a coyote whose only handicap is his pre-existing domestication.

18_RTNC — The coyote is the most common large predator in Illinois, having adapted to successful habitation throughout most of North America.

19_RTNC — The great horned owl is the second heaviest owl in North America, next to the snowy owl, and is called the “Tiger Among Birds” because the great horned owl will hunt mammals its own size.

20_RTNC — Charlie explains that these great horned owls see their prey in the metal bowl on the stump; but, they won’t hunt until nightfall, owing to their nocturnal habits.

21_RTNC — If you need to tear yourself away from the quail, focus on the ghostly flight feathers of the bald eagle.

22_RTNC — The Swainson’s hawk is named after William Swainson, but is also known as the “Grasshopper Hawk” or “Locust Hawk” because of its voracious appetite for these insects.

23_RTNC — Red-tailed hawks are sometimes called “Highway Hawks” because of their omniprescence looming over highways as they perch on lamp posts and survey for prey.

24_RTNC — This bandanna is our ultimate prize for finding every hidden cache in the GPS Scavenger Hunt.

I can relate to the rescued animals at River Trail Nature Center. They are taken in, refreshed and restored. Years ago, I arrived in need of some support. My environmental awareness was deficient. The start of my green journey began on their trails and has continued to the point of circling back again and again. I always return stronger and smarter. And I bring along first time visitors just like I was decades ago. Maybe the “rescued” look at each other from both sides of the fence.

To learn more or plan your visit to River Trail Nature Center, click River Trail Nature Center

To experience an amazing dynamic presentation of River Trail Nature Center, click on the link to my Adobe Spark photoblog at Adobe Spark – River Trail Nature Center

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