Independence Grove offers outdoor recreation and education opportunities centered on a 115-acre lake. Surrounding prairie and woodlands provide a picturesque backdrop for hiking, biking, picnicking and other fun activities.
The preserve is located in central Lake County near Libertyville. The entrance and parking area are located on Buckley Road (Route 137) just east of Milwaukee Avenue (Route 21) and west of River Road.
Learn more about the ecosystems in Lake County through interactive games and activities. Take a close look at the plants of Lake County and learn how fire can be beneficial to them.
Students assume the role of fishery biologists, estimate fish populations, determine the quality of habitat for fish production, identify a variety of species, collect data from live fish and make recommendations on lake management for optimal fish production. Related programs: Take Lake Ecology to learn about abiotic factors affecting the lake environment, or Pond Study to learn about other aquatic life.
Learn about the different habitats of Lake County and how fire is beneficial to the variety of plants that live there. Look at the life of trees by exploring their rings how to identify them by their leaves.
The art of fishing and the science of fish will be reeled out together in this class held at Independence Grove Forest Preserve. The hands-on class will teach students how to cast and fish properly and how to identify fish species. They will also learn how the lake was formed. Bait and fishing equipment provided.
Journey through the past and develop a time line of significant events. Investigate igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks; identify rock and fossil samples to determine their place in geological time, and explore how water and ice formed the landscape of Lake County. Students apply knowledge by taking soil core samples and interpreting the results. Through data collection and field work, learn the continuing effects of glaciation.
If you’re on your way to the Boundary Waters, gear up for fun. Learn how to paddle the big water, how to portage a canoe, and how to pack and carry a Duluth pack.
Paddle our 34-foot canoe and use specialized tools to collect water samples and do chemical tests. Examine soil around the lake, analyze how water moves through it and learn the implications for water quality. Next, visit our Enviroscape and learn the connection between land use and water quality. Students work as a research team to determine the health of the lake for plants and animals. Once you have taken Lake Ecology, learn how animals relate to the lake environment by taking Fish or Pond Study.
Go back to early Lake County as 18th-century French voyageurs lead activities on land and water. Discover why voyageurs traveled to Illinois in the 1740s and learn their effect on natural and cultural development. Weather permitting, paddle our 34-foot canoe across the lake and back in time.
