Outdoor Report

Subat Nature Center – A Little Bit of Everything

Acquisition of Subat Forest Preserve was completed in 2002 under three separate grant awards from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and additional support from The Conservation Foundation. Generous donations were received from the estates of John and Mary Subat to support construction of a nature preserve building in memory of Mary M. Subat.

In 2023, the District was awarded a $600,000 Illinois Department of Natural Resources – Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant to complete preserve master plan improvements including a three-season education and interpretive center. The District is finalizing construction of the new nature center with completion expected in early 2026. The Mary M. Subat Nature Center will feature an interpretive pavilion with open-air conservation exhibits, a wetland boardwalk and trail connections to Hoover Forest Preserve, expanded parking for visitors and school buses, and other campus improvements.

Subat Forest Preserve contains “a little bit of everything” Kendall County. The location and diverse woodland, prairie and wetland habitats and other natural resources drew both indigenous people and early settlers to this area. Interpretive exhibits will focus on the diverse wildlife and habitats, land use history, and natural resource connections to the Fox River valley to help visitors build a greater sense of place.

Hoover - Fox River Bluffs Forest Preserves Trail Connection

In February 2024, the District’s Board of Commissioners approved plans to construct a trail extending from the northeast corner of Hoover Forest Preserve at the Eldamain Road Bridge to Fox River Bluffs Forest Preserve. The District applied for an Illinois Department of Natural Resources – Regional Tails Program grant for $200,000, with an additional $272,000 commitment from the Kendall County Transportation Alternatives Program. The Trail Connection Project will be completed in early 2026.

Fox River Bluffs was opened in 2023 and features a small parking lot, restored prairie and oak reforestation project, and a 1-mile trail loop and spur. An underpass and three-quarter mile trail connection and loop to Fox River Bluffs, with connecting turf trails into the bluff areas and completion of ADA accessible trail connections are expected to be completed in early 2026.