Forest Preserves of Cook County

The Forest Preserves of Cook County boast nearly 70,000 acres protected land, and are home to thousands of species of plants and animals. The diverse natural systems found throughout the forest preserves — including savannas, prairies, woodlands and wetlands — serve as biological field stations for important scientific research.

For more than 25 years, Forest Preserves’ wildlife biologists have been at the forefront of the study of urban wildlife, especially those carrying zoonotic diseases. Since 1988, the Forest Preserves’ Wildlife Management Division has collected wildlife blood samples, making FFPC one of the oldest and largest contributors of data on zoonotic diseases to the US Department of Human Health’s Centers for Disease Control.

Since 2022, they have been partners in the nation’s first ever ACZM compliant free-ranging wildlife health management residency, which has amassed more than 3000 animals sampled and starting the third resident in 2026.

Visit the Forest Preserves of Cook County website