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    Crabtree Nature Center

    4.4 (42 reviews)

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    Can we enjoy nature W/out acknowledging pride events?

    Beautiful trails and nature center. Where does pride fit in? Can we enjoy w/out this?

    Aesha E.

    Today (July 31, 2022) I visited for a program on toxic plants called Poisons of the Prairie that grow in the area. Karen Holmes, one of the naturalists, and ranger Ricky led our discussion. The area that is now Crabtree was prairie long ago, but then was made into farmland. And so there was a lot of changes made--for instance to the flow of the water. Crabtree is an important migratory stop, so they are trying to I appreciated that they do a very short acknowledgment that this lane is the ancestral home of the Council of the Three Fires (Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and ). As such, she is trying to approach her teaching from the perspective of those peoples would view the plants and their ties to the land--for instance, that they might not simply look at plants as food, medicine, poison; but might fire things more holistically. We saw a wild black cherry tree. The fruit is edible and is used by wildlife, but can be poisonous--the pits are laced with cyanide. Thanks, nature! There have been people poisoned by it, so be careful. We also saw orange spotted jewelweed as we hiked. This is a native impatiens, and is also known as the Spotted Touch-Me-Not. It's used similarly to aloe, and the juice in the stem may be used to treat poison ivy. When ripe/fat, the seeds will explode when you squeeze them. That sounds obvious, but it doesn't take much pressure and it's almost like nature's fireworks! Anyway, that's why they are called the Touch-Me-Not. As we wandered by the cattails, our guide told us they were probably the most useful plant to the people who lived here. The male part of the plant, which is the spike at the top, is covered in yellow pollen when at it's peak and the pollen would be used in making food preparation. The brown part-when it is still young, perhaps called a catkin?--would be cooked as cattail corn on the cob. Even the root is edible, and it has many medicinal properties. The leaves would be used to make baskets, mats, and so on. The brown part of the stalk was also used to absorb infant waste in the times prior to diapers! TIL that raspberry is part of the rose family! We saw lots of wild bergamot, which I have become a fan of. You can make tea out of leaves, and the leaves also smell like oregano when you rub them. You can use it in place of the herb. It was once also used to treat acne. We also stumbled upon an elderberry plant; until berries come, the entire plant is toxic. You can eat berries when ripe but they're not very good, but cooking them makes them much more pleasant to eat. Other plants we saw included: - Swamp rose mallow (aka wild hibiscus) - Willow Tree: the bark was Used to make aspirin - Dogbane: The sap can be used, in the right dosage, for heart conditions. Too much will kill your immediately. Probably the most poisonous plant at Crabtree. - Virginia Creeper: A highly toxic plant. Children have died by eating as few as five berries. It looks very much like grapes. It was a lovely walk and I learned quite a lot. They have some animals here, including a red tailed hawk. We were her last tour--as of the end of the day she was retired! This nature preserve has some portions that are paved, but does have some areas (both paved and not) that have an incline. There's a huge parking lot--in fact, several of them, though only one was open--and there's a bit more of a walk to the building than at the other preserves I've been to (though it is paved), so bear that in mind. As of July 1, 2022, the building itself is closed until spring 2023 for renovations, but the trails are still open.

    Nature sketch

    Beautiful setting. Garden and forest path areas designed by Jens Jensen. There are so many special views, nice hilly areas, and lots of birds to observe. There's even a camping area.

    Melissa J.

    Beautiful trails and natural areas. There are options for a shorter loop trail, or to connect trails to make a longer trek. The trails have good signage to direct you which way to go. There are some very minor "hills" here and there, but overall it's relatively flat. The natural play area was pretty rugged. It was not great for my 18 month old to navigate, I would recommend it for a little bit older age group. It would be nice if there was a bench or something for caregivers to sit while kids play. The inside building and displays could use a facelift, which it seems like they'll be getting with renovations closing the building starting July 1, 2022. Im looking forward to seeing the updates when they finish.

    From the Sanctuary Area Shelter overlooking Crabtree Lake
    Dan H.

    We are regulars here. It's is a hidden gemstone of spectacular nature that's nearby and yet rustic and undisturbed enough to be somewhere distant. As birdwatchers, there are very few parallels on the Chicagoland area and they feature a wide selection of waterfowl. There's also: terns, heron, loons, cormorants, and about twenty species of ducks including wood ducks and hooded mergansers. They have a wonderful nature center and very well manicured trails that will accommodate all levels of fitness and mobility. It's amazing!

    Beautiful day to hike and visit the nature center
    Jim J.

    Crabtree Nature Center is a wonderful place to explore the outdoors and teach kids about animals. It is located in Barrington on a very large plot of forest preserve. The area is well maintained are there is friendly staff to guide you around and help ensure that people do not disrupt the natural animal habitats. There are multiple walking trails so you can get out and get a little fresh air. They are pretty flat and the walk is quite easy for people of most ages. You can hike out by the lake and hang out in the bird viewing cabin. There is also a children's nature area outside with many structures for kids to climb on and burn off energy. The three large bird cages house owls, hawks and other majestic animals of the sky. The indoor nature center has a number of animals that have been preserved. There is also a large turtle habitat and multiple fish tanks. My kids loved the fossilized buffalo poop - not something you see everyday. There are some craft projects for kids and other educational activities. It is well worth the trip out to Barrington to get out in nature and learn a little while you are at it!

    Melissa H.

    Staff here was very nice and my kids had a good time playing in the Nature Center. They have a few animals, some fish and a few exhibits for the kids to look at. There's also a small play area with a little tent, puppets and other activities. The trails are really pretty. They are unpaved, so some spots were a little bumpy with a stroller, but it wasn't hard by any means. The scenery is beautiful and quiet. There is a long stretch where you are in the sun, so make sure to wear sunscreen. The kids Nature play area is adorable. There are activities on laminated cards with all of the supplies you'll need. In total, we spent about 3 hours between the trails and the play area. We will definitely be back!

    Fearless bird sitting on a log
    Sarah S.

    The first time I came to Crabtree Nature Center a couple of weeks ago, I was attacked by mosquitoes. I went at 8am with good intentions to explore and walk around. After about 5 minutes, I felt an itch so I stopped walking for a second. I looked down and I was covered in mosquitoes all over my shirt. It was the craziest swarm I had ever seen so I screamed and ran back to my car at lightning speeds. I had bites all over my body but mostly all over my scalp and neck! :( Well this morning, I was much better prepared. Before leaving home, I sprayed every inch of my body and clothes with Deep Woods Off! and I'm happy to say I came away unscathed. I must say that when I went at 8am I was the only person at the entire place. I ended up leaving about 945am and by this time there were 2 workers present around the actual Nature Center building but no fellow patrons. Now for this reason, the entire time I was on the trails, I was totally freaked out. I screamed a couple times when bugs flew into my head or I thought I heard something in the woods. Seriously I feared for my life thinking what a great place it would be for someone to lurk and steal me then I'd never be heard from again. 'Course I had my phone with me and was ready to call for help but I'm sure my heart was accelerated throughout my entire walk. Not to mention the main, long path ventures to Phantom Prairie...Great, I thought. Aside from that, I really enjoyed Crabtree and am planning on going back. So the main path which they call Phantom Prairie loops around 2 miles going around swampy marshes, prairies and plains, and deeply wooded areas. Burr's Edge trail is another 1.67 miles and then Giant Hollow's Trail is .5 miles. I enjoyed going through the prairies most of all as it's a bit different than the usual. The paths varied from grassy to muddy to dirt to woodchips and are only paved right in front of the nature center. So be prepared because my feet got soaked since it rained last night. On the paths, you'll chipmunks darting in front of you, I nearly killed a frog as he hopped right out from under my foot, and of course the usual suspects like squirrels and bunnies. And holy birds! They had so many different kinds of birds flying around plus some a few super cool looking huge birds in the marsh areas. I know there are deer here too as is evident from the many deer prints on the path...and their dung! Watch your step at all times on the path! After you hit the prairies, there is dung every few feet!!! I also saw either coyote or fox droppings, too. Gross to see yet cool to know they're around. I'm a weirdo. There are also benches every so often so don't worry about getting going and not being able to go the full distance. Rest, take a load off, regroup and trudge on! The cages for the birds are right outside the exhibit building. There is a badass turkey vulture that does his thing and couldn't care less if you're standing outside his cage snapping shots and staring at him. Next to him was a barred owl I felt bad when I first rolled up on him because he started making this clicking noise like I was making him uncomfortable. He was so gorgeous and adorable but I tried to keep my distance because I wanted the little guy to be at ease. At first I was a bit worried about the red-tailed hawk because he had these leather bands around each of his feet and when he tried to fly they seemed to stunt him. He even ran into a log once, poor little guy. But I then read about how these animals are in their exhibit because they had injuries or some other condition so they couldn't survive out in the wild. That made me feel much better about these poor little guys being in cages and my gawking at this beautiful animals. The final birdie in the lineup was the Great Horned Owl. He looked so gangster - didn't bat an eye or a wing the entire time I was observing him & his homies. After checking out the birds on display, I ventured a bit more because for some reason I thought they had coyotes and foxes but I guess not. I did find a cool lookout point with binoculars and a chair so you can observe ducks. I went through the exhibit building and it was cool being the only person in there. They have a good number of smaller, native animals which I thought was pretty rad - Snakes, Turtles, Catfish, Screeching Owls, Flying Squirrels, tons of fish and birds. Plus activities for kids! And bathrooms! I really think Crabtree is another one of those hidden suburban gems. I love ALL animals so loved that I got to get my walk on plus see a bunch of cool creatures.

    Nature Center (inside)
    Carl F.

    Nature. That's a thing, huh. People like doing all that outside stuff and things... or so I'm told. Me, I'm okay with nature. We know each other exist, but we don't always get along. I like animals and stuff... stuff does not include insects. Well, not all bugs. Spiders can suck it. Mosquitoes can hella suck it. Maggots inside things I was planning on eating: Suck it. You get the picture. Plants... I eat them. I don't LOVE them, but I respect them. I'm not drawn to them or having them in my house or taking care of them, but they're not a threat (for now... anyone who's seen The Happening knows what I'm talking about) is all I'm saying. I guess the gist of what I'm saying is that I'm not nature freak. I like fun nature like tropical beaches and sunshine but Midwest nature? Meh. Pretty take it or leave it... but have to admit this place is pretty cool. They've got some decent flat-land hikes, great for all you photographers out there looking for a pretty scene. If you go towards the end of summer into early fall, you'll be amidst miles of those amber waves of grain everybody's always raving about. The hikes here are pretty easy peasy if you've got the time. Perfect for kids and old people, but nothing too crazy and there's some cool activities along the main hike route. You start off at an educational nature center then walk through some trees, field of high grass (or whatever it is), there's multiple ponds, ducks, turtles, etc, a cool bird lookout on one of the ponds, a fun bee playground and mini rope course in the shape of a spider web, and the grand finale for me where the raptor cages with the owls, vultures, and such were tearing apart their meals. Super fun and animals seemed to be pretty happy even though caged. Just a nice little place to spend the day, and that says a lot coming from a person who more often than not finds herself at odds with nature.

    Dan E.

    I have cousins that live near here so we sometimes wind up here for a walk especially after a big meal. There's about 5 miles of trails. We did them all in the span of a couple hours and that's even with snow on the ground. I am a city boy so its always nice to connect with mother nature. Last time here there was a snow cover so the only traces of animals were their tracks and their poop. They have snow shoes that you can rent. They looked like a hit with the families with kids. Price is free with a drivers license ID.

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    2 years ago

    Peaceful green trails and very serene and well maintained. Also a very adorable nature center and raptor display.

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    10 years ago

    In this world of unnatural it's a perfect oasis to return to the real world!

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    Review Highlights - Crabtree Nature Center

    It is a decent length walk and the trail takes you through a few different terrains (woods, prairie, wetland).

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