Help support native plants and animals and healthy DuPage forest preserves at A Night for Nature on Thursday, Sept. 17, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at St. James Farm Forest Preserve in Warrenville.

Hosted by the Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, the Forest Preserve District’s nonprofit partner, A Night for Nature aims to raise $50,000 to support native wildlife and habitat restoration in DuPage forest preserves.

The evening includes a silent auction, food and drinks, live music by Big Sky Acoustic, and wagon rides through the forest preserve. Tickets for the 21-and-older event are $125 per person and available at dupageforest.org/friends.

At the silent auction, guests can bid on travel packages, tickets, and artwork donated by community members and on exclusive forest preserve experiences.

• Wine-tasting escape with three-night stay in Napa Valley
• Three-night stay in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with guided tour of Yellowstone National Park
• Two-night Great Lakes glamping adventure
• Two tickets to the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club plus a signed pin flag
• Forest Preserve District golf experiences, including the opportunity to be among the first to play and tour the newly redesigned Maple Meadows Golf Preserve in Wood Dale when it reopens
• Private behind-the-scenes tour of the new state-of-the-art DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center
• Horse-drawn wagon ride at Danada Forest Preserve followed by a warming fire
• Pretzel-making program in the farmhouse kitchen at Kline Creek Farm

“A Night for Nature raises funds to support the Forest Preserve District’s restoration projects, wildlife rehabilitation, and species-recovery programs, including those for freshwater mussels, Blanding’s turtles, and Hine’s emerald dragonflies,” said Jeanette Wells, Friends of the Forest Preserve District board chair. “Our annual benefit gives the community an opportunity to make a difference for the wildlife and wild areas they love in DuPage forest preserves.”

Forest Preserve District President Daniel Hebreard expressed appreciation for the Friends’ ongoing fundraising support. “We are grateful to the Friends for its efforts to advance the Forest Preserve District’s vision,” he said. “Our partner’s support helps us care for injured and orphaned native animals at the DuPage Wildlife Conservation Center, enhance native wildlife populations through species-recovery efforts, and restore healthy habitats. The Friends champions the protection of DuPage forest preserves and gives our nature-loving community another way to help care for these special places.”

The Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County gratefully recognizes its community partners: CNH Industrial America LLC; ComEd, an Exelon Co.; Domtar; Ecolab Foundation; Edward Jones; Ferrari Plumbing; G. Carl Ball Family Foundation; GreenState Credit Union; International; Komarek-Hyde-McQueen Foundation; Mary J. Demmon Private Foundation; nora fleming; Republic Bank of Chicago; Robert and Toni Bader Charitable Foundation, Inc.; Stantec; V3 Companies; and Wheaton Bank & Trust. It also gives special thanks to A Night for Nature event sponsor Wheaton Lions Club.