Ned Brown Forest Preserve

Ned Brown Forest Preserve, widely known as Busse Woods, is a 3,700-acre Cook County forest preserve adjoining Rolling Meadows, Elk Grove Village, and Schaumburg. Named for Edward “Ned” Eagle Brown, it is best known for the Busse Forest Nature Preserve, a 440-acre remnant of northern Illinois lake-flatwoods habitat designated a National Natural Landmark in 1980. Its mature hardwood forest includes species adapted to both damp flatwoods and better-drained ground. The preserve also serves as a major recreational landscape, with a paved trail system and Busse Lake, a flood-control reservoir. Volunteers and the Forest Preserve District manage restoration as threats such as the emerald ash borer continue to affect its ecology.

Illinois · United States