CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The heart of downtown Chicago got a taste of the great outdoors Tuesday.
"We want people to discover nature," said Arthur Matthews, Recreation Manager of the Forest Preserves of Cook County, which set up camp in Daley Plaza.
"Most people that are coming up to me out here are saying, 'We didn't know you had so much to do in the forest preserves! We just thought you had trees!'" he said. "They didn't realize all of the activities we have like our campgrounds and our nature centers."
The "Live Healthy, Discover Nature" event gave Chicagoans on their lunch breaks a chance to see live animals and little ones a chance to fish for paper animals.
Paul Wagemann with Conservation Programming said it's important for parents to get their kids outside and away from their cell phones as the weather warms up.
"We're here in the epicenter of downtown Chicago. These people are highly stressed, they're working hard. If you take a walk in the woods, it brings your stress levels down. It could even bring your blood pressure down."
The county has over 70,000 acres of forest preserves.