Wooded Island (in Jackson Park)

The majority of Wooded Island has been designated as the Paul Douglas Nature Sanctuary due to the importance of its woodland, prairie, and shrubland as bird habitat. Bird watchers love Wooded Island because as many as 250 different species of birds can be spotted there. Each spring and fall millions of birds migrating along the shore of Lake Michigan stop at the nature sanctuary looking for food, shelter and a place to rest before continuing on their migration route. Additionally many birds regularly nest on the island including the downy woodpecker, Northern cardinal, and black-capped chickadee. Visitors to Wooded Island can also see a variety of plant life and possibly a beaver, muskrat, or turtle along the water's edge.

The island is located on sixteen acres of what once was a glacial-lakeplain containing sand ridges and marshes. In 1869, the renowned designers of New York's Central Park, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, were hired to lay out the 1055-acre South Park- which included what became known as Washington and Jackson parks and the Midway Plaissance.  Olmsted completed a second plan for Jackson Park in preparation for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Olmsted’s vision for the fair included carving the original dune peninsula into the equsiste  Wooded Island. Much of the surrounding area was dredged and filled creating the island sanctuary that exists today. When laying out the fair, Olmsted wanted the island to be regarded as a “nature sanctuary”, a place to escape the hustle and bustle of the big event.

Two garden relics remain on Wooded Island; the site of the old rose garden from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and the Osaka Japanese Garden.  This garden, dating to 1935, was added near the then extant old Japanese Pavilion (Ho-oh-den) from the world's fair.  The site of the old rose garden is located in the fenced off section in the southern half of the island and is currently being restored as a prairie habitat. The Osaka garden is located near the north bridge and is often the site of cultural festivals and performances.