The Friends of Busse Woods has been created with the mission to restore, restock, protect and preserve its natural lands together with their flora and fauna for the education, pleasure, and recreation of the public at Busse Woods.

This mission will be facilitated through the active recruitment of groups of volunteers through various organizations within the surrounding area. Volunteer groups will assist the Busse Woods Stewards as they work to restore Busse Woods through a volunteer management plan developed in cooperation with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.

Busse Woods, also known as the Ned Brown Preserve, is a 3700 acre holding located in northwestern Cook County in Illinois.

Busse Woods is situated on the flood plain and morainal uplands along Salt Creek. It is one of the best remaining examples of mesic and dry-mesic upland forest in the Eastern Central Lowlands. According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the site contains the upland forest tree species that are typical of rich prairie groves. They include many species of oak and hickory trees along with basswood, sugar maple, and black ash trees. Woodland wildflowers like bloodroot, wild geranium, jack-in-the-pulpit, great white trillium, and woodland phlox bloom in the preserve.

It is a National Natural Landmark and is one of the most frequently visited parks in the state of Illinois.