Earth Day Celebration
Four Rivers Environmental Coalition
Saturday, April 21, Noon-4:00 pm
Rock Valley College, 3301 N. Mulford Rd.
An afternoon of fun and educational displays and activities to celebrate Earth Day! The P.E. Center at Rock Valley will be filled with booths, displays, exhibits and activities for families and individuals to enjoy while learning about ways to take care of our precious environment. In the Student Center, one-hour seminars on various environmental and green living topics will be offered. Presenters and topics TBA. Environmental films, including An Inconvenient Truth. Other Earth Day attractions on campus include tree giveaway, live birds, music and refreshments. Admission to the event and all activities are offered free of charge. For more information call 815/921-3474.
Women & the Wild: An Outdoor Skills Workshop
Oakdale Nature Preserve
Saturday, May 12
A day of 1.5 hour sessions of your choice where you can participant and learn new skills. Sessions include Edible Plants, Joys of Birding, Nature Awareness, Tracking in the Wild, Basic Bicycle Maintenance & Touring, Relaxation with Yoga, Basic Auto Maintenance, Getting Prepared for the Outdoors and an Outdoor Camping Expo - all sessions that will be available in this one-day event.
This unique workshop will take place on Saturday, May 12 (Mother’s Day weekend) at Oakdale Nature Preserve in Freeport, IL. You don’t have to be in tiptop shape to participate, just willing to learn new ways to enjoy the outdoors. Fee of $35 includes all instruction, materials, use of equipment, lunch and refreshments. For a registration brochure, call 815/235-6114 ext 0. A great idea for a mother and daughter outing!
This workshop is coordinated by a partnership between the Blackhawk Hills RC&D, Freeport Park District/Oakdale Nature Preserve, Stephenson County Soil & Water Conservation District & the University of IL Extension.
BioBlitz: Day of Discovery
Four Rivers Environmental Coalition
Co-sponsored by the Rockford Park District
Saturday, May 19, beginning at 8:00 am at Anna Page Park
A BioBlitz is a scientific race against time, measuring the diversity of life to be found in a defined area. The more diverse the living organisms, the greater the quality of the habitat. Participate all-day or for part of this exciting program as we send scientists and citizen assistants out in the field to identify and count as many different life forms as we can. They have only one day to complete this assessment of the site’s biodiversity, and you can help!
BioBlitz fieldwork sessions begin at 8:00 am and continue throughout the day. Session topics include: Birds, Fungi, Insects, Plants, Stream Survey, and Trees and Shrubs. There will also be nature activities throughout the day, separate from the fieldwork sessions. Field team workers must be at least 8 years old and must register in order to participate in one or more of these sessions. An adult must accompany children under the age of 14. While helpful, no prior experience or scientific knowledge is required. The day will conclude with a report of the day’s findings at 5:00 pm.
For a brochure with more details including session times and registration details, contact Severson Dells Nature Center: 815/335-2915 or the Winnebago County Forest Preserve District office: 815/877-6100.
