June 2008
Junior Bird Watcher Club
Saturday, June 7 and Thursday, June 12, 8:30-10:15 am
If you’re age 8-12 and enjoy watching and learning about birds, this is for you. Club meets two times: 8:30-10:15 am each day. Saturday, June 7, meet at Severson Dells Nature Center; Thursday, June 12 meet at the Lion’s Club shelter house at Rock Cut State Park.
Each day will feature a different area for young people to explore and look for birds. Severson Dells staff will gear each session to help kids observe and identify our summer resident birds. Parents may accompany us, but it is not required. Participants may attend any or all sessions. There will be a limit of ten kids for each session. Free to members of Friends of Severson Dells; $2 per child/per session for non-members. You must call Severson Dells Nature Center to register 1-815-335-2915.
Star Hunters:
Showcasing the Area’s Finest Celestial Photographers
Saturday, June 7, 7:30 pm
Amateur Astronomer Randy Trank introduces some of the finest astrophotographers in the area. You’ll see their stunning photos of the heavens, and learn how to take your own star photos with a simple camera and tripod. A Trank show isn’t complete without the unexpected, so be sure to attend to see what Randy has up his sleeve this time. A short star party follows the show with veteran sky gazer Dan Johnson and others as we use telescopes to view Mars, Saturn, and craters on the moon. No fee. Program starts in the Nature Center. 1-815-335-2915
Severson Dells Orienteering Day
Saturday, June 14, 10:00 am-3:00 pm, with a class at 10:30 am
This is for those who want to challenge themselves at how well they can read a map and use a compass. You will be given a map of Severson Dells with several checkpoints marked on it. Your task will be to locate them. The two courses, Basswood and Shagbark, will be different from last year. The Basswood Course will have all checkpoints along established trails. The Shagbark Course will have some of the checkpoints located away from established trails, meaning that some off-trail travel will be necessary. You may come at any time between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm to try either course. For those who would like some instruction, a class on map reading/compass use will be held at the Nature Center at 10:30 am. You may bring your own compass or borrow one from us. Please call to register if you wish to attend the class. No fee. 1-815-335-2915.
Kraig Kenning
Saturday, June 14, 7:00-9:00 pm
Call him contemporary folk, blues, roots rock, American Fingerstyle or Americana. Regardless of the genres crossed, Kraig Kenning manages to leave every audience feeling like they’ve just spent some quality time with an old friend. Together with his trademark dobro and passionate lyrics, Kraig reminds us just how personal — and potent — original music can be.
Kenning’s driving perfectionism and attention to matters of the human spirit have inspired comparisons with Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, Bob Dylan and Jackson Brown, to name a few.
Take a peek into the pages of Kraig’s candid online journal, and the comments of fans and friends in his highly unedited guestbook. You will not want to miss him at the Dells. Free to SDNC members, $8.00 nonmembers.
Camp Peek-Into-Creek
Tuesday-Thursday, June 17-19, 9:00 am-3:00 pm
Camp for these dates is filled. Please click here for Camp Peek-Into Creek #2, August 6-8.
Using Children’s Literature as Springboards to Outdoor Discoveries
Sunday, June 22, 1:00-4:30 pm
Although not for kids, this workshop will definitely help them out. This 3-1/2 -hour workshop will introduce teachers, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and anyone else who cares about children’s literature that leads to outdoor discoveries and learning from nature. Carefully selected picture books from a wide range of cultures will be read to the group and then we will venture out into nature to do a range of activities suggested in the stories. The storybooks will act as springboards to a range of activities designed to delight and inspire children. The workshop will be co-lead by Mira Reisberg and Clifford Knapp. Dr. Reisberg teaches art education courses with a place-based focus at Northern Illinois University. She is also an award-winning children’s picture book illustrator. Dr. Knapp is a place-based educator who retired from NIU’s Department of Teaching and Learning. He continues to lead workshops and make nature-related presentations. Call for more information. 1-815-335-2915. Sponsored in memory of Dr. Alan Hutchcroft.
Grandparents and Kids Camp
Monday-Wednesday, June 23-25, 9:00 am-11:30 am
Click here for details.
Extinction of Experience,
featuring Robert Michael Pyle and Scott Russell Sanders
Friday, June 27, 6:30 pm
Two of the most noted people in their fields will present a program on their thoughts on connecting people to nature. Click here for details.
Into The Field:
A Butterfly Extravaganza with Bob Pyle and Jim Wiker
(two programs)
Saturday June 28, 9:30-11:30 am
For family members of SDNC only (what a great time to join.)
$5 per person. Call to register: 1-815-335-2915. Very limited registration. Location TBA.
Saturday, June 28, 1:30-4:30 pm
For adult members of SDNC only.
$20 per person call to register: 1-815-335-2915.
Very limited registration. Location TBA
There are few things that only happen once in our lifetimes; Hale-Bopp comet, Elvis, $2.00 per gallon gas and quite possibly going butterflying with Bob Pyle and Jim Wiker. Bob is one of the top butterfly experts in the world and Jim wrote the book, literally, on Skippers of Illinois. (No one surpasses him.) You get a chance to be in the field, talking and hawking butterflies and skippers with these two distinguished men. Oh, don’t be intimidated, these guys are as gentile as the butterflies they love. They relate awesomely to all ages of butterfly enthusiast. And if you are really lucky, Bob may just place a “flying flower” on your nose or hat.
July 2008
Nature Play For Little Kids
Tuesday-Thursday, July 8-10, 9:00-11:30 am
Click here for details.
Leopold Education Project
Saturday, July 12, 8:30 am-3:30 pm
Teachers and youth leaders are encouraged to attend. Illinois teachers can earn six CPDUs. The Leopold Education Project is a curriculum that guides learning through direct observation of the natural world. Aldo Leopold’s book, A Sand County Almanac, forms the basis around which the curriculum is centered. Instructors are: Dr. Clifford Knapp, Professor Emeritus at NIU and Richard Benning, Severson Dells Nature Center. Participants will receive a curriculum guide, a copy of A Sand County Almanac and a set of task cards. Cost is $45 and includes materials. Full scholarships are available upon request. Pre-registration is required. Registration deadline is June 21. 1-815-335-2915.
Adventure Quest Camp
Tuesday-Thursday, July 22-24, 9:00 am-3:00 pm (Tuesday), 8:00 am-4:30 pm (Wednesday and Thursday)
Click here for details.
Hall Creek Scamper Green Run and Walk
Saturday, July 26
Green, serene, and lean. The Hall Creek Scamper will combine these three elements on July 26 in a morning full of fitness and education in nature. The event includes a 5k Open Race, a 5k Youth (high school and under) Race, and a 1 Mile Walk/Run/ Scavenger Hunt. The Open 5k will begin at 8 am. The youth event will begin at 8:45 and the walk at 9:30.
GREEN. The Hall Creek Scamper will be a “green” event. Waste and energy inputs will be minimized, course markings will be low impact, and part of each race entry fee will be used to buy carbon offsets to diminish the race’s carbon footprint. Organic cotton t-shirts are guaranteed to the first 150 registered participants. Businesses and organizations that promote the environment will be invited to showcase their products and services. The prizes at the event will also involve a nature theme.
SERENE. The event will take place on the scenic trails and roads of Severson Dells Forest Preserve, 8786 Montague Road, four miles southwest of Rockford. Participants will traverse through woods, meadows, and an optional creek crossing. Participants in the walk will have the opportunity to lean about Northern Illinois wildlife by participating in a scavenger hunt highlighting the unique scenery on the course.
LEAN. The Hall Creek Scamper promotes fitness in nature. The Youth race will include a team competition that will encourage Rockford area youth to participate in running and fitness related activities. The walk/run will encourage the synthesis of fitness and fun for all who participate.
Sponsorships are available. Proceeds from the run will benefit education programs at the Severson Dells Nature Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The Nature Center’s mission is to link people to nature through education and research in our region. If you don’t want to participate in the Hall Creek Scamper, but would still like to get involved, we are in need of race day volunteers. Please e-mail dellsgreenrun@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer.
In Flow with Nature’s Inspirations:
Curt Carter and Tom Connelley, Canoeing the Kish
Program by The Land for Learning Institute
Saturday, July 26, 8:30 am-Noon
Cost: $15 per individual, SDNC members only.
Join Carter and Connelley on this canoe trip down the Kishwaukee River as they share songs, secrets and inspirations from their river of life. Participants will learn how to weave poetry and music inspired by the flow of the land. Curt Carter and Tom Connelley have been called Illinois’ preeminent folk warriors. Performing together since 1988, their music has seen a wide range of venues from live radio, club, coffeehouse, and festival performances to political and environmental awareness benefits. Carter and Connelley has been featured on several performance series broadcasts on public television in Illinois, and shared the stage with comedians Richard Lewis and Al Franken, folk icons Trout Fishing in America and John Hartford, and rock and blues guitarists Larry McMurtry and Coco Montoya. They have also partnered with National Audubon, Wilderness Education Association, Heartland Bioneers, Illinois State Parks and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and Iowa, Wisconsin and Ohio state teachers conferences among many other local, state and national organizations. Curt Carter and Tom Connelley also have a rich history independently over the last three decades. RESERVATIONS ARE A MUST. Call 1-815-335-2915
A Night of Music by Carter and Connelley:
Everybody Needs a River
Saturday, July 26, 7:00-8:30 pm
Cost: Free
Join Carter and Connelley on a musical journey stretching from the San Juan River in Utah to the Flambeau in Wisconsin. Their music will put you in the front seat of a canoe and set you adrift through canyons, rapids and cypress swamps. You’ll feel like you’re sitting on a gravel bar next to a cozy campfire with some ole friends. Curt Carter and Tom Connelley are energetic and insightful songwriters tackling social and environmental concerns through their music. Curt and Tom make sure everyone has fun in the process telling humorous anecdotes along with original readings to complement the songs. Without preaching, they allow the listener to find the beauty and harmony of the natural world within one’s self. Carter and Connelley were recently given the honor of performing at The Shack along the Wisconsin River where Aldo Leopold, the father of modern conservation, wrote A Sand County Almanac. You will not want to miss them! Sponsored in memory of Dr. Alan Hutchcroft, a person who believed that nature education is critical.
Bats at the Beach
(at Pecatonica River Forest Preserve)
Sunday, July 27, 7:00-9:00 pm
Kathy Martinez will lead this program for 5-10 year olds to learn of bats and pretend we are on a picnic at the beach with them. Free to members of Friends of Severson Dells; $2/child for non-members. You must call to register 1-815-335-2915.
August 2008
Eliza and the Dragonfly
Tuesday, August 5, 9:30-11:30 am
Based on the book of the same name, activities for this program will including going to the Severson Dells pond and looking for baby dragonflies. Children of all ages are welcome. Free to members of Friends of Severson Dells; $2/child for non-members. Call 1-815-335-2915 to register.
Camp Peek-Into-Creek #2
Wednesday-Friday, August 6-8, 9:00 am-3:00 pm
Click here for details.
Creating Your Own Nature Journal
Lead by Clare Walker Leslie
Saturday, August 9, 10:00 am-2:30 pm
$10 per person, $5 per person in same family.
For adults, and adults with children ages 10 and older. Bring your lunch.
Sponsored in memory of Dr. Alan Hutchcroft.
What we know about the ancient world we owe in large part to the artist-naturalist’s journal, one of the oldest forms for recording observations. Lewis and Clark, Thoreau, and John James Audubon made unforgettable observations and reproductions of nature in the New World. Do you want to wander, look, and connect with the earth you call home? Do you want to slow down and feel your feet on the earth, feel at home outdoors? Do you want to overcome your fears of drawing and learn simple ways to record your observations? Your naturalist’s journal is a way to continue a curiosity about, exploration of, and conversation with the fragile circle of life around you. Be the curious scientist/artist your ancestors were.
We’ll learn specific techniques for drawing flowering plants, trees, geese flying over, waterfalls, cloud shapes, squirrels playing, winter goldenrod, and chickadees. We’ll learn various ways to write brief stories, meditations, and poems in our journal. We’ll share our experiences, laugh about what we’re discovering, and learn to play out of doors. We’ll all go home with a nature journal that we will want to continue.
What we observe and are sensitive to is what we truly care about. We can deepen our appreciation of the delicate, interwoven relationships between the human and natural worlds. We’ll heighten our awareness and renew our sense of place and belonging by recording our personal experiences, inspirations, wanderings, and wonderings. By immersing ourselves in nature we’ll increase our skills of observation and be more connected with our surroundings. Experienced artists are welcome, but no previous drawing or nature study is necessary.
Clare takes people where they are and leads them deeper into their interests and abilities. Clare Walker Leslie is a nationally known wildlife artist, author, naturalist, and educator. She’s been a visiting faculty member at Williams College for over a decade, is on the faculty at Harvard books, including Nature Journaling: Learning to Observe and Connect with the World Around You and Drawn to Nature and illustrated many more. She’s studied drawing and watercolor techniques in England, Scotland, Sweden, and is a women and teacher of enormous enthusiasm and skill.
Clare Walker Leslie: The Journey of a Journal Keeper
Saturday, August 9; Potluck at 6:30 pm; Program at 8:00 pm
Clare will share her thoughts from her journals over the years. It is a fascinating story. Clare walks her talk when it comes to nature journaling. She thinks that “setting aside time each day to become absorbed in just being, in the present moment, alone in nature, will leave you refreshed and refocused. Like a pilgrim going to church, I go outdoors for the prayer that drawing and observing nature offer me. The primordial urge is to Become One, to flee to the arms of Nature, to draw dabbling ducks, preening geese, azalea blossoms, and silhouettes of great blue herons. Nothing spectacular, everything spectacular. The essential magic occurs when pencil meets paper and the eye really sees a tree. The Process of Seeing is what counts, not how good a drawing is. Being A Witness brings a sense of belonging, of compassion, of responsibility.” Clare will be signing books as well. Check out Clare’s website. This whole night is all free in honor and memory of Dr. Alan Hutchcroft.
The Night of the Perseids
Saturday, August 9, 9:00 pm-???
Bring your blankets, maybe some refreshments and take in the sights and sounds of the summer nights at Severson Dells. We are hoping for a peak night of meteor showers in the perseids and hopefully we will see so many shooting stars we will lose count. A good night to rest and relax under the Severson Dells skies.
