Co-Sponsored by: Severson Dells Nature Center and Natural Land Institute
No fee for the walks, but membership in SDNC and/or NLI is encouraged!
SDNC:1-815-335-2915 | NLI: 1-815-964-6666
All walks begin at 6:00 p.m.
Come experience the north central Illinois landscape. Walk where flowers carpet the forest floor and birds fill the air. Severson Dells Nature Center and the Natural Land Institute are the organizing agencies of the event, with the following groups providing leaders from their organizations: Angelic Organics Learning Center, Boone County Conservation District, Byron Forest Preserve, DeKalb County Forest Preserve District, North Central Illinois Ornithological Society, Northwest Illinois Audubon Society, Rockford Park District, Sand Bluff Bird Observatory, and Wild Ones.
April 2010
Thursday, April 22 - Anna Page Park: A great way to celebrate Earth Day with Barbara Williams from the North Central Illinois Ornithological Society. Meet at the shelter house for a tour of wildflowers and birds at this Rockford Park District property. We will travel through a variety of natural communities, from creek bottoms to maple forest, and may view marsh marigolds, trillium, blue-eyed Marys and numerous other spring wildflowers. Moderate hiking with wet areas.
Wednesday, April 28 - Howard D. Colman Dells Nature Preserve: Greg Keilback of the Natural Land Institute will lead this hike of moderate difficulty. Owned and managed by NLI, this 55-acre nature preserve is located along Hall Creek, southwest of Rockford. One of the attractive features of this preserve is a series of cliffs known as the dells. Many unique plants restricted to limestone and dolomite outcrops are found here, as well as some northern relict plants. The floral display in the upland woods is one of the best in Winnebago County. Aldo Leopold and Paul Riis conducted some early deer studies in this preserve in the mid 1930’s. Moderate-difficult hiking.
May 2010
Thursday, May 6 - Tuttle Clarkson Natural Area: Brian Hale from the Boone County Conservation District will lead this walk on 29 acres of land that has never been plowed, leaving the landscape much as it was when the first settles arrived 150 years ago. This small plot of land has several different habitats: a prairie, an oak savanna, a stream, and a special class of wetland called a fen, which contains specialized plant species.
Wednesday, May 12 - Pecatonica River Forest Preserve: Dave Kostka of Angelic Organics Learning Center will take us on a tour of the Pecatonica River Forest Preserve which includes creekside and river edge floodplain forest, several old field meadows, gorges and upland forest sites. Within its 55-acre Nature Preserve lies an oxbow lake with a minimally disturbed mesic forest with several species of unique flora. Hiking will be easy to moderate.
Thursday, May 20 - Wilson Prairie: Join Northwest Illinois Audubon’s Keith Blackmore on this easy/moderate hike on one of the top prairies in the region. We will see fringed puccoon, prairie smoke, bird-foot violet and maybe a look at the rare large-flowered beardtongue among other flowers and grasses. There is a great view from the top of this prairie with a big sky to gaze at.
Wednesday, May 26 - Harlem Hills Nature Preserve: Gary and Judy Anderson will offer their guidance on this visit to Harlem Hills Prairie. If the season is progressing typically, the hills should be filled with thousands of shooting stars. Always a great place to see a sunset. Easy hiking.
June 2010
Thursday, June 3 - MacQueen Forest Preserve: Al Roloff, with the DeKalb County Forest Preserve District, will start our series at the 50-acre MacQueen Forest Preserve in DeKalb County. This area is primarily an upland, oak/hickory forest with a rich understory of forbs, grasses and sedges. MacQueen is noted for a diverse population of spring ephemerals, with robust populations of wild geranium, shooting stars, red trillium, early meadow rue and a number of woodland sedges. Hiking will be easy to moderate.
Wednesday, June 9 - Byron Forest Preserve: Nardi Preserve, an addition to Jarrett Prairie Preserve - Meet at the Jarrett Center and we will take a relaxing stroll through 450 acres of this unique site with surface dolomite exposure. Byron Forest Preserve naturalist Richie Wolf will lead us to look for the rare prairie plant species that thrive here as well as numerous grassland birds. Easy hiking.
Thursday, June 17 - Atwood Prairie: Board member Jack Armstrong and staff person Nathan Hill from the Rockford Park District will lead a tour of this fine remnant prairie that the Sinnissippi Audubon Society has been working hard to restore. Atwood Prairie is owned by the Rockford Park District and besides having great birds and wildflowers, the area has a rich history. Easy hiking.
Thursday, June 23 - Sugar River Alder Forest Preserve: Bruce and Mary Anne Mathwich from Wild Ones will lead this walk in the far northwest corner of Winnebago County. It hosts numerous ecosystems providing great habitat for many species of birds and plants. We hope to hit the pale purple coneflowers and leadplant at their peak. Also great hiking trails in one of the most quiet forest preserves in the district. Moderate/difficult hiking.
July 2010
Thursday, July 1 - Colored Sands Forest Preserve: Join Sand Bluff Bird Observatory’s naturalists Lee and Lynda Johnson for a tour of the beautiful sand country at Colored Sands Bluff Nature Preserve. The vegetation is unique to dry sand prairies, which once dominated the area but now are very rare. This easy level walk will be a great hike for beginners as well as the experienced. Bring a wildflower book, binoculars, and bug spray. Hiking will be easy to moderate.
