Right in Our Region
Discover Winter Beauty at Outdoor Events N By Peggy Werner ature lovers know winter is a great time to get outside and explore, and they want others to enjoy the season, too. People suffering from cabin fever don’t always know what to do or where to go, says Forest Preserves of Winnebago County Marketing and Community Relations Manager Jamie Johannsen. For that reason, the forest preserve works in partnership with nature centers and organizations, as well as local businesses, to plan and promote activities which are publicized on individual websites and on 815Outside.com. “Winter offers some of the best opportunities for wildlife observation,” says Johannsen. “The lack of leaves and the die-back in vegetation reveal many signs of life that exist all around.” Upcoming events include A Family Snowfari from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25 at Severson Dells Nature
16
Smart Living Weekly
Center, 8786 Montague Road, and a Guided Snowshoe Hike on Sunday, Feb. 2, at Kieselburg Forest Preserve, 5801 Swanson Road, Roscoe, Ill. A Honeysuckle Hiking Stick workshop will take place from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at Severson Dells. Honeysuckle, an invasive plant, takes on a new and useful purpose when transformed into walking sticks. Nature Educator Ellen Rathbone will provide the tools and training needed to transform the plants into walking sticks. Register by calling (815) 335-2915 by Feb. 17 or go online at seversondells.com. Register online for Family Snowfari by Jan. 22. Kevin Versino, general manager of Rocktown Adventures, 313 N. Madison St., organized the guided snowshoe hike. Recently retired Rocktown Adventures employee Rick Barton will be the guide. Versino says the event, which can be
Jan. 22
To advertise call 815-316-2300
enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities, will include instruction on snowshoes and how to use them. “If you can put one foot in front of the other, you can snowshoe and you don’t even need a lot of snow,” he says. “Snowshoeing is the fastest-growing winter sport. You can access trails and other places you couldn’t get to otherwise.” Poles will be provided. “Just do it to take on the challenge, make friends, and feel a part of a community,” he says.
