Natural Enquirer: March/April 2015 by Schaumburg Park District

Natural Enquirer N e w s l e t t e r f o r S p r i n g Va l l e y S u p p o r t e r s a n d Vo l u n t e e r s

vol.6 no.2 • March-Apr. ‘15

In this issue...

In this issue of the Natural Enquirer, we take several looks downward—into the soil and the rocks below—to learn lessons from the past. Rocks and soils, some of the least glamorous aspects of natural history for many people, are the earth’s history books. It is here that we can find evidence of recent events, past civilizations, long-extinct creatures, and even clues about earth’s climate from thousands of years ago. Soils are intimately connected with the plants and animals that live atop them, as we learn in an article about bison. We also learn that one of the richest fossil beds in America, evidence of ancient tropical seas and swamps teeming with life, can be found just a short drive south of Chicago. Soils not only tell us about the past, but can show us the way forward as well, as described in a look at hugelkultur, a unique gardening system. Such incredible things to be discovered beneath our feet!

Inside Fossils Underfoot.................................................2 Hugelkultur............................................................3 What’s Happenin’.............................................. 4-5 A Prairie Keystone................................................6 Meet Katie Durkin.................................................6

Spring Valley General Information....................10 Volunteer News Contents Volunteer Information..........................................7 Volunteer Calendar........................................... 8-9

Schaumburg Park District

Visit www.parkfun.com and take our Spring Valley Program Survey.

S p r i n g Va l l e y • N a t u r a l E n q u i r e r • M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5

Fossils Underfoot

by Derek Gronlund

hen most people think of fossils and paleontology, they picture discovering Lucy in the Olduvai Gorge of Africa, or unearthing giant dinosaur bones in the desert ala Jurassic Park. While Illinois doesn’t have any dinosaur fossils due to recent (geologically speaking!) glaciation, our state is home to one of the world’s greatest fossil lagerstätten. A lagerstätten, or “mother lode”, is an area that is characterized by extraordinary fossil richness and completeness. Located 50 miles south of Chicago and spanning Grundy, Will, and Kankakee Counties, the Mazon Creek area is home to one of the world’s most important collections of fossils ever found. In order to understand how this came to be, we first need to travel back to when the Chicago area looked much different than it does today. Fossils of ancient life were formed when dead plants and animals were rapidly covered in the accumulating mud. Once buried, the remains were protected from scavengers and decomposition. The little bacterial decomposition that did occur gave off small amounts of carbon dioxide, which reacted with iron in the water to form siderite, also known

While it may be hard to believe after the last few winters we have experienced, Illinois used to be located in the tropics. Around 500 million years ago (MYA), Illinois was only 10 degrees away from the equator. At this time, most of the state was covered in a shallow ocean, teeming with diverse A Collection of Mazon Creek Fossils at Spring Valley sea life. For millions of years, bodies of hard-shelled sea creatures as ironstone. This hard mineral acaccumulated on the ocean floor, building cumulated and formed a case around up what would become the limestone the organic material, protecting it while deposits now found throughout the the remains were fossilized. As more state. During this time the continental layers of clay and silt were deposited, plates were also drifting, slowly carrying pressure compressed the mud around what would become the North American the remains into a hard cement-like Continent away from the equator. substance. The end result was an ovoid ironstone concretion that contained the As the continents were shifting, the land preserved impression of a plant or aniwas slowly changing. Over the next sevmal. Once formed, these concretions sat eral hundred million years, mountains buried under tons of shale for several rose in the east and sent rivers flowing hundred million years. to the west. As these rivers ran across the land, the silt and clay they carried were deposited into the shallow ocean that covered ancient Illinois. Where the rivers met the sea, an expansive river delta began to form as the mud settled on the ocean floor. By about 300 MYA, Illinois’ tropical sea had become a lush, muddy swamp. The deep layers of decaying vegetation would eventually form the coal beds that streak through Illinois, and the myriad animals that thrived in the water would eventually form one of the most productive fossil beds in the world.

It wasn’t until the 1850s that these fossils would be discovered by people. Since the prehistoric swamps had left large coal seams running through northeastern Illinois, the coal industry moved into the area. While removing coal from the river banks, miners would occasionally find ironstone concretions. When split open, they saw the impressions of ancient plant and sea life. With the introduction of earthmoving equipment and strip mining in the 1920s, the amount of fossils found exploded. Thousands of tons of shale were removed to access 2

the coal, and were discarded in giant spoil piles. Amateur and professional fossil hunters scoured these piles for the thousands upon thousands of discarded concretions. The fossils found in the Mazon Creek area show an incredible diversity of plant and animal life. Hundreds of species have been identified, and dozens of new plant and animal species were discovered, many of them unique to the Illinois area. Perhaps the most famous of the new species is the enigmatic Tully monster, discovered in the 1950s by Francis Tully. Fossils of this prehistoric worm-like creature have only been found in the Mazon Creek fossil beds, making it the obvious choice for Illinois’ state fossil. In fact, the Tully monster is so unique, scientists still aren’t sure where to place it on the tree of life. In addition to the diversity, the Mazon Creek fossils are noted for their incredible preservation of soft tissues. Soft bodied creatures, such as marine worms and jellyfish, were rarely fossilized because they decomposed quickly in the water. Since the remains were buried so quickly in the Mazon Creek area, even the most delicate details of these animals have been preserved in the concretions. Careful study of these fossils has given paleontologists a good picture of what Illinois looked like millions of years ago. Extensive collections of fossils from Mazon Creek can be found in the Field Museum, the Illinois State Museum, and the Smithsonian. Today, amateur fossil hunters still search the Mazon Creek area for fossils. While most of the land in the area is privately owned, Mazonia State Fish and Wildlife Area provides a place for the public to hunt fossils. The park, which spans just over 1000 acres, is located 3 miles southeast of Braidwood, IL. In addition to fossil collecting, the area is also managed for fishing and hunting, thus fossil collecting is only permitted from March 1st through September 30th.

S p r i n g Va l l e y • N a t u r a l E n q u i r e r • M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5

Hugelkultur

by Walter Plinske

Apparently lifeless and useless, rotting logs harbor thousands of living things within and beneath them. Feeding on the wood of these logs are bacteria, protozoa, worms, lichens, mosses, insects and their larvae, molds, snails and slugs, and especially fungi. They convert the wood back into minerals and humus, which a fertile forest soil must have to be healthy. It is this humus that holds moisture in the soil and aids in making the minerals usable as food by plants. In the end, there is nothing left of the wood except a crumbling punk riddled with the roots, or hyphae, of molds and mushrooms. Into this primeval picture has stepped man, natures’ prodigal understudy, bent on ways to mimic, exploit, and improve.

possible. The wood can consist of any woody debris: logs, branches, twigs, or even wood chips. Grass clippings, manure, and other finer nitrogen-rich organic matter are added to fill the gaps between the logs. Supplemental nitrogen is essential because during their initial decomposition the wood will take in this nutrient and will later slowly release it. Rather than quickly burning wood in a bonfire and releasing a lot of energy in a pillar of smoke, the decomposition process involved in hugelkultur takes months or years. As the wood rots, heat will be slowly generated, stimulating root growth and extending the growing season. This energy also takes the form of fuel for all the life forms in the bed, be they mushrooms, worms, or insects. One of

A method was developed in Europe over a decade ago to harness what to some was looked upon as a lost resource: those very logs that have been until now quietly moldering away. The method involves employing the dead wood as a “soil,” nutrient, and water source, all in one. It has Punky Wood been dubbed with a funny sounding name that is currently drifting the main through gardening circles in this country. benefits of It is called “hugelkultur”, meaning in Gerhugelkulman, “hill” or “mound culture”. In short, it tur is that is a nature-inspired way of gardening in water is beds built on logs, touted as a drought retained Wood Roach resistant way to produce food. This better allows food crops planted on top of the than soil alone. The buried wood serves bed to take advantage of the nutrients an almost identical function as a sponge released during the logs’ decomposition buried in the ground. A small aboveand of the moisture that is held within ground bed can maintain a usable level them. of moisture for about 3 weeks after it is saturated. Larger beds hold enough waHugelkultur beds can be constructed ter for an entire growing season. above or below ground level. The decidMounded beds extend the growing ing factor is mainly the quantity of exseason, maximize sun exposure, pected rainfall. In drought-prone zones and create different microclimates. such as here in the prairie state, the On the north side, shade tolerant logs would be buried in a pit and topped crops like lettuce can be planted. with soil, forming a slightly raised bed. In While on the south side, sunmore arid areas even the top area would loving fruits and vegetables like be a bit sunken. In areas of copious tomatoes and peppers will flourish. rainfall, the beds can be as high as one Elevated beds make weeding and can reach, up to 5 to 6 feet. Whether in harvesting easier than traditional a pit or a pile, the wood is placed like a garden rows because of the comjigsaw puzzle, allowing as few gaps as 3

Hugelkultur

fortable height. In general, the most desirable woods for hugelkultur are the softer woods. These include cottonwood, poplar, willow, birch, alder, and apple. Willow must be used with caution because it will re-sprout unless quite dead. Less desirable woods are generally hardwoods which are resistant to rotting. Black walnut is one of these and it also contains a toxin called juglone. Black locust and osage orange are so rot resistant that they were long employed as fence posts. Cedar is least desirable because of its natural antimicrobial properties, the bane of rot. The practice of hugelkultur has its roots in ancient Europe. Tall above-ground beds served dual purposes as boundary markers, fences to keep animals in or out, and even for defensive purposes. When planted with trees they provided fuel for fire and timber. They could be planted with fruits and berries to provide food for man and beast. Now they are being reinvented as an exciting new way to produce vegetables in a manner that, once established, can support a wide range of plants for many years. Don’t be surprised to find an experimental hugelkultur bed tucked away somewhere at the Volkening Heritage Farm this season!

Insect Control

S p r i n g Va l l e y • N a t u r a l E n q u i r e r • M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5

Click on program/icon for information and to register online.*

*To create a new account, visit the registration desk at the CRC or download an internet registration form from www.parkfun.com. The form can be found under the registration tab. Programs will be cancelled three days in advance if minimum is not reached, so register early! Additional workshops are being developed. For information, visit www.parkfun.com/Spring-Valley/ programs.

Growing Up Wild: Early Childhood Teacher Workshop Saturday, April 18 • 1:00-4:00 p.m. Take part in a hands-on workshop designed for early childhood educators.

ADULT or TEEN

EARLY CHILDHOOD All About Farm Animals

Harper College & Spring Valley

Monday, April 20-May 11 • 10:00-11:00 a.m. Junior farmers will learn all about the livestock at the Heritage Farm.

Lazy Gardener’s Guide to Green Landscaping

Budding Naturalists

Saturday, April 25 • 9 a.m.-Noon Learn about options available to reduce your environmental footprint. Course: LLG0079

Saturday, May 9 • 1:00-3:00 p.m. Come grow as naturalists as we search for tiny plants, listen to a story and plant a seed.

Meet the Turtles

Farm to Table Cooking Series

Saturday, April 11 • 1:00-2:30 p.m. Learn about the adaptations that help turtles survive and make them remarkable.

Learn ways to use simple farm fresh ingredients to create wholesome, delicious dishes at home.

Honey

Pocket Full of Spring

Sunday, March 1 • 10:00 a.m.- Noon Sample a variety of honeys, make two honey treats and enjoy them with coffee or tea.

Saturday, April 11 • 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Venture around Spring Valley’s pocket woods and discover all the fresh, new blooms.

Farm Fresh Eggs

Ready for Robins

Saturday, March 21 • 10:00 a.m.- Noon Make two egg dishes and sit down to enjoy them with fresh baked bread and sausage.

Saturday, April 25 • 10:00-11:30 a.m. Discover what foods a robin eats, examine real bird nests and explore outside.

Asparagus

Sunday, March 29 • 10:00 a.m.- Noon Make two asparagus dishes and sit down to enjoy them with traditional German spätzle.

SugarBush Fair Schaumburg Park District's

Weekly Yoga at the Cabin

Tuesday, March 24 - May 19 • 6:00-7:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 24 - May 19 • 7:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26 - May 21 • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26 - May 21 • 8:00-9:00 p.m. Enjoy a weekly yoga class in the woods at the Merkle Cabin.

Presented by

FREE ADMISSION!

ALL AGES

MAPLE SUGARING-Originally published by Currier & Ives

Breakfast with the Birds

Saturday & Sunday, March 14 & 15

Saturday, May 9 • 7:00-9:00 a.m. Enjoy an early morning walk to look for Spring Valley’s colorful migratory birds.

Enjoy a pancakes breakfast with real maple syrup, sausage, juice and coffee. See authentic demonstrations of maple syrup production, a pioneer sugar camp, children’s puppet show, hayride and sales of syrup and other goodies. Click here for more information.

Owl Prowl

Friday, April 10 • 8:00-9:30 p.m. Take a moonlit walk through the forest and prairie looking for owls.

S p r i n g Va l l e y • N a t u r a l E n q u i r e r • M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5

Sunset Fire and Picnic on the Prairie Saturday, April 11 • 6-8:30PM • Spring Valley

$3 per person • $12 per family (up to 6 people)

The prairie fires that awed and frightened early settlers to Illinois were vital to the health and well-being of the prairie landscape. This popular program provides insight into just how important fire was—and still is—to natural areas. Bring a picnic or purchase grilled food and beverages. Following dinner and a brief presentation, a portion of Spring Valley’s prairie will be burned at sunset, visible from a safe distance. Tickets may be purchased at the door. (Rain date: 4/13/13) Click here for more information.

Playful Cotton Tales

Saturday, March 21 • 10:00-11:30 a.m. Read a story, play games and explore the prairie and woods for signs of cottontails.

Springtime

$4 per person • $16 per family 3 yrs & under Free

Schaumburg Park District's

on the

Spring Valley Spring Break Camp

Mon.-Fri., March 23-27 • 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Spend your break at Spring Valley as spring approaches and the days become warmer.

Farm

Wormy Wonders

Saturday, March 21 • 1:00-2:30 p.m. Discover the life of worms and the important things they do underground.

Sunday, April 19 • Noon-4 p.m.

Home School Naturalist Group Programs Spring Valley Nature Center and Heritage Farm is the perfect place for hands-on, exploration-based science programs. Offerings change seasonally, so check the program guide regularly.

Spring brings new life and activity to the Heritage Farm. Things to see and do for all ages! Activities include cow milking, plowing and blacksmithing demonstrations. Click here for more information.

Spring topics: • Biscuits & Butter – Experience 19th century farm life as you cook on the wood bring stove and churn your own butter. • Wetland Defenders – Using scientific techniques, determine the water quality of Spring Valley’s wetlands. • Woodland Wildflowers – Learn the parts of a flower and explore the woods for spring flowers. • Spring Birds – Go over bird watching basics, learn common bird calls and examine real bird nests.

FAMILY

The following programs have a special family rate. By registering ONE child, it is assumed that a minimum of two people (one adult and child) or a maximum of four people are attending. Do NOT register additional people, they may pay on the day of the program.

Easter Egg Hunt

Saturday, March 28 • 10:00-11:30 a.m. Search for eggs in a beautiful wooded setting near Merkle Cabin.

• Available every spring: Farms and Food, Gardening, Nighttime Nature, Owls: Predators of the Night, Springtime Growth, Wetlands, Conservation in Action, Woodlands

Family Worm Farmers

Saturday, April 18 • 10:30 a.m.- Noon Learn all about a worm’s life and discover how they can turn food waste into organic fertilizer.

For more information about programs and pricing, or to schedule a program, call 847/985-2100.

Nature Stories

Saturday, April 25 • 1:00-2:00 p.m. Nature and stories go hand in hand. There are many stories to tell and books to read.

Native Plant Sale Backyards for

YOUTH Beginning Birders

Nature Fair

Saturday, April 11 • 8:00-9:30 a.m. Join a naturalist on a morning hike to observe and learn about the birds we find along the way.

Sunday, May 3 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Go Fly a Kite!

Spring Valley Nature Center

Saturday, April 11 • 1:00-2:30 p.m. Design and cut out your very own kite. Then fly your kite at Spring Valley.

This celebration of environmental stewardship features information on landscaping with native plants, composting, attracting birds, rain gardens, natural pest control, children’s activities and plant sale. Call 847-985-2100 for information.

Pigeon Penthouse

Saturday, April 25 • 10:30 a.m.- Noon Design, construct, and decorate a birdhouse for your favorite feathered friends.

Co-sponsored by the Schaumburg Park District and Schaumburg Community Garden Club

S p r i n g Va l l e y • N a t u r a l E n q u i r e r • M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5

A Prairie Keystone

by Matt McBrien

The vast expanse of prairie that once greeted early American settlers and frontiersman on their journey west is all but gone. Once estimated at over 240 million acres, the North American prairie ecosystem extended virtually unbroken from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes and from southern Canada to Mexico. Most of this ecosystem was lost to the plow between the 1830s and early 1900s. But, where soils were too rocky or wet, small remnants of our past endured. Among these remnants, a prairie keystone, the American Bison clung to its survival as well.

The American Bison, Bison bison, often referred to as buffalo, is the largest living land animal in North America. An herbivore, measuring up to six feet high at the shoulder and 11.5 feet long from head to tail and weighing up to one ton, bison sustained themselves on the seemingly endless supply of grasses and sedges of the prairie. This massive ungulate once freely roamed the North American prairie in enormous herds with total populations in excess of 40 million. The vast herds astonished a 17th century Spanish explorer who wrote “a multitude so great that it might be considered a falsehood by those who had not seen them.” A young soldier in Kansas (1871) described his encounter of a single herd so massive that it took him and his men six days to navigate through the millions that composed it. With herds of bison so great, depleting their numbers seemed impossible; but, by the 1830s, with the invention of the

steel plow, prairies that had sustained the herds were turned over to make way for agriculture. Disease from cattle, grazing competition, and the construction of the railroad in the 1860s impacted populations, as well. Easy transBison on Prairie port of this new commodity back east kicked their slaughter into high gear. In 1870 alone, an estimated two million bison were killed for their hide and tongue (considered a delicacy) alone, while the meat was often left to rot. Between 1868 and 1871, bones from carcasses left by hunters were collected by homesteaders and sold to make fertilizer and fine bone china. The estimated haul during this time represented the remains of 31 million bison. Many bison were killed purely for sport as passengers shot from train cars simply for the thrill. A Santa Fe railway engineer commented that it was possible to walk 100 miles along the right-of-way by stepping from one bison carcass to another. By the mid-1880s, there were as few as 325 bison remaining in the United States. Although hunted to near extinction, bison were able to survive the massacre of the late 1800s with much of the remaining herd protected on federal land or in private holdings. Today, conservationists recognize this species as a prairie keystone, vital to the health and the survival of the prairie for

a number of reasons. Grazing preferences of bison tend toward grasses and sedges, encouraging the growth of wildflowers that invite butterflies, pollinating insects, and grassland birds. Their wallows create depressions in the prairie that form pools when it rains which help promote the return of amphibians and allow annual herbaceous plants to gain a foothold. Their hooves cut through the hard surface, aerating the topsoil and opening ground for new growth. These are just a few of the many benefits bison provide. In return, the prairie provides sustenance in the form of a high protein diet to satisfy the bison’s nutritional needs. Until recently, ecological interrelationships such as this were not well understood. Like the periodic fires that swept over the prairies, disturbances are not only beneficial to the health of the prairie ecosystem and, in turn, that of the bison, but dependent upon it for their survival. There is no longer any need to travel to the Black Hills of South Dakota or Yellowstone National Park to view these incredible animals roaming the wide open prairie. Nachusa Grasslands in Franklin Grove has recently introduced a herd of 30 bison to a section of its restored prairie. This is the first conservation herd, genetically free of cattle cross breeding, introduced anywhere in Illinois. Eventually, the herd will be allowed to grow to about 150 animals and roam within an area of about 1,500 acres. This will provide an opportunity for researchers to see firsthand how the prairie, as well as other species, responds to the reintroduction. And, in just under a two hour drive, allows us to be transported back to the wildness and grandeur of the great western frontier. Don’t forget your cowboy hat!

Meet Katie Durkin

Spring Valley’s newest environmental educator, Katie Durkin, hails from Chicago’s south suburbs. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she earned a degree in Earth Systems, Environment and Society. Over the summer she worked as a program leader in Costa Rica on a sea turtle conservation project. Though Katie loves sloth-watching and a rice and bean centric diet, the Illinois prairies beckoned her back. She is excited to stay active this season at Spring Valley, giving winter programs and investigating animal tracks in the snow. You can also catch her as a blurry figure in the background on several Chicago-based television series, including Shameless and Chicago Fire. 6

Volunteer News S p r i n g Va l l e y • N a t u r a l E n q u i r e r • M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5

Volunteer Want Ads

If you are interested in helping with any of the following activities, please call Judy at 847/985-2100 or e-mail her at juvito@parkfun.com.

Sugar Bush Set-Up

Thursday, March 12 Can’t help at the Sugar Bush Fair, but still want to be part of it? Join us before the event to help set-up. We have a variety of activities which need to be done. Come at 9:30am and stay for all or part of the day!

Sugar Bush

Saturday and Sunday, March 14 & 15 Have you thought about volunteering for the fair, but haven’t talked to Judy yet? Please give her a call. Shift time is 8am-12:30pm. Remember – there’s a free pancake breakfast for all volunteers!

Annual Heritage Farm Volunteer Meeting

Friday, March 20 If you volunteer in any capacity at the Heritage Farm or just want to find out about volunteer opportunities there, you are invited to attend this meeting held at the Nature Center Visitor Center from 6-8pm. Attendance by all volunteers involved with interpretation, livestock care, and kitchen gardening is strongly encouraged. Staff will fill you in on the plans for the Farm for 2015. Feel free to come early at 5:30pm to socialize with your fellow volunteers while enjoying a potluck dinner provided by volunteers and staff. Come and help kick off the Farm’s upcoming volunteer season!

Sunset Fire and Picnic on the Prairie

Heritage Farm New Interpreter Open House

Monday, March 16 The Heritage Farm is looking for new interpretive volunteers! Enjoy light refreshments and learn about how you can volunteer your time by dressing in historic outfits and showing visitors what life was like over 130 years ago. The Open House runs 5:30-7pm so you are welcome to drop by as your schedule allows, but please let us know if you plan to attend.

Saturday, April 11 Trained prescribe burn volunteers are needed to assist at this unique program which provides insight into how important fire is to natural areas. The burn crew will help oversee this sunset prairie burn for 6-8:30pm.

Springtime on the Farm

Sunday, April 19 Volunteers are needed to help our guests experience a busy spring on the Farm. Help prepare the fields and gardens for planting, do some spring cleaning 1880s style, or assist with children’s activities. The event runs from noon to 4pm. 7

Dates to Remember

• Mon., March 9................1-4pm Handy Crafters Meeting • Thurs., March 12............9:30am-3pm Sugar Bush Set-Up

• Sat. & Sun., March 14 & 15................9am-Noon Sugar Bush

• Mon., March 16..............5:30-7pm New Interpreter Open House

• Fri., March 20.................5:30-8pm Annual Farm Kick-off Meeting • Mon., April 13.................1-4pm Handy Crafters Meeting • Tues., April 16................5-7pm Volunteer Reception at Chandlers

• Sun., April 19..................Noon-4pm Springtime on the Farm

Welcome New Volunteers…

• Clara Arnold • Mary Harlos • Janeen Ross

Happy Birthday to… March

1 3 4 5 8 12 13

John Curin Melina Lynch Kevin Kaitis Karen Kusek John Witkowski Jenny Greco Roy Svenson Alan Kraus

April

1 Andrew Awdziejczyk Daryle Drew Ellie Vogel 11 Duane Bolin 12 Autumn Latus 14 Patty Ochs

15 Barb Kuhn 17 Barb Muehlhausen Mike Pizzo 23 Christine Curin 28 Bob Pautsch 30 Amy Vito 31 Elly Rogenski Ann Schooley

17 Ryan Ochs 19 Bill Bidlo 20 Jerome Dvoratchek Bruce Glesne 24 Charlie Loh 30 Deanna Jason

S p r i n g Va l l e y • N a t u r a l E n q u i r e r • Vo l u n t e e r C a l e n d a r

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

MARCH 2015

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

•Farm to Table Cooking – Honey 10am

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

Handy Crafters Meeting 1pm

Spring Valley Nature Club 6:30pm

Sugar Bush Set-Up 9:30am

Schaumburg Community Garden Club 7pm

Sugar Bush Fair 9am

New Farm Interpreter Open House 5:30pm

23 M-F

Sugar Bush Fair 9am

•Farm to Table Cooking – Eggs 10am •Playful Cotton Tales 10am •Wormy Wonders 1pm

Annual Farm Volunteer Meeting 5:30pm

St. Patrick’s Day

Sierra Club 6:30pm

•Easter Egg Hunt 10am

•Spring Valley Spring Break Camp 10am

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

•Farm to Table Cooking – Asparagus 10am

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm

Farm Closed Cabin Closed Bold indicates volunteer activities Italics indicates programs which may be taken as complimentary by volunteers See “What’s Happening” for program descriptions

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

S p r i n g Va l l e y • N a t u r a l E n q u i r e r • Vo l u n t e e r C a l e n d a r

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

APRIL 2015 Wednesday

FarmHours: Mon-Fri 9am-2pm • Sat/Sun 10am-4pm

Thursday

Saturday

Friday

Cabin Closed Bold indicates volunteer activities Italics indicates programs which may be taken as complimentary by volunteers See “What’s Happening” for program descriptions

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

Easter

Spring Valley Nature Club 6:30pm

Handy Crafters Meeting 1pm

Schaumburg Community Garden Club 7pm

•All About Farm Animals 10am

•Owl Prowl 8pm

•Beginning Birders 8am •Chocolate Candy Drop-in Day 10am •Pocket Full of Spring 11am •Meet the Turtles 1pm •Go Fly a Kite 1pm •Sunset Fire and Picnic on the Prairie 6pm

•Family Worm Farmers 10:30am

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

Sierra Club 6:30pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

Springtime on the Farm Noon

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm

30 •Walpurgis Night Bonfire and Wagon Ride 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

•Ready for Robins 10am •Pigeon Penthouse 10:30am •Nature Stories 1pm

S p r i n g Va l l e y • N a t u r a l E n q u i r e r • M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5 Spring Valley • Schaumburg Park District • 1111 East Schaumburg Road • Schaumburg, Illinois 60194 Schaumburg Rd.

N Plum Grove Rd.

Spring Valley is a refuge of 135 acres of fields, forests, marshes and streams with over three miles of handicappedaccessible trails, a museum featuring natural history displays and information, and an 1880s living-history farm. Spring Valley is open to the general public. Admission is free.

Vera Meineke Nature Center

Volkening Heritage Farm

PHONE VERA MEINEKE NATURE CENTER...............................................847/985-2100 VOLKENING HERITAGE FARM......................................................847-985-2102

135 acres

HOURS Nature Center Grounds & Trails...............Open Daily...............8AM-5PM Volkening Heritage Farm Grounds..........Closed......................Dec.1-March 1

Vera Meineke Nature Center

The earth-sheltered visitor center provides an introduction to Spring Valley’s 135 acres of restored prairies, woodlands and wetlands and three miles of trails. The center contains natural history exhibits that change seasonally, a demonstration Backyard for Wildlife, an observation tower, classrooms, an extensive library, gift sales area and restrooms.

NATURE CENTER/MUSEUM HOURS: Year Round.............Daily*.......... 9AM-5PM FARM INTERPRETIVE PROGRAM HOURS: Nov. - March............Open for Special Events April 1 - Oct. 31.......Sat/Sun....... 10AM-4PM Tue-Fri........ 9AM-2PM Mon............ Buildings Closed

Volkening Heritage Farm

Step back into the past for a look at Schaumburg as it was in the 1880s – a rural German farm community. Help with seasonal farm chores, participate in family activities and games of the 1880s, or simply visit the livestock and soak in the quiet. Authentically dressed interpreters will welcome and share activities with visitors throughout the site.

Spring Valley Birthday Parties

We’ll bring our outreach program to your site. Topics include forests, worms, spiders, mammals, owls, food chains, food webs, wetlands, and the water cycle. Students will participate in hands-on activities, songs, and games. Topics may be adapted to students in grades one through six, and are aligned with Illinois State Standards and NGSS.

Looking for a unique, fun, and educational venue for your child’s birthday? Spring Valley is the answer! Two party themes are available. A hayride can be added for an extra fee. Call Spring Valley for more information.

Spring Valley Firepit and Shelter Rentals

Make your next scout group, business or family gathering something special! Spring Valley offers the use of a picnic shelter and fire pit in a wooded setting near the Merkle Log Cabin. Use of the site includes firewood, trash/recycling receptacles and benches, as well as picnic tables. No alcohol or amplified music permitted. Restrooms are available at the Heritage Farm or Nature Center, a 5–10 minute walk. The adjacent Merkle Log Cabin contains a restroom and may be rented for additional fees.

Programs at Spring Valley

School, Scout and adult groups are encouraged to take advantage of Spring Valley’s Environmental Education Program. Programs change seasonally and are geared for specific age groups. Correlations to the state standards, connections with NGSS, and activity sheets are available on the SPD website, www.parkfun.com. Learn local history with a visit to the Heritage Farm. Elementary and high school students recreate farm life in the 1880s with Hands on History; second graders experience it through Heritage Quest. Children from the age of four through second grade will learn about food, farmers, and farm animals in Farms and Foods.

Scout Badges

Hourly use fees:

We offer many opportunities for scouts. Our programs will help with your badge, pin or patch requirements. Call for more information or stop in for a brochure.

Spring Valley’s mission is to educate area residents regarding the natural and cultural history of the Schaumburg area and how people have and continue to interact with and upon the landscape.

Residents:.............. $25

Civic groups:...............................$25

Non-residents:....... $40 Corporate/business groups:.......$55

SCHAUMBURG PARK DISTRICT BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS:

NATURAL ENQUIRER STAFF: Mary Rice.......... Editor

Mike Daniels Sharon DiMaria David Johnson George Longmeyer Bob Schmidt

Judy Vito............ Volunteer Coordinator Dave Brooks...... “In this Issue...” Scott Stompor.... Graphic Artist

SCHAUMBURG PARK DISTRICT WEBSITE: www.parkfun.com

E-MAIL:

springvalley@parkfun.com

MEMBER:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Tony LaFrenere

Participants should dress appropriately for weather conditions.

*All facilities closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day

Environmental Outreach Program

SPRING VALLEY MISSION STATEMENT:

Unless otherwise noted, all programs are held rain or shine.