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
In this issue...
vol.4 no.2 • March-April ‘13
As the year transitions from winter to spring with the vernal equinox on March 20th, our thoughts move toward the changes the new season brings. Winter-frozen waters begin to thaw, and the ages-old percolation of surface water into the soil and underground aquifer is renewed. In this issue, we include an examination of hydraulic fracturing, a controversial process that impacts underground water supplies while providing economic benefits. An article about tobacco’s historical migration across the land and sea leads us to ponder the legends of our past, and our connections to that past are strengthened with the return of nature’s many migrators. Spring is a time of movement, for people and the land; the equinox is just one step of the journey.
Inside Migration Station..................................................2 Indian Smoke........................................................3 What’s Happenin’.............................................. 4-7 The Dirt on Fracking.............................................8
Spring Valley General Information....................12 Volunteer News Contents Volunteer Want Ads..............................................9 Volunteer Calendar........................................10-11
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 3
Migration Station
A
by Luetta Coonrod
s spring approaches, the air fills with birds and other migrators returning to Spring Valley. Some are just taking a break, while others will be here for the duration of the warm weather. Migration is more than birds flying north and south with the seasons; it’s a way of life for many creatures of the world. From plants to people, migration happens for different reasons. Now and then, migration occurs alone; other times, it is a partnership between two or more individuals. Occasionally, whole groups migrate together, to begin a fresh season or a new life. yet tamed by technology, captured their hearts and their minds. These immigrants moved here, binding themselves and their families to an unknown world. The folk-lore of that time, the image of pioneers moving west into the frontier, captivates audiences even today. Understanding their history helps us comprehend our own. Tiger Swallow Butterfly
and how they would spend their days. Cultural Animals are the most obvious development led of the migrators; birds and butto a more staterflies return each year to fill tionary lifestyle, our lives with song and color. with fewer yearly Bats swoop across the sky pilgrimages in as evening falls, keeping the search of food. mosquito population in check. In turn, this shift Redwing Blackbird In higher elevations, herds evolved into the move from the valleys to the villages, towns, and cities that have hillsides in search of fresh grass and become the norm of human living today. new plants to eat. As the ground thaws, Populations grew, and the desire to worms return to the visible world after move to less crowded places increased spending the winter season far below simultaneously. the frost line. Insects of all types reapOpen space and a land to call pear as their favorite plants begin their home is what drew many of the own cycle for the year. settlers who migrated to what Plants don’t have feet to walk from place is now Spring Valley. Emigrants to place, or wings to fly; they depend on left their native land, drawn to non-traditional modes of transportation. the endless possibilities that this Seeds are carried by people, accidenplace offered. The prairie soil, not tally or with a specific purpose. Animals ingest plants and deposit kernels in new locations. Plant material caught among soil particles can be moved by wind or water. Regardless of the method, plants are some of the oldest migrators in history. Look at where plants used to live, compare it to where they can now be found, and the phenomenon of plant migration becomes obvious. Migrating Cranes
People have been migrating for as long as they have walked the earth. As hunters and gatherers, the seasons would impact where
Early Schaumburg Residents
2
The migration of the settlers who made this land home is one of many stories that tells of a dream to be fulfilled through moving. The Pilgrims and their voyage to Plymouth Rock, the many utopian society towns, and the California gold rush are examples of entire groups of people migrating in hopes of a better life for themselves, their relations, and their cultural group. The families that moved to Schaumburg, Illinois, from Schaumburg, Germany, kept their ethnic identity, a point that is emphasized through interpretation at the Heritage Farm. They migrated here, and we are fortunate to be able to tell their story to current and future visitors. Migration is a tale that touches all of our lives, whether we are interested in the cultural Peonies or natural connections at Spring Valley. Take time to enjoy the beauty that the new season brings, and watch for our migrating friends as they return with the warmer weather. Longer days mean more opportunity to get outside and explore your own migration patterns. You never know what you will discover; enjoy every minute of your journey through life.
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 3
Indian Smoke
by Walter Plinske
Following the discovery of the New World, came the dispersal of the first American plant species to Europe, Asia, and Africa. It enthralled the upper castes of India where its first user was the Mughal emperor himself. Despite being banned, its use thrived in Japan. In China, soldiers sold their weapons to buy the stuff. It was tobacco, a wildly exciting novelty; the smoking of which proved to be addictive. Condemned by Papal Bulls, Imperial Edicts, and Surgeon General Warnings, tobacco use nevertheless continues to this day. Its story, in relation to the Native Americans of North America, is counter-intuitive to the stereotypical cigar-store Indian image that has been so pervasive and one that merits a fresh look. During the century following Columbus, the Spaniards managed to keep a monopoly on the supply and distribution of tobacco from their New World colonies. Because of this, it was hard to obtain and costly; the best leaf worth its weight in silver. Becoming an aristocratic craze, in London alone there were thousands of tobacco “houses” where smokers could buy and imbibe the leaf. In the phrasing that was used at the time, they “drank” their fumes through a tube connected to a bowl where the precious product was combusted. Interestingly, when Columbus and his men first encountered islanders smoking, they mistook the Indian name for the smoking pipe (Tabac) for the name of the leaf itself. That label stuck. The tobacco in question is now called Nicotiana tabacum and it originated in South America. The genus of tobacco is derived from the name of the French ambassador Jean Nicot, who introduced it to the courts of Europe in hopes that it could be used as a curative medicine. It was thought to cure coughing, skin complaints, and headaches.
Calumet Bowl
Meanwhile, Indians from Mexico north to the Arctic knew nothing of N. tabacum. They also drank smoke from pipes, but their tobacco was another species, N. rustica, or “wild tobacco”. Like N. tobacum, it is a member of the solonaceae family along with peppers, nightshade, potatoes, and tomatoes. N. rustica has the highest levels of nicotine of any tobacco species, potentially contain-
ing up to twenty times more than N. tabacum. At such levels, N. rustica is not ideal for smoking because of the risk of fatal
Red Dogwood in Winter
overdose; however, Indian use of wild tobacco differed from that of the users of the Spanish species. It was used strictly for spiritual, cultural, and ceremonial use. Wild tobacco was usually mixed with other herbs when smoked. These included the leaves or bark of bearberry, red dogwood, bunchberry, red sumac, and ironwood. This blend came to be referred to as “kinnickinnick”, an Algonkian word for “mixture”. Often the mixture did not contain the tobacco at all. This ceremonial “tobacco” was used in a variety of ways. Held in the hand, it was used as an offering to the earth or fire. Burned in a sacred pipe, it was usually drawn into the mouth and released into the air, not inhaled into the body. The smoke was meant to carry prayers up to the Creator. Tobacco sealed peace treaties and agreements between individuals. These ceremonial or “peace” pipes, referred to as “calumets”, were made of long wooden stems with a bowl carved out of stone, preferably catlinite, a reddish colored soft siltstone found in Minnesota and northern Wisconsin. 3
Spanish tobacco (N. tabacum) got its foothold in North America after John Rolfe arrived in Jamestown in 1610. The colony was proving to be a disaster economiBearberry cally and in terms of human life. No gold or silver had been found, old world crops refused to flourish due to a variety of reasons, and Indian relations had soured. Rolf talked a smuggler into bringing him some N. tabacum seeds from Venezuela. Protective of their monopoly, Spain forbade such dissemination under the pain of death. Six years later, Rolf returned to England with his first big shipment of tobacco, along with his Indian wife, the famous Pocahontas. The Virginia tobacco was a giant hit among those who had been paying top dollar for the Spanish leaf. They clamored for more and soon Virginia tobacco was the commodity that saved the colony. By 1620, Jamestown was shipping out 50,000 pounds a year. The fur trade was an informal arrangement between the Indians and the European colonists whereby furs were exchanged for Europe goods. The desired goods were those needed by the Indians. Topping the list along with hatchets, beads, and iron pots was tobacco. “Poor and weak and of a biting taste” Sumac N. rustica was soon replaced by “pleasant, sweet, and strong” N. tabacum. The irony is that tobacco was introduced to the American Indians by the Europeans, and not the other way around.
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 3
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.
Science Talk: Communicating Science
Saturday, April 13 • 8:30AM-4:30PM & Sunday, April 14 • 11AM-5PM Class meets at the Mayslake Peabody Estate (Forest Preserve District of DuPage County). Find out how we communicate science: talking, writing, texting, drawing, graphs, charts, photos, videos, and more. Participate in science activities and create interesting ways to share results and assess your students. Staff from Spring Valley Nature Center, Brookfield Zoo, Benedictine University and a host of other institutions look forward to spending two great days with you. You may register for one graduate credit hour ($100, Aurora University) or one graduate science credit ($115 Benedictine University), CPS Lane credit or 15 CPDUs. To register, contact Lanis Petrik at Lanis.Petrik@czs.org Additional workshops are being developed. For up-to-date information, visit www.parkfun.com/Spring-Valley/programs.
ADULT or TEEN
SugarBush Fair Schaumburg Park District's
Harper College & Spring Valley
Register through Harper College or call 847/925-6707. Class held at Spring Valley.
Presented by
Landscaping with Native Plants
Saturday, April 13 • 9AM-Noon Learn about the beauty and environmental benefits of using native plants in home landscaping. Course: LLG0062
Free Admission! Maple Sugaring-Originally published by Currier & Ives
Saturday & Sunday, March 16 & 17
Home Composting
Saturday, April 20 • 9-11AM Discover solutions for many of the commonly assumed problems associated with composting. Course: LLG0064
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.
Creating A Backyard Wildlife Oasis
Saturday, June 1 • 9-11:30AM Make your backyard “wildlife friendly” by exploring ways to increase its diversity while benefitting from environmental improvements. Course: LLG0061
Fred & Mina’s Wedding and Barn Dance
A Walk with the Birds
Growing Terrific Tomatoes
Chair Yoga
Ice Cream Sundae School
Saturday, May 18 • 4:30-8:30PM Experience an authentic turn-of-the-century German-American farm wedding party, recreated by a company of local actors.
Saturday, March 2 • 7:30-9:30A Binoculars and field guides will be on hand to identify Illinois’ hardy winter residents.
Tuesday, April 23 • 7:00-9:00PM Learn to successfully grow this juicy, mouthwatering garden fruit. Sunday, March 10 • 1:00-2:30PM Cool those hot summer days ahead as you hand crank your way to icy treats.
Thursday, April 11-May 23 • 4:45-5:45PM Learn all the techniques with modifications while seated in and standing by a chair. 4
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 3
Nature Book Club
Wednesday, March 27 • 4:00-5:30P Enjoy a hike to the Merkle Log Cabin to discuss the selected book over coffee, tea and snacks.
Going Wild in the Tame Garden - FREE
Nature’s Night Life - ADULTS ONLY!
Tuesday, April 9 • 7-8PM & Saturday, April 13 • 9-10AM Native plants are esteemed for their environmental benefits; however, many gardeners are hesitant to incorporate them into their carefully managed gardens and planted beds. Donna Johnson, a master gardener from Schaumburg Community Garden Club, will help familiarize you with many of the Chicago area’s beautiful natives and suggest some unique, creative and visually stunning ways of incorporating them into the home landscape.
Friday, March 1 • 7:00-9:00P Start your weekend with a relaxing and enlightening evening walk at Spring Valley.
Power Vegetable Gardening
Tuesday, March 12-26 • 7:00-9:00PM A vegetable garden developer will teach the basic techniques of vegetable gardening.
Restorative Yoga Fiesta Style
Free: Registration required by calling 847/985-2100
Friday, May 3 • 6:30-8:30PM Recharge and restore the body, mind, and spirit. Enjoy a sangria, chips and salsa after class.
Free - Spring Bird Count
Saturday, May 4 • 7:00A-5:00P Help count birds during the Audubon Society spring bird count.
Vegetable Gardening in Small Places
Tuesday, May 7 • 7:00-9:00PM Learn tips and techniques for making the most of limited space to grow a bountiful harvest.
Breakfast with the Birds
Saturday, May 11 • 7:00-9:00AM Enjoy an early morning breakfast and walk to look for Spring Valley’s colorful migratory birds.
All Ages Free - Heaven’s Watch
Sat., March 2 • 8:00P......Wonders of Gemini Sat., April 6 • 8:30P......Beehive Star Cluster Join Chicago Astronomical Society as they set their telescopes for a peek at the night skies. Meet in the Nature Center.
Cooking over a Campfire
Saturday, May 18 • 4:00-5:30PM Watch as a naturalist demonstrates how to cook with a Dutch oven over an open fire.
Owl Prowl
Friday, April 19 • 8:00-9:30PM Discover why owls are equipped to be the ultimate hunters of the night.
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.
Sundown Supper on the Farm
Saturday, May 4 • 4:30-7:30PM After helping with evening chores and making supper, participants will watch the sunset.
Spring 2013 topics: • Animal Adaptations – Learn what special adaptations animals have to survive in the wild and see how long you would survive at Spring Valley if you had these adaptations. • Biscuits & Butter – Learn about 19th century farm life cooking on the wood bring stove and churning butter. • Weather – Explore different types of weather and make a simple tool to make your own weather predictions. • Mosses & Mushrooms – Create a spore print, go on a search for mushrooms and build a moss filled terrarium.
Up and At’em Animal Chores
Saturday, April 20 • 7:30-9:30PM After milking cows and feeding the livestock, participants will enjoy a light breakfast.
Early Childhood All About Farm Animals
Tuesday, April 9-May 7 • 1:30-2:30PM Junior farmers will learn all about livestock at the Heritage Farm.
Available every spring: Farms and Food, Gardening, Nighttime Nature, Owls: Predators of the Night, Springtime Growth, Wetlands, Conservation in Action, Woodlands
Chocolate Bunny Building
Sunday, March 24 • 1:00-3:30PM Create sweet molded chocolate bunnies and memories that will last a lifetime.
For more information about programs and pricing, or to schedule a program, call 847-985-2100.
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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 3
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.
Easter Egg Hunt
Springtime
Saturday, March 23 • 10:00-11:30AM Search for eggs in a beautiful wooded setting near Merkle Cabin and dye eggs.
Schaumburg Park District's
Meet the Turtles
Farm
$3 per person • $12 per family 3 yrs & under Free
Sunday, April 14 • Noon-4PM
Sunday, April 28 • 1:00-2:30PM Learn about the adaptations that help turtles survive in the wild.
Photo by Len Anzelde, SAPS.
on the
Nature Stories
Saturday, April 27 • 11:00AM-Noon Bring your favorite stuffed animal, snuggle down and enjoy stories about nature.
Spring brings new life and activity to the Heritage Farm. Activities for all ages include cow milking, plowing and blacksmithing demonstrations. Click here for more information.
Horse Drawn Wagon Rides at the Farm
Nature and Spring
Sunday, April 7 • 1:30-2:30PM Children will explore the world around them, focusing on spring’s new growth and bursting life.
Relax and enjoy a 15-minute horse-drawn wagon ride through Heritage Farm as staff relates information about the farm, animals and the history of Schaumburg’s farm families. Dress for the weather.
Ready for Robins
Saturday, April 27 • 10:00-11:30AM Participants will discover what food a robin eats, examine real bird nests and explore outside.
Wagon Ride Schedule
Sunday, April 28............................... 11AM-1PM Sunday, May 19............................... 11AM-1PM
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.
• Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis the day of the ride, no earlier than 15 minutes before start time. • Tickets are $3/person; children 3 and under are free. • Wagon holds a maximum of 12 people. • Rides begin and end next to the Farm Visitor Center.
Cooking Like a Settler
Saturday, March 9 • 10:00A-Noon Shell and grind corn, while cornbread cooks over a fire in a Dutch oven.
Summer Camps at Spring Valley
Note: Wagon rides may be cancelled due to extreme weather (storms or heat) and/or animal health issues. Call 847/985-2100 or check www.parkfun.com for updated information. Groups of 12 and larger are encouraged to schedule their own group wagon rental. For more information, call the Heritage Farm at 847/985-2102.
Spring Valley offers a variety of summer camps (full and half-day) for children 5-15 years old.
For more information, call 847/985-2100 or click here. 6
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 3
Sunset Fire and Picnic on the Prairie Saturday, April 6 • 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.
Winter Habitats: Spring Valley Style
&
Native Plant Sale Backyards for Nature Fair
Saturday, March 9 • 9:30-11:00A.... Woodland Explore the prairie, wetlands and woodlands to discover their amazing diversity.
Youth Beginning Birders
Sunday, April 21 • 9:00-10:30AM Join a naturalist on a morning hike to observe and learn about the birds found along the way.
Sunday, May 5 10AM-2PM
Spring Valley Nature Center
Cooking and Candle Combo
This event features information on landscaping with native plants, composting, attracting birds, rain gardens, natural pest control, children’s activities and plant sale. Click here for more information.
Sunday, April 7 • 9:30AM-12:30PM Participants will dip a pair of candles to take home, build a fire and cook using a Dutch oven.
Co-sponsored by Schaumburg Community Garden Club
Dolls, Dolls, Dolls
Sunday, March 3 • 1:00-3:30P Use your imagination to make three historic dolls to take home and enjoy.
Sleeping with the Turtles
Saturday, March 8-9 • 7:00P-8:00A Spend the night in the Nature Center, explore the new exhibits, and see what awaits you.
Go Fly a Kite!
Saturday, April 20 • 10:30AM-Noon Visit Spring Valley to create and then fly a kite.
Spring Valley Spring Break Camp
Home for the Birds
Mon.-Thur., March 25-28 • 10:00AM-2:00PM Campers will make crafts, play games and learn about the animals at Spring Valley.
Saturday, April 6 • 10:30AM-Noon Design, construct and decorate a birdhouse for your favorite feathered friends.
Spring Valley Welcomes the “New” Farm Manager
Yes, I am back. After a four year hiatus farming in the 1930s, I have come back to Spring Valley. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Jonathan Kuester, and here is my brief history. I grew up on a small farm in central Indiana, studied history at Purdue, and took my first job as an interpreter, and eventually a program coordinator, at Conner Prairie Museum in Fishers, Indiana. After eight years of living in the 1830s at Conner I moved to South Carolina to be the Director of Operations for Historic Brattonsville. After a few years in the south, I decided my roots were better suited for Midwestern soil, so I came to Spring Valley to work at the Heritage Farm.
My first years at Spring Valley were busy ones. The farm’s visitors’ center was remodeled, structures and fences were built, new livestock acquired, and programs increased at an astonishing rate. After more than seven years I decided it was time for a new challenge and moved on to help start Primrose Farm. This was a new, from scratch venture to develop a 1930s living history farm for the St. Charles Park District. When I first arrived at Primrose there were structures but no running water, few animals and almost no working farm equipment. After four years, there is a full complement of livestock, a grade A dairy certification, and forty acres being farmed with period equipment. In the end it is Schaumburg’s story that has drawn me back to Spring Valley. Nowhere in Illinois is such an interesting cultural his-
tory being interpreted. The uniqueness of that story is powerful and the dedication of the Park District and its many volunteers is to be commended. My wife Seleena and I look forward to working with all of you again and meeting many new faces.
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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 3
The Dirt on Fracking
by Matt McBrien
Hydraulic fracturing or fracking refers However, this new extraction method that an open water faucet would flare or to a method of extracting oil and natuhas not come without controversy. The support a standing flame when lit. ral gas by creating tiny fractures, only fracking process requires enormous Methane can also leak directly into millimeters thick, in rock formations amounts of water to be injected into the the air during the drilling and transport deep below the earth’s surface. The well, with rough estimates at 1–8 million process. Although when burned, methmost commonly targeted methane rich gallons each time a well is fracked. The ane is relatively clean compared to other formations are from deep shales—a fine fracking fluid additives used to crefossil fuels; in its natural state, it can grained, porous sedimentary rock found ate the slickwater concoction utilized cause ozone to build up locally leadsandwiched between other impervious by many gas and oil companies can ing to headaches, inflammation, and formations. These shale formations, contain up to 750 different chemicals, other illnesses in those who may live located throughout the United States many of which are hazardous pollutants nearby. Methane releases also act as between 3,500 and 8,000 feet below the or known human carcinogens. As the a greenhouse gas and traps heat near surface, were previously both economiproduct is recovered from the well folthe surface, undermining its status as a cally and technolowing fracking, clean energy source. logically unattainable. the slickwater Many of the environmental and huWith the growing mixture returns man concerns are not well known due need for energy to the surface to insufficient pre and post fracking independence from as waste or comparison studies, as well as the lack foreign oil and the produced water of transparency by the big oil and gas push toward alternacalled flowcompanies. The 2005 Energy Policy Act, tive clean energy, this back which can signed into law by President George W. enormous resource contain a variety Bush with Vice President and former has become particuof material from Fracking Pit Halliburton CEO Dick Cheney at his larly appealing. deep within the side, exempted oil and gas companies formation itself In its early days, fracking was a relafrom the Safe Drinking Water Act. This including salts, naturally occurring radiotively simple process. A vertical well act allows drilling companies to continue active material, mercury, arsenic, and was drilled to the depth of the target to use the chemical cocktails, held as other heavy metals. Often, this flowback rock formation and a slurry of water, proprietary trade secrets, without divulgis pumped into lined open air pits where sand, and gelled gasoline were injected ing what the chemicals it is allowed to under high pressure to create fissures might be. Regulators are volatilize, potenin the formation which allowed gas and then unable to test for tially affecting oil to flow more freely into the well. This the presence of these local air quality. method was used with measured succhemicals since they do Occasionally, cess in the 1940s and patented by the not know their identity. there have been Halliburton Oil Well Cementing CompaThere is little regulation cases of misny later that same decade. Since then, and oversight into these management the technology has been refined; and activities by the federal of these pits, more effective and efficient methods Flaming Faucet government and comwhen they have have been established. One of these panies are allowed to operate in a Wild been allowed to overflow or have been advances, horizontal boring, allows the West environment. pumped directly onto the ground surface well to penetrate through the length of or into streams; thereby, contaminating With over 400,000 wells utilizing the the formation through which the well can ground and surface water supplies and fracking process and thousands more be extended and fracked up to eighwildlife habitat. added each year, the question becomes teen times before recovery diminishes. how much we value this resource and Another advance is the use of slickwater Other problems stem from the meththe potential impacts, both human and in which a chemical cocktail of polyane itself migrating through improperly environmental, which may come with its mers and surfactants is used to reduce sealed wells or casings allowing the harvest. It is clear that regulation and friction and increase fluid flow. These gas to be introduced into drinking water closer study are necessary, regardless methods have shown great success in wells. Although most ground water of political pressures by big oil and gas driving down the price of natural gas, contains small amounts of methane lobbyists. This resource is being touted opening new doors to methane powered naturally, independent tests have shown as a potential bridge-fuel from foreign vehicles, and the possibility of moving that water supplies near fracking operaoil, with estimates of up to 100 years of away from dirty coal fired power plants tions contain 17 times more methane recoverable reserves and hopes that to cleaner burning natural gas; not to than groundwater on inactive sites. In it is not just a pier overlooking the next mention the thousands of jobs created some areas, concentrations of methane crisis. from the boon. gas were so high in drinking water wells 8
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 3
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.
Librarian Needed
Are you a trained librarian? We are looking for a volunteer to oversee the library housed at Spring Valley. Duties include purchasing, classifying, cataloging, and processing books using the American Library Association standards. The time commitment is a few hours each month. If you, or someone you know, is interested please contact Judy.
Annual Heritage Farm Volunteer Meeting
Saturday, March 2 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 10am-Noon. 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 2013. After the meeting, feel free stay and socialize with your fellow volunteers while enjoying a potluck lunch provided by volunteers and staff. Come and help kick off the Farm’s upcoming volunteer season!
Farm Spring Cleaning Workday
March 23 Come out and help spruce up the Farm in preparation for its open season. Hands are needed to help clean buildings, prepare the kitchen garden, repair fencing, and other odd jobs. No need to be a farm volunteer to participate. We’ll be starting at 9am.
Springtime on the Farm
Sunday, April 14 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 and food sales. The event runs from noon to 4pm.
Heritage Farm New Volunteer Open House
Saturday, April 20 The Heritage Farm is looking for new interpretive volunteers! Enjoy light refreshments and see other historic volunteer interpreters in action. Learn more about how you can volunteer your time by getting dressed in historic outfits and showing visitors what life was like over 130 years ago. Open house runs 10am-1pm. Let RSVP to Judy if you plan to attend.
Pats on the back to the following volunteers... • Duane Bolin, Dean Bruckner, Lynn Eikenbary, and Pete Gigous for assisting with late season prescribed burns.
• Gail Ameer, Lynn Eikenbary, Nancy Fallen, Nancy Mamsen, and Angela Waidanz for performing a bird survey at the Schaumburg Golf Couse. • Christine Curin and Carol Thomas for bottling the latest supply of honey for sale in our concessions case. • Barb Dochterman and Lynn Eikenbary for completing an inventory of the Spring Valley library. 9
Dates to Remember
• Saturday, March 2........... 10am-Noon Annual Farm Kick-off Meeting • Monday, March 11........... 1-4pm Handy Crafters Meeting • Thursday, March 14........ 10am-3pm Sugar Bush Set-Up • March 16 & 17................. 9am-Noon Sugar Bush • Saturday, March 23......... 9am-1pm Farm Spring Cleaning Workday • Monday, April 8............... 1-4pm Handy Crafters Meeting • Sunday, April 14.............. Noon-4pm Springtime on the Farm • Saturday, April 20............ 10am-1pm Farm New Volunteer Open House • Tuesday, April 23............. 5-7pm Volunteer Reception at Chandlers
Welcome New Volunteers… • Keith Kramer
• Richard Wysocki
Happy Birthday to… March
1 3 4 5 8 12
John Curin Melina Lynch Kevin Kaitis Karen Kusek Judy Velan John Witkowski Jenny Greco Austin Tipper
April
2 Donna Nicolaisen 1 Ellie Vogel Andrew Awdziejczyk Daryle Drew 10 Carol Cellini 11 Duane Bolin 14 Patty Ochs
13 Alan Kraus 17 Barb Muehlhausen 23 Christine Curin 28 Bob Pautsch 30 Amy Vito 31 Ann Schooley
17 Ryan Ochs 19 Bill Bidlo 20 Jerome Dvoratchek 24 Charlie Loh 28 Richard Wysocki 29 Mike Lynch
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 2013 Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
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Farm Open March 16 & 17 • 10am-1pm Cabin Closed Bold indicates volunteer activities Italics indicates programs which may be taken as complimentary by volunteers See “What’s Happening” for program descriptions
•Nature’s Night Life 7pm
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•Dolls, Dolls, Dolls 1pm
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7
•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm
10
•Ice Cream Sundae School 1pm
11
Handy Crafters Meeting 1pm
12 •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Power Vegetable Gardening 7pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm
17
18
Sugar Bush Fair 9am
24
25 M-Th
31
13
14
Sugar Bush Set-Up 10am
Schaumburg Community Garden Club 7pm
20
26
•Heaven’s Watch 8pm
9
•Winter Habitats: Spring Valley Style 9:30am •Cooking Like a Settler 10am
•Sleeping with the Turtles 7pm
15
Sugar Bush Set-Up 10am
16
Sugar Bush Fair 9am
22
23
Farm Spring Cleaning Workday 9am •Easter Egg Hunt 10am
•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm
27
28
•Spring Valley Spring Break Camp 10am
•Power Vegetable Gardening 7pm
2
•A Walk with the Birds 7:30am Annual Farm Volunteer Meeting 10 am •Sundown Supper in the Sugar Bush 4pm
•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm
21
•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Power Vegetable Gardening 7pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm
St. Patrick’s Day •Chocolate Bunny Building 1pm
19
•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm
8
Saturday
•Nature Book Club 4pm
10
29
30
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
1
Tuesday
April 2013
2
Wednesday
3
Thursday
4
Friday
5
Saturday
6
•Home for the Birds 10:30am
•Sunset Fire on the Prairie 6pm •Heaven’s Watch 8:30pm
7
•Cooking and Candle Making 9:30am •Nature and Spring 1:30pm
8
Handy Crafters Meeting 1pm
9
•All About Farm Animals 1:30pm
•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Going Wild in the Tame Garden 7pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm
14
Springtime on the Farm Noon
15
16
•All About Farm Animals 1:30pm
10
11
•Chair Yoga 4:45pm
Schaumburg Community Garden Club 7pm
17
21
•Beginning Birders 9am
22
23
•All About Farm Animals 1:30pm
24
28
•Horse Drawn Wagon Rides 11am •Meet the Turtles 1pm
29
18
19
•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm
•Owl Prowl 8pm
25
26
•Chair Yoga 4:45pm
Volunteer Reception at Chandlers 5pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Growing Terrific Tomatoes 7pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm
13
•Going Wild in the Tame Garden 9am •Landscaping with Native Plants 9am
•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm
•Chair Yoga 4:45pm
•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm
12
20
•Up and At ‘Em 7:30am •Home Composting 9am Farm Open House 10am •Go Fly a Kite 10:30am
27
•Spring Discoveries 9:30am •Ready for Robins 10am •Nature Stories 11am
•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6:30pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 8pm
30
Farm Open Tues.-Fri. • 9am-2pm & Sat/Sun • 10am-4pm
•All About Farm Animals 1:30pm
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
11
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 3 Spring Valley • Schaumburg Park District • 1111 East Schaumburg Road • Schaumburg, Illinois 60194 Schaumburg Rd. Vera Meineke Nature Center
Plum Grove Rd.
N Volkening Heritage Farm
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.
Phone Vera Meineke Nature Center...............................................847/985-2100 Volkening Heritage Farm......................................................847-985-2102
135 acres
HOURS
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.
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.
Environmental Outreach Program
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 correlated with Illinois State Standards.
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 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
Nature Center Grounds & Trails...............Open Daily...............8AM-5PM Volkening Heritage Farm Grounds..........Closed......................Dec.1-March 1 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
Unless otherwise noted, all programs are held rain or shine. Participants should dress appropriately for weather conditions.
*All facilities closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day
Spring Valley Birthday Parties
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. Hourly use fees: Residents:.............. $25
Civic groups:...............................$25
Non-residents:....... $40 Corporate/business groups:.......$55
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 Mission Statement:
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.
Schaumburg Park District BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS: Mike Daniels Sharon DiMaria David Johnson George Longmeyer Bob Schmidt
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Tony LaFrenere
Natural Enquirer STAFF: Mary Rice Editor
Judy Vito Volunteer Coordinator Luetta Coonrod “In this Issue...” Scott Stompor 12 Graphic Artist
Schaumburg Park District Website: www.parkfun.com
E-mail:
springvalley@parkfun.com
Member: