Forest Preserves Unlock the Mysteries of Nature

January 29, 2022January 30, 2022 Mike Nowak coyotes, environment, Forest Preserve District of Cook County, Lake County Forest Preserve District, native plants, Nina Baki, Peggy Malecki, Rebekah Snyder, The Mike Nowak Show, winter activities

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(January 30, 2022 – Featured image photo by Tom Hahn) Let’s get something straight. I am not an expert on forest preserves. I do like visiting them. But I don’t go enough. I need to fix that. The simple act of taking a walk in a preserve can change your day or even week. It connects you with nature in wonderful ways. Here in the Chicago area, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC) made history simply by being created early in the 20th century. Today, we talk about that district and the Lake County Forest Preserve Districe (LCFPD).

We welcome Nina Baki, Public Engagement and Program Manager for FPDCC. Rebekah Snyder is director of Community Engagement & Partnerships for the LCFPD. There are 70,000 acres of land in the Cook County preserves, making it the largest in the state. However, Lake County follows in second place, with 31,000 acres. We can’t possibly list all of the activities and events in both districts, but you can find those at their respective websites.

Meanwhile, here are some upcoming events.

Cook County Activities

Forest Preserves - Crabtree Nature Center in Cook County — **Crabtree Nature Center, FPDCC**

Groundhog Week – February 1- Sagawau Environmental Learning Center 12545 West 111th St Lemont, IL 60439 (view web map)
Groundhog Day Celebration – February 2 – Trailside Museum of Natural History 738 Thatcher Ave River Forest, IL 60305 (view web map)
Beaubien Woods Community Day – February 5 – Beaubien Woods W Doty Ave S, southeast of E 130th St & S Ellis Ave Chicago, IL 60827 (view web map)
Insects in Winter – February 6 – River Trail Nature Center 3120 Milwaukee Ave Northbrook, IL 60062 (view web map)
Meet Our Birds – February 13 – Sand Ridge Nature Center 15891 Paxton Ave South Holland, IL 60473 (view web map)
Lunch & Learn: E mbracing Dark Nights for Humans & Wildlife – February 17 – Zoom Presentation

Also, that’s just through the middle of February! You can find the full list of events here. Speaking of Beubien Woods, Baki alerts us to an article in the New York Times. Titled 52 Places for a Changed World, it highlights spots “where travelers can be part of the solution.” It lists the Little Calumet River and the African American Heritage Water Trail. The trail, an Openlands project, follows the river from Beaubien Woods to Robbins.

Lake County Activities

Forest Preserves - Solar lit trails in Lake County — **Solar lit trails in Lake County**

Most preserves are open from 6:30 am to sunset, but during the winter, when sunset arrives so early in the day, people can walk one of two solar lit trails at Old School Forest Preserve (Libertyville) or Lakewood Forest Preserve (Wauconda) until 9 pm.
Winter activities include ice fishing, ice skating, sledding, and snowmobiling at select preserves, and many trails are open for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. This year, a new two-track snow groomer is in use, thanks to a grant from the Preservation Foundation.
Volunteer Workdays
For those who prefer to enjoy winter indoors, the Dunn Museum in Libertyville is a great way to spend the day. In addition to the permanent galleries on Lake County’s natural and cultural history, visitors can enjoy the temporary exhibition, Ansel Adams: Early Works, which is on display through March 27.
The 39^th annual Profiles in Excellence will be a virtual event again this year. It is an annual celebration of the contributions and achievements of Lake County’s African-American communities. This year’s theme is The Past, Present, and Future of the Black Church. The event is free but registration is required: Sunday, February 06 3 PM – 4:30 PM.

Find more activities here. Ready to jump in?

A final note

Currently, there is an ongoing controversy in the Cook County Preserves. A 4-year-old coyote lives at the River Trail Nature Center in Northbrook. The animal was mistaken for a dog early in its life and imprinted on humans. Consequently, it cannot be released into the wild. So, it has served as an “ambassador animal” for the forest preserves. Some people call it animal cruelty. They want the coyote to be relocated to a wildlife sanctuary. The FPDCC released this statement on Facebook. It contains a link to an earlier statement. We will discuss the situation with Nina Baki today.

The Environmental/Science/Gardening Transom

Finally, here’s our list of recent environmental or gardening or general science stories. We’ll get to some and not others on the show. But you can click on the links and read them for yourself. Enjoy.

And look at the difference in the coverage of this story between Grist and Reuters:

See you in the funny papers!