April 19-26: College of Lake County hosts Earth Week events
Learn about biodiversity, environmental gardening, beekeeping, green roofing and much more from College of Lake County instructors and other experts during Earth Week activities, April 19-26. The 2014 theme is "Celebrate Biodiversity."
Adults and children can participate in hands-on activities or do environmental clean-up work during the events. Unless stated, all programs are approximately one hour long and will be held at the CLC Grayslake campus, 19351 W. Washington Street.
For more information, call Kelly Cartwright at (847) 543-2792 or the biology division office at (847) 543-2042. To arrange sign language interpreting, please call (847) 543-2473 in advance. Earth Week events are organized by CLC's Biological and Health Sciences division and are free and open to the public.
Saturday, April 19 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.: CLC Campus Restoration Day. Help cut buckthorn, pull garlic mustard and do other tasks to improve CLC's natural areas. Wear clothes that can get dirty, including long-sleeved shirts, pants and closed toed shoes. Bring work gloves and water to drink. Meet by the C Wing entrance door at 10 a.m.
Monday, April 21, 12 p.m. Southlake Campus (Room V340, 1120 S. Milwaukee Ave., Vernon Hills): Take it to the roof! From green roofs to rooftop food gardens by Jason Cashmore, CLC biology instructor. Learn about different types of rooftop gardens and their environmental benefits and then tour the Southlake Campus green roof. A drawing for three $50 gift cards to the Chicago restaurant uncommonground, the first certified organic roof top farm in the country, will be held.
Monday, April 21, 1:30 p.m., Room T332: The Value of Trees by Lara Sviatko. Discover how preserving trees benefits humans as well as the natural world. Sviatko is an environmental educator at Lincoln Marsh, works with raptors at Stillman Nature Center and is working on a naturalist certificate through the Morton Arboretum.
Tuesday, April 22, 9 a.m., Ryerson Conservation Area, Riverwoods, Ill.: Wildlife Walk with Kelly Cartwright, CLC biology instructor. Look for birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and spring wildflowers. Space is limited; to register call (847) 543-2792 by April 18.
Tuesday, April 22, 7 p.m., Room C003: Conservation Gardening by Kelly Cartwright, CLC biology instructor. Learn how to support biodiversity by making simple changes in managing your lawn and garden.
Wednesday, April 23, 2-3:30 p.m., Room B159: All about Bees by Edward Popelka, CLC facilities employee and bee enthusiast. Learn about how bees are a part of our ecosystem and the changes occurring in the bee industry. Enjoy a short demonstration with bees and view the new movie "Saving the Life Keepers: The New Science of Sustainable Beekeeping."
Wednesday, April 23, 7 p.m., Room C005: Snakes Alive! by Dr. Mike Corn, CLC biology professor emeritus, and Rob Carmichael, curator/director of the Wildlife Discovery Center of Lake Forest and CLC adjunct instructor. Back by popular demand, this kid-friendly program includes an up close and personal introduction to snakes and other reptiles. Learn the natural history, myths, mysteries and facts about reptiles.
Thursday, April 24, 10 a.m., Room T332: Reptile Conservation by Rob Carmichael, curator/director of the Wildlife Discovery Center of Lake Forest and CLC adjunct instructor. Carmichael will share his experience on conservation projects that seek to protect and understand the ecology of reptiles, including an upcoming project he's working on in Cambodia involving the Siamese Crocodile.
Thursday, April 24, 3-5 p.m., C Wing Auditorium Lobby: Farmer's Market. Buy fresh fruits, vegetables and other produce from local farmers. Local organizations will also present demonstrations and information.
Thursday, April 24, 7 p.m., Room C005: The Echoes of their Wings: The Life and Legacy of the Passenger Pigeon by Joel Greenberg. The passenger pigeon used to be the most abundant bird in North America, if not the world. Learn how human exploitation for food and recreation destroyed the species in the early 20th century.
Friday, April 25, 12 p.m., Room T332: Tree Squirrels: Narrators of the Nature in Your Neighborhood by Steve Sullivan, coordinator of Project Squirrel. Discover how you can become a citizen scientist by studying fox squirrels and gray squirrels.
Saturday, April 26, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.: CLC Campus Clean-Up sponsored by the Environmental Club and other student clubs. Wear clothes that can get dirty and closed toe shoes. Bring work gloves and meet at the C Wing door at 9 a.m.
Saturday, April 26, 12-3 p.m.: Collection Drives, parking lot 6, corner of Lancer Lane and Brae Loch Road. Donate your old electronics for recycling. Working appliances, construction materials and other household items will be donated to Restore, run by Habitat for Humanity.
STEM Series Presentation Tuesday, April 29, 7 p.m. in Room C005: Sharks and rays of the world by John F. Morrissey, Sweet Briar College. Take a comprehensive tour of the incredible biodiversity of sharks and rays and learn why it so easy to destroy a population of them.