Taste microbrews during a hike through Glacial Park
Start your summer adventures with McHenry County Conservation District.
Visit the district's website at www.MCCDistrict.org to view the programs in greater detail or sign up to receive the seasonal magazine Landscapes.
Registration is accepted online, by phone for free programs only at (815) 479-5779, by mail-in and drop-off at Prairieview Education Center, 2112 Behan Road in Crystal Lake, or drop-off only at Lost Valley Visitor Center, Route 31 and Harts Road in Ringwood.
Craft Brew Crawl: 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 1, at Lost Valley Visitor Center in Glacial Park, Route 31 and Harts Road, Ringwood. Enjoy tasting microbrews from local breweries as we hike through the scenic woods and wide open spaces of Glacial Park on an early summer evening. They will share educational snippets to keep your brain and taste buds invigorated at each of our sampling stops along the trail. Tasters must present a valid ID at check-in. Fee for county residents is $15; for nonresidents fee is $20. Program is just for adults, age 21 and older. Registration deadline is Saturday, May 28.
Drop-in Nature Hike for Kids: 1:30 to 3 p.m. Thursday, June 2, at Kettle parking lot in Glacial Park Conservation Area, Route 31 and Harts Road, Ringwood; and/or 1:30 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 14, at Marengo Ridge Conservation Area, 2411 N. Route 23, Marengo. Children can get out and get active while enjoying the great outdoors on these guided hikes one to two miles in length. Stroll through the park as a group, taking in all the sights, sounds and smells that nature has to offer. Great for logging Happy Hiker mileage. Visit MCCDistrict.org to view the four additional summer dates, locations and details on how to earn Happy Hiker miles. Hike is just for kids, 6 to 13.
Birding By Bicycle: 8 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, June 4, at North Branch Conservation Area, 11500 North Keystone Road, Richmond. Resident bird expert Dave Miller will guide us on a short hike and bike ride around the Nippersink North Branch trails to see grassland birds. Then they will take a short ride down the Hebron Trail to Goose Lake to spot wetland birds. Hikers may be lucky enough to see dickcissels, grasshopper sparrows, yellow-headed blackbirds and common moorhens. Light morning refreshments will be provided. The bike trails are not paved. Bring an appropriate bike. Program for adults, age 14 and older, is $5 for county residents and $7 for nonresidents. Registration deadline is Tuesday, May 31.
Discovery Days: 10 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, June 10, at Rush Creek Conservation Area, 20501 McGuire Road, Harvard. Enjoy an hour and a half of fun including a game, craft, snack and other educational activities all based around the special theme of the day. Program for kids, ages 2 to 6 with chaperon, is free for county residents and $5 for nonresidents. Registration deadline is Thursday, June 2.
Cooking with the Sun: 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at Lost Valley Visitor Center in Glacial Park, Route 31 and Harts Road, Ringwood. Discover how to harness the sun's energy to cook food. Participants make their own pizza box solar cooker and taste treats that have been cooked using the sun's energy. Program for adults and families, ages 7 and older, is free for county residents and $5 for nonresidents. Registration deadline: is Tuesday, June 7.