The Land Conservancy of McHenry County to host Oak Keeper training this spring
The Land Conservancy of McHenry County will offer Oak Keeper training workshops in April and May.
It's not too early to sign up! If you want to learn about the oak ecosystems and how to keep them healthy, you'll like this series of four workshops, especially if you have oaks on your property.
The fee is $35 for members or $50 for nonmembers.
Four workshops will occur on weekends beginning April 8 through May 13. Those who participate in three out of four workshops will receive: a six-month membership to The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, Oak Keeper certificate, invitation to upcoming Oak Keeper gatherings, eligibility for a stewardship workshop on a participant's own property, and a TLC hat or T-shirt.
At the first workshop, learn about the soils, trees, topography and potential your site holds in "Site Assessment" from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 8, at the Community Research Forest in Harvard.
It will be followed by "Tree & Shrub Identification" from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 22, at Ryder's Woods in Woodstock.
The third workshop will be "Explore a Healthy Woodland" from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 6, offering a guided hike through a healthy woodland by the ecologist who spent 15 years restoring it.
The final program will be "Work-A-Woodland," offering hands-on equipment demonstrations, proper herbicide practices, brush pile management, and safety gear, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, May 13.
To register and get information on the workshops, visit conservemc.org. Sign up is also available by calling TLC's office at (815) 337-9502.