Articles filed under Kane County Forest Preserve District

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Kane forest district makes deal with ComEd, may make anotherApr 7, 2014 12:00 AM
The Muirhead Springs Forest Preserve will be home to new ComEd power lines if Kane County Forest Preserve District commissioners get their way, according to a new deal announced last Friday. And with some coaxing by the owners of the Deutsch Dairy Farm, the Burlington Prairie Forest Preserve might see similar lines.
ComEd project puts Burlington business in jeopardyApr 3, 2014 12:00 AM
The Hope Reins Equine Therapy facility in Burlington may become a casualty of ComEd's Grand Prairie Gateway project. The farm, which provides counseling and therapy to children and adults with autism, would see high-voltage towers within about 150 feet of the property. “That really has the potential to destroy our business,” social worker Kristine Pienkowski said.
Volunteer your time in Kane County forest preservesMar 31, 2014 12:00 AM
Love to camp and assist others? The Forest Preserve District of Kane County seeks camping enthusiasts to volunteer for campground host positions in Big Rock and Elgin.
On pelicans, pests and leaves: Answers to some recently asked questionsMar 29, 2014 12:00 AM
From birds to oak trees and beetles, anything goes in the FAQ department here at the Forest Preserve District of Kane County nature center. Finding answers to questions is one of the most fun parts of being a naturalist. Here naturalist Valerie Blaine offers answers to some of the questions recently asked.
‘Fabulous Frogs’ still in hiding in ElginMar 29, 2014 12:00 AM
On a normal spring day, visitors to the Burnidge Forest Preserve in Elgin would hear the mating chirps and croaks of the frogs, but due to the extreme weather this winter and spring, they are still dormant and buried under the mud. Nonetehless, a group of about 20 adults and children were bundled up for the blustery March day, prepared to learn all about frogs.
Aurora man gets 25 years for sex assaults at garden, storeMar 28, 2014 12:00 AM
A 31-year-old man was sentenced to 25 years in prison this week after pleading guilty to two Aurora sex attacks: a 2010 rape at a community garden plot and an attempted rape 2011 at a hardware store. Tyrone M. Young, of Aurora, was linked to the attacks by DNA and must serve 85 percent of his sentence, or about 21 years.
Cold can’t sap life out of Maple Sugaring DaysMar 16, 2014 12:00 AM
Valerie Blaine stood Sunday at the base of a large maple tree at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles and tried to explain to the young crowd gathered around her how to collect sap to make sweet maple syrup. It wasn’t easy. The below-freezing wind chills and frozen sap were working against her during the annual Maple Sugaring Days event at Creek Bend Nature Center.
Settler's Hill redevelopment negotiations start againMar 14, 2014 12:00 AM
Public chastising of Waste Management officials for dragging their feet on plans to redevelop the former Settler's Hill landfill appear to have worked. Company officials came to the table this week with new promises of cooperation. Local residents may even see public access to the summit of the landfill by the end of the year.
Maple sugaring heralds spring’s arrivalMar 5, 2014 12:00 AM
The best things in life are worth waiting for. Spring, for example. The initiation of spring for many folks is maple sugaring. Both spring and maple sugaring are a long time coming this year. But they are coming.
New plan calls for white water rafting, floating gardens in Fox RiverFeb 25, 2014 12:00 AM
White water rafting, a floating botanical garden and an NCAA-level rowing course may transform St. Charles' portion of the Fox River into an active tourist hub if a plan envisioned by a local foundation is embraced by taxing bodies. “The Fox (River) is an aesthetic wonder,” a presenter said. “And it’s our most underutilized asset. The river should be a centerpiece for the city.”
Challenger only voice in Kane Co. District 3 raceFeb 18, 2014 12:00 AM
Officially, two candidates are on the ballot in the Democratic primary for a seat in Kane County Board District 3. But incumbent Jennifer Laesch has been absent from several meeting during the past few months and has not responded to multiple interview requests about her status. That leaves challenger Don Ishmael as the lone voice in the race.
Decision on ComEd lines through Kane Co. preserves comes down to money Feb 9, 2014 12:00 AM
Kane County Forest Preserve District commissioners are positioned to intervene on a plan that would place ComEd power lines and towers on the outskirts of two preserves. The district, though, could bend to desires of local farmers and allow lines to run through the preserves instead. But that will only happen if ComEd is willing to pay the district enough to buy one of the neighboring farms. The whole decision will come down to money.
Longtime Pioneer Sholes volunteers honoredJan 20, 2014 12:00 AM
Hazel and Art Clauter of Geneva have spent more than 30 years in a one-room schoolhouse. But not as students or teachers. The Clauters, now in their 90s, are longtime volunteers at Pioneer Sholes School, the 1872 one-room schoolhouse in LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve.
100 years later: Lessons we can learn from the passenger pigeonJan 20, 2014 12:00 AM
In today’s world, the passenger pigeon, which became extinct in 1914, could be branded an “extreme” bird. Some ornithologists refer to this species as a “biological storm.” By all accounts, it was extraordinary. The story of its demise is extraordinary as well.
Tree and brush thinning to begin at Freeman Kame Jan 20, 2014 12:00 AM
Tree and brush thinning to begin at Freeman Kame Forest Preserve.
Kane officials oppose ComEd’s proposed power line path Jan 15, 2014 12:00 AM
Kane County officials signaled Wednesday they will oppose the primary route ComEd envisions for power lines in the new Grand Prairie Gateway project. But when county board members put on their forest preserve commission hats Friday, they are likely to hear that opposition isn’t enough. “In the end, we have no power, as the county, to prohibit this from happening,” board member Kurt Kojzarek said.
Seniors invited to join walks through Kane County forest preserves Jan 14, 2014 12:00 AM
The Forest Preserve District of Kane County invites area seniors to join in the monthly “Senior Stroll” program on Thursday, Feb. 6. Each month, district naturalists lead a leisurely walk through a Kane County Forest Preserve, and share ecology highlights along the way.
State law sparks union, partisan debate in Kane County Jan 14, 2014 12:00 AM
In another somewhat rare issue that will pit Democrats against Republicans on the Kane County Forest Preserve Commission, there is a move to oppose a change to the state's prevailing wage law. The change would broaden the number and type of workers receiving the prevailing wage and, opponents argue, disqualify a number of small, local contractors from being so-called “responsible bidders.” That classification requires training and apprenticeship programs usually only offered in unionized companies.
Take a walk and network with others who love nature Jan 13, 2014 12:00 AM
Enjoy a wintry walk along the trails of Dick Young Forest Preserve in Batavia, a 250-acre natural marshland and an Illinois State Nature Preserve, as part of the “Nature Network.”
Home-school students invited to program on snow Jan 10, 2014 12:00 AM
The Forest Preserve District of Kane County invites home-school families to study the science of snow as part of the “Homeschool Explorations” nature program series.