Join forest preserve guides for a spider hunt today

They come in all shapes and sizes. Some sport vivid colors and bold patterns, while others are perfectly camouflaged. They make homes in every imaginable nook and cranny. They are more often loathed than loved. They are our native spiders.

If you're curious about these eight-legged denizens of dark places, join Kane County Forest Preserve District naturalists for a night time spider hunt from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. today at Camp Tomo-chi-chi, on the south side of Freeman Road, west of Galligan Road, Gilberts.

The fee is $1 per person or $4 for a family of four or more.

Armed with flashlights, field guides and participants will search the woods and fields for arachnids. They will discover spider secrets such as adaptations for hunting, feeding and mating. They will learn about spider ecology and the important role they play as predators and prey.

They will also examine spider myths and how the popular culture misrepresents arachnids.

To register, call (847) 741-8350, ext. 10.