International Bog Day to be celebrated at Volo Bog

Volo Bog State Natural Area and the Friends of Volo Bog will celebrate International Bog Day from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 28, at Volo Bog in Ingleside.

The event will feature live storytelling and activities indoors and out. The event is free, although Friends of Volo Bog, which is marking its 30th anniversary this year, will accept donations and memberships.

Among the activities are:

Ÿ Bogs in Art, art show, artists’ reception and silent auction. Seventeen local artists who captured the essence and beauty of bogs around the world will be honored.

Ÿ Bog Tales and other Stories of Watery Places. Features Brian Fox Ellis, internationally acclaimed author, storyteller, historian, and naturalist. Ellis has worked with The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, The Field Museum and other museums across the country. He has been a featured speaker at regional and international conferences, including the International Wetlands Conservation Conference and the National Science Teachers Association Conference. Ellis is also the artistic director for Prairie Folklore Theatre, which celebrates ecology and history through original musical theater productions. Visit http://www.foxtalesint.com/.

Ÿ Kids bog crafts with the Crafty Bog committee.

Ÿ Bog tours.

Ÿ Bog dog picnic, a visit with Norwegian elkhounds, AKA Bog Dogs — if it is not too hot.

Ÿ Bog frog cookies and other snacks and refreshments.

Volo Bog State Natural Area is west of Route 12, between routes 120 and 134. Call (815) 344-1294.

Volo Bog is Illinois’ only remaining open-water quaking bog. A floating mat of peat and sphagnum moss supports four state threatened plants, including tamarack and starflower, and a dozen state endangered plants, including yellow birch, water arum, rose pogonia orchids and carnivorous pitcher plants.

Sandhill cranes, muskrats, painted turtles, dragonflies and a host of other wildlife are often seen along the trail.

It takes more than 10,000 years to form bogs. Yet since 1945, it is estimated that 96 percent of the world’s bogs have been lost. For example, peat is mined from northern European bogs, dried as bricks and used to heat homes and generate electricity.

In Canada and the northern United States, peat is mined primarily to supplement garden soils.

In 1970, Volo Bog was dedicated as the state’s 25th Illinois Nature Preserve and turned over to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for management. In 1973, it was declared a National Natural Landmark.

Visit www.FriendsofVoloBog.org or www.Facebook.com/InternationalBogDayUSA.