Come close to nature at Glacial Park program
Join McHenry County Conservation District's award-winning "Weekend of Restoration," and explore this session's theme, "Back to Basics: Coming Close to Nature" from 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, to noon Sunday, Jan. 15 at Lost Valley Visitor Center in Glacial Park, Route 31 and Harts Road, Ringwood.
In this first Winter Weekend, explore the core of the restoration experience and our relationship to nature through ideas such as reciprocity, community, language, and a few silly games, and in the process, rediscover our relationship to nature. The work activity will involve removing invasive trees and shrubs from our oak savannas. In between work and conversation, you will take time to study winter ecology and enjoy quiet time in the woods.
Expect cold weather. Bring your warm winter clothes, boots, gloves, and lots of layers so you can adjust to changes in temperature. There will be a brush pile burning nearby to "take the edge off" the cold. Note that this event will have a shorter format than previous Weekends, beginning after lunch on Saturday and ending at noon on Sunday.
For those who wish to stay on-site, there will be a "campout" inside Lost Valley Visitor Center Saturday night.
Be part of an award-winning program of recreation, learning and doing - a vacation that makes a difference. Group size limited to 30, so register early; deadline is Saturday, Jan. 7. The program is open to ages 16 and older. Cost is $45; $30 for seniors age 60 and older; and $20 for students age 16 and older. Register with a Friend Discount: receive $10 off second registration.
Fee includes dinner Saturday and breakfast Sunday.
Participants also have the option to "camp out" inside Lost Valley Visitor Center Saturday night for free, exclusively for this event.
Bring your own sleeping bag. Shower facilities are available. Register online at MCCDistrict.org, use Code 5292. To register with a friend, a nonfamily member, to receive a discount or obtain a student discount. If older than age 21, call (815) 479-5779. Witness the activities and results of prior Weekends of Restoration on Facebook: on.fb.me/WkndofRstor. For additional information, contact Tom Simpson at (815) 678-4532, ext. 8218 or tsimpson@mccdistrict.org.