Join habitat restoration at local forest preserve

Feeling a bit sluggish after all the holiday festivities? Consider joining a habitat restoration work day from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 30, at Bliss Woods Forest Preserve in Sugar Grove.

Cutting and stacking brush will be the focus. Wear appropriate clothing for the weather, especially footwear. Meet in the parking lot of the Temple Belen Church at 42W635 KeDeKa Road in Sugar Grove.

Refreshments will be served. Anyone younger than age 13 must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, email Mary Ochsenschlager at maryoxie@sbcglobal.net or call the Kane County Forest Preserve at (630) 232-5980.

Bliss Woods Forest Preserve has long been a favorite preserve in the south part of Kane County. At this special preserve, visitors can see an increasingly rare geologic feature, the last remnant of the Kaneville Esker. This is a winding ridge of gravel and rocks created by a river of water flowing underneath a melting glacier some 13,000 years ago. Most of the esker is gone after years of gravel mining.

On the steep slopes of the esker, there are two distinct forest habitats. The south slope, with relatively more exposure to sun and wind, is characterized by oak-hickory woodlands with an array of early spring wildflowers. The more-shaded slope on the north side of the esker is covered by sugar maple and basswood trees.

Blackberry Creek meanders through the southern part of the preserve, and its associated riparian habitat supports many forms of wildlife. Crowning the diversity of this region is a large 18-acre wetland basin on the north side of KeDeKa Road, a Kane County rustic road.

These ecological and geological features have led to Illinois State Nature Preserve status in portions of the forest preserve. An active group of volunteers regularly works to restore and maintain the health of this special ecological gem.

To view the full roster of forest preserve district nature programs, visit www.kaneforest.com. Follow them on Facebook or Twitter.