Woods & Wetlands presents Speaker Series: 'Local Old Growth Forests'

Woods & Wetlands Group of the Illinois Sierra Club is pleased to announce the return of our Sunday Speaker Series on September 17. Did you know that some of the oaks in our local forest have rightly earned the title of "Ancient?" We are delighted to welcome Rebekah Snyder, of the Lake County Forest Preserves, to share the history of the local Old-Growth Forest.

Independence Grove Forest Preserve has some extraordinary inhabitants that are products of its ancient history. As our landscape rebounded from the retreating glaciers, forests grew, and remnants of this early forest still exist along the eastern slopes of the Des Plaines River 9,000 years later. St Francis Wood in Libertyville has gained national recognition and has been inducted into the Old-Growth Forest Network.

The Lake County Forest Preserves boasts of about 80 acres of officially designated Old-Growth Forest. While many of the trees are under 200 years old, there are some believed to be twice that age. Typically, native trees in our region can be expected to live 150 years. Some of the remnant oak trees are believed to have survived since the mid-1700s.

What is an old growth forest? How many of the red, white, and burr oaks, as well as hickory, elm and walnut trees that were identified in an 1840s land survey remain? Please join us for this family friendly Zoom program on Sunday evening, September 17.

After hearing from Rebekah Snyder, you may want to add Independence Grove to your late summer hiking plans.

Register here to receive the Zoom address. https://www.sierraclub.org/illinois/woods-wetlands