Tour Wagner Fen this Saturday
A chance to visit Wagner Fen is on tap this weekend thanks to Citizen's for Conservation.
On Saturday, the group is hosting a tour of the fen to give area residents the chance to learn more about its geological features and the unique plants it supports.
Located in the Grassy Lake Forest Preserve near Lake Barrington, the fen is an ecologically valuable wetland that is home to eight endangered and threatened species, including the bog violet and the beaked spike rush.
Wagner Fen is jointly owned by Citizen's for Conservation, Tower Lakes Improvement Association and the Lake County Forest Preserve District.
The tour starts at 8 a.m. at Conservation headquarters, 459 West Highway 22 in Barrington. The tour is scheduled to wrap up about 10 a.m.
To reserve a spot on the tour, call Citizen's for Conservation at (847) 382-SAVE (7283).
Also on Saturday, Citizen's for Conservation is hosting a class on ponds for kids. It will show kids what's living in and around area ponds.
For more information on Citizen's for Conservation, visit www.citizensforconservation.org.
A trip to Rockford: The Barrington Area Council on Aging is offering area seniors the chance to visit both the Anderson Japanese Gardens and Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum during an upcoming daylong trip to Rockford.
Anderson Japanese Gardens offers 12 acres of gardens, waterfalls, Japanese architecture and ponds.
There is both a formal Japanese garden in the style of the Kamakura period, 1185 to 1333 A.D. and the Garden of Reflection, a contemporary international garden with a strong Japanese influence.
For more information on the gardens, visit www.andersongardens.org.
Built in 1865, the Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum is one of only a handful of Swiss-style homes remaining in the United States from the 1800s.
The Tinker family, the sole occupants of the cottage, left their home and belongings to the Rockford Park District after 75 years of residence. The cottage is filled with original furnishings, artwork, diaries and household items.
For more info, visit www.tinkercottage.com.
The trip, scheduled for Sept. 26, includes a self-guided tour at the Anderson Gardens, a hosted lunch at Cliffbreakers Riverview Restaurant and a tour of the Tinker Swiss Cottage.
A bus will leave the Barrington Park District at 8:30 a.m. and return to Barrington around 5:30 p.m. Cost is $61, which includes transportation, lunch and admission fees.
The registration deadline is Sept. 19. To register, call Linda Avellon at (847) 852-3892.