Monarchs and Milkweed Festival set for June 23 at LeRoy Oakes
Celebrate native pollinators at a family-friendly, summer festival "Monarchs and Milkweed" from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 23, at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve, 37W700 Dean St., St. Charles.
Pollinators are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food. They also sustain our ecosystems and produce natural resources by helping plants reproduce. Learn more about the birds, bees, butterflies, bats, beetles and other small mammals that pollinate plants at this Forest Preserve District of Kane County special event.
At "Monarchs and Milkweed," they will give away milkweed plants, lead guided hikes in the prairie, and offer crafts and butterfly house kits for purchase.
Plus, you can enjoy live music by bluegrass band Ruby Slippers.
Exhibiting organizations include: Kane-DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District, Northern Kane County Wild Ones, Pheasants Forever and The Conservation Foundation.
Visit food trucks including Bernie's Bully Dogs, Cupcakes for Courage and Grumpy Gaucho. They also will have a photo board to make memories, and more.
"The monarch butterfly is the 'poster child' of native pollinators. Other pollinators, though, are often overlooked," said Nature Programs Manager Valerie Blaine. "Native plants, such as milkweed, are sometimes taken for granted or dismissed as weeds. Monarchs, milkweed, bumble bees and wildflowers are locked in an interdependent relationship that reflects the health of the environment.
"In this festival, we'll celebrate the beauty and importance of Kane County's flora and fauna, while educating people about the importance of plants and pollinators," Blaine said. "We want folks to appreciate the intricate relationships in nature, and how critical it is to restore habitat for animals, plants and people alike."
Admission is free. There is a nominal fee for crafts. Butterfly kits and food will be for sale. There will be experts on hand to answer questions about native plant gardening, habitat restoration and to teach ways that everyone can pitch in to preserve plants and their pollinators.
For more information on this festival, call (630) 444-3190, visit www.kaneforest.com. Follow the district on Facebook or Twitter.