Learn to identify trees in winter at Jan. 6 Land Conservancy workshop

The Land Conservancy of McHenry County is hosting a winter tree identification class from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Jan. 6, at Hennen Conservation Area, 4622 Dean St. in Woodstock.

The class fee is $10 and participants can register at www.ConserveMC.org or by calling (815) 337-9502.

Without leaves, it can be difficult to identify trees in winter.

Melissa Grycan, restoration ecologist for The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, will teach participants how to identify trees based on their twigs and bark.

Part of the class will be indoors and part of the class will be outdoors. Participants are encouraged to wear clothes and boots that are appropriate for the weather.

The Land Conservancy of McHenry County is a member-based private nonprofit dedicated to preserving natural, scenic and agricultural land.

McHenry County's landscape is richly diversified. Its features range from glacial remnants such as kames, moraines, and outwash plains, to the more recent woodlands, prairies, stream corridors, bogs and fens.

Lifelong residents, as well as new residents, are attracted to McHenry County's special combination of small towns, natural areas, rural character and rural agricultural fields and farmsteads.

Since 1991, The Land Conservancy has helped protect over 2,500 acres of McHenry County's prairies, wetlands and woodlands by working with private landowners, communities and other partners. We do this by accepting donated conservation easements and direct acquisition of property (through purchase or donation).

This winter, they are offering "Winter Night's Family Fun: Wild Woodstock Walks," complete with bonfires, guided night hikes and a sheltered area with hot cocoa. Bring the whole family out to experience the magic of a Woodstock winter evening from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18, at Hennen Conservation Area, 4622 Dean St., Woodstock. Dress to be outside and walking on trails in the winter! Can't make it to this event? Check back next season to see how to explore Wild Woodstock in springtime. It is a free event, no registration required.

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