Star-nosed mole art created by April Bieschke

Location: Silver Creek Woods Preserve
6040 Tipple Rd., Rockford, IL 61102

This is a pet free preserve.

Check out the event brochure/map:

 

Kid friendly! Join NLI for this free outdoor nature adventure! Explore what plants and animals live at Silver Creek Woods Preserve.

Help us investigate and celebrate the 250th anniversary and history of our country at the local level by examining the natural history of the land in the Rockford area. Help us find the Star-nosed mole and other living creatures! The Star-nosed mole has not been recorded in the state of Illinois, so if you find it you will be setting a record!

All ages are invited to join scientists and citizen scientists in searching for and discovering what plants and animals live in the diverse habitats of NLI’s Silver Creek Woods Preserve. This preserve is not open to the public so this is a rare opportunity to explore the diverse habitats or prairie, woodland, and wetland/creek found here.

Ongoing Activities

• Examining a decomposer habitat with Kevin Wiener (AllBugsGotoKevin.com)
• Bird tours tips to record findings on eBird –  Jennifer Kuroda, Sinnissippi Audubon Society
• Hip Hip Hooray for Herps! – discover what reptiles and amphibains live at Silver Creek Woods – Phil Rezin, Wild Birds Unlimited
• Staging your family photo in nature – Jeff Pfaller, photographer
• Refining your cell phone wildflower photo skills with Christopher Reisetter
• Learn best practices for wildlife photography – David C. Olson Photography
• The Most Wanted – what are the biggest threats to our natural areas and how to remove them (invasive species) – Roscoe Sportsmen’s Club
• Mammals and Star-nosed Mole – view the no-harm mammal trap to see what furry creatures live here –  Grace Wieland NLI Field Biologist, Bob Severson, volunteer
• Groundwater – education and demonstration of water and groundwater models Northern Regional Groundwater Protection Planning Committee
• Soil – observe a soil core and find out what soil is at Silver Creek Woods Preserve Dan Kane, Boone County
• Dragonflies – Joyce Gibbons, volunteer
• Butterflies – Alan Branhagen, NLI Executive Director
• Aquatics – fish, macroinvertebrates, invertebrates – Howard Knodle and April Bieschke, NLI Trustees, Elena Johannsen, Lydia Wilson, and Margie Rader, NLI volunteers
• Botany – Brian Hale, volunteer

Scheduled Activities

• 9:30 a.m. bird hike with Joel Neylon, Wild Birds Unlimited
• 11:00 a.m.  pollinator and wildflower hike awith Joel Neylon, Wild Birds Unlimited and Kyle Hulbert, NLI Director of Land Stewardship

Big Jon’s Dogs n More will be on site from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

What to Bring

Mobile phone (with a camera, eBird and/or iNaturalist apps to record what you find), camera, flashlight, blacklight, headlamp, water bottle, lawn chair, bug spray, and money to buy cool Bioblitz t-shirts, NLI merchandise/books, and food at Big Jon’s Dogs N More food truck.

What to Wear

Dress for the weather and in layers. Pants and long sleeves recommended. Wear sturdy closed toe shoes. Bring rubber boots to explore in the creek.

Parking

Free parking on site.

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Watch this “Wierd and Wonderful Star-Nosed Mole” video narrated by Sir David Attenborough!

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Please register for this free event in the form below or call 815/964-6666 to register and for more information.

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Please join us on Fri., June 19th for BioBlitz: Secrets of the Night, 6:00 PM – 10 PM.

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Thank you to our GRANTOR

This event is supported by a grant from

 

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Thank you to our SPONSORS

Insects Sponsors:_____________

Paul and Teri Baits

 

 

 

Fish Sponsor:_____________

Mark and Laurie Luthin

Woods Sponsor:___________

 

 

Wildflowers Sponsors:____________

Howard and Lauren Knodle

Tim and Lisa Normoyle

 

 

 

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Would you like to sponsor this or other events?

Check out page 6 of our Sponsorship Guide here.