Secrets of the Night logo art 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.

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 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 of prairie, woodland, and wetland/creek found here.

Secrets of the Night activities include:

Ongoing Activities

• Moth sugaring – Alan Branhagen, Natural Land Institute
• Looking for fireflies and luminous fungi with nighttime photography tips –  Jeff Pfaller– Jeff will give short talks about Dark Sky phenomena from 6 – 8:30 p.m. At 8:30 he will lead a walk to find fireflies and offer tips on how best to photograph them.
• Bat monitoring – Barbara Williams
• Mini-bat tours – led by staff from Severson Dells Nature Center
• Nightime owling – with Kristen Zambo, Sinnissippi Audubon Society
• Viewing the stars and moon – Discovery Center Museum and NLI volunteers (weather permitting)

 

Scheduled Activities 

• 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. tours searching for arthropods and macrophotography tips – Kevin Wiener(AllBugsGotoKevin.com)
• 7:00 p.m. – a prairie wildflower tour – Deanna Grelecki, Boone County Conservation District
• 8:30 p.m. – Join Jeff Pfaller on a walk to look for fireflies and luminous fungi, and learn tips on how to best photograph them.
• 9:00 p.m. – Moth backlighting – Angella Moorehouse, Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, author of Flower Bugs

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 on Saturday.

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.

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 for tomorrow’s BioBlitz: Quest for the Star-nosed Mole.

Read about it here.

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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

Lisa and Tim Normoyle

 

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Would you like to sponsor this or other events?

Check out page 6 of our Sponsorship Guide here.