contact:
Save the Prairie Society
mailing address:
10327 Elizabeth Street
Westchester, IL 60154
phone 708-865-8736
fax 708-865-0170 or stpsspale@aol.com
or webmaster Cynthia Gehrie
The Wolf Road Prairie Virtual Tour was made possible by a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Save the Prairie Society is a founding member of Earth Share of Illinois
Chicago Wilderness
Land Trust Alliance
Prairie State Conservation Coalition
Lower Des Plaines Ecosystem Partnership
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS Events are held at the Prairie House, 11225 Constitution Drive, Westchester, IL 60154 or begin at the 31st Street kiosk, west of Wolf Road. Wednesday, May 14th 7:00 pm - Prairie House "Dramatically Improve Your Nature Photographs" If you are just starting out taking pictures or are looking to take the next step, this program is designed to help you quickly and dramatically improve your photography. Nationally published nature photographer Mike MacDonald walks through several simple ways for making technically and asthetically excellent photographs. Topics include sharpness, composition, telling the story, and of course light. Mike specializes in the celebration of the beauty of the immediate Chicago area and his work has been published in Outdoor Photographer magazine and Chicago Wilderness magazine. For a sample of Mike's work, visit his web site at www.ChicagoNature.com Reservations are recommended $5.00 - $3.00 Senior, Includes refreshments. Sunday, May 18th 2:00 pm - Prairie House "A Photographic Essay on Spring Wildflowers" Identification and allusion on the biblical, botanical, historical, folk lore and literary stories of Spring wildflowers will reveal how they were selected and used over time for special events, including operas and funerals. Dr. Liebner will also discuss the medicinal uses of wildflowers. Dr Edwin Liebner, Professor Emeritus, College of Medicine, UIC $5.00 - $3.00 Senior, Includes refreshments. Sunday, June 29th 2:00 pm - Prairie House "Vintage Herbal Cooking" Following a brief slide presenation, Pat will discuss the history of herbs and how they were used in the l890's for cooking and as medical remedies. She will pass around herbs from the farm to identify. We will compare Pat's uses of herbs with present day recipes. Pat Walton, Interpreter, Kline Creek Farm, Forest Preserve District of DuPage $5.00 - $3.00 Senior, Includes refreshments. Saturday, June 12th 8:00 pm - Prairie House "Firefly Night Hike" Join us for an evening hike as dusk settles over Wolf Road Prairie to explore the nocturnal routines of wildlife and observe the flicker ballet of fireflies in their courtship rituals. John Elliott, Education Manager. Forest Preserve District of Cook County. $5.00 - $3.00 Senior, Includes refreshments. Sunday, August 24th 2:00 pm - Prairie House "Dragonflies of the Chicagoland Region" Dragonflies and Damselflies of our wetlands and natural areas are as fascinating as they are delicate. Learn about the basic life history of these odonates as John and Jane present their slides and discuss some of the measures that are being taken to protest the Hines Emerald Dragonfly, the only Dragonfly on the Federal list of endangered species. John and Jane Balaban. Photographers and restoration volunteers. North Branch Restoration Project. $5.00 - $3.00 Senior, Includes refreshments. Sunday, September 7th 11:00 an - 4:00 pm - on the parkway, at the Prairie House "Nature Arts and Heritage Faire" This popular event is being expanded this year to include new features and exhibits. Join us for a fun afternoon at Wolf Road Prairie and the Prairie House. Attractions include: Nature artists, photographers and crafters. The LaGrange Art League Plein Air Painters. Old Plank Road Folk Music Society. Badger Clan Fur Trader Era Re-enactors. Native Americans in Regalia. Company A of the 12th Illlinois Volunteer Infantry Encampment. Attic Treasures Sale. Antique Appraisals. Site tours, and more. If you have items you are willing to donate for the Attic Treasures Sale,contact us at 708-865-8736 or 708-354-5512. Sunday, September 14th 2:00 pm - Prairie House "A Walk on the Autumn Prairie and Reception" Mid September captures the Autumn prairie in its autumn heights and brilliant golds. Enjoy this glorious season on a personal hike with Jerry, renowned prairie expert. Be inspired by the prairie's majesty as seen through Jerry's eyes. Join us for reception for Jerry at the Prairie House following the walk. Dr. Gerould Wilhelm, botanist. Conservation Design Forum $15.00 - $10.00 Senior, Includes refreshments. Sunday, September 21st 2:00 pm - Prairie House "Connecting Worlds -- The Story of the Chicago Portage" Chicago owes its very existence as a city to the Chicago portage. Long used by Native Americans, the portage was revealed to French explorers Pere Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet in 1673 as an easy connection between the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico by linking Lake Michigan with the Mississippi River. The portage was a major factor in the development of the United States interior. View a video of this most important travel route of the mid-continent as we commemorate the 335th anniversary of the arrival of Marquette and Jolliet in Illinois. Learn why this only major remnant of the discovery and settlement of Chicago is considered our "Plymouth Rock." Mark McLean, Friends of the Chicago Portage and I & M Civic Center Authority and Jeff Carter, Friends of the Chicago Portage. $5.00 - $3.00 Senior, Includes refreshments. Saturday, September 27th 10:00 am - 3:00 pm - meet at the Prairie House for work assignments. "National Public Lands Day" National Public Lands Day is the nation's largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the public lands Americans enjoy. Volunteers typically plant trees, build trails and bridges, and remove trash and invasive species. Join us in celebrating the 15th annual National Public Lands Day at Wolf Road Prairie, and help us care for one of the rarest natural areas in the world. We will collect prairie seed, cut invasive brush, and conduct clean-up activities. Prairie tours will be provided and refreshments will be served. Wear sturdy shoes, long pants, and both sun and insect protection. |