Spring Valley Environmental Education Program Guide

Higgins

oute 72

N Nature Center & Parking

Cabin

SPRING VALLEY

I-290 Extension/Route 53

Schaumburg Road

Heritage Farm & Parking

Woodfield Mall

Road-R

Meacham Road

Plum Grove Road

Roselle Road

Golf Road-Route 58

School Programs

Call Spring Valley at 847/985-2100 to find out more.

PROGRAMS There are two types of environmental education programs

available. Themed programs highlight a specific topic such as Early Settler Life and Sugar Bush or a particular habitat such as the prairie or wetlands. General ecology programs provide the opportunity to explore ecological concepts throughout several habitats. These are offered seasonally. All programs can be adapted to meet your needs!

NATURE CENTER HOURS Daily - 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day GROUNDS AND TRAILS HOURS April to October 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

November to March 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RESERVATIONS

TELEPHONE FAX 847/985-2100 847/985-9692

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Tony LaFrenere

Printed on recycled paper.

THEY ARE: • Hands-on programs that are fun and educational!

• Aligned with the Illinois State Standards. Visit www.parkfun.com/springvalley/programs/teacher-resources-workshops#ee.

• Offered Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

• Led by trained educators.

THEY ARE AVAILABLE: • For everyone! This brochure lists elementary school programs, but programs are available for scouts, high school students, and others.

LOCATION South side of Schaumburg Road, between Meacham and Plum Grove Roads.

BOARD OF PARK COMMISSIONERS Mike Daniels Sharon DiMaria David Johnson George Longmeyer Robert Schmidt

WHAT MAKES SPRING VALLEY'S ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS UNIQUE?

THEY PROVIDE: • Pre and post visit student activities (see website).

• Optimal staff to student ratios (1 to 15)!

SPRING VALLEY SCHAUMBURG PARK DISTRICT 1111 E. SCHAUMBURG ROAD SCHAUMBURG, IL 60194 www.parkfun.com

EMAIL springvalley@parkfun.com

and literature are woven into a meaningful story that makes learning easy and effective. Students take a close look at their local Illinois environment to discover how it works and what role they have in keeping it safe.

Environmental education programs that reconnect children to the natural world.

Growing Times

Green Thumbs

I-90 Northwest Tollway

WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION? Environmental education is an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to learning! Math, science, social studies,

Caddie Woodlawn

Spring Valley Nature Center

SPRING VALLEY

• Reservations must be made at least two weeks in advance.

• With the exception of Early Settler Life and Caddie Woodlawn which cost $6 per person, programs cost $5 per person with a minimum charge for

15 participants.

• A deposit of $75 is required to confirm reservations for all summer programs. Upon receipt of this deposit, confirmations will be mailed.

• Payment is expected on the day of the program. Checks should be made payable to the Schaumburg Park District.

• A lunchroom/picnic area is available, but reservations must be made when the program is scheduled.

• All programs can be adapted for children of any age.

• Pre K/K programs vary in length. Cycling, Sleeping Beauties, Growing Time, Spring Sing and Summer Surplus are 1 hour; Green Thumbs, ABCs of Trees, Dancin' at Grandpa's and Sugar Bush are 1.5 hours long.

• Programs for all other ages are 1.5 hours in length, with the exception of Early Settler Life and Caddie Woodlawn, which are 2 hours long.

FALL PROGRAMS

WINTER PROGRAMS

SPRING PROGRAMS

SUMMER PROGRAMS

FOREST EXPLORERS! (Themed Habitat) May 1–October 31 Explore one of the wooded areas at Spring Valley!

Activities can be chosen from the following: a classroom leaf collection, tree identification, forest ecology, or trees as micro-habitats.

EARLY SETTLER LIFE (Themed Program) October 1–February 15 Early settlers were hard working people who relied on cooperation and their own skills to provide food, clothing, and shelter from nature’s resources. Try your hand at some of these same skills! Activities include weaving and candle dipping for grades 4-6 and making cornbread, applesauce, and butter for grades 1-3.

SPRING SING (Themed Program) April 1–May 31 (Pre K/K) Become an expert birder! Learn to recognize the chickadee, cardinal, robin, goose, and mallard by sight and sound through an interactive story, songs, fingerplays, and a hike.

GREEN THUMBS! (Themed Program) April 1–September 30 See description under Spring Programs.

CONSERVATION IN ACTION (General Ecology) September 1–October 31, April 1–May 31 Help with our conservation efforts! Some time is devoted to an explanation of the importance of the particular activity and the rest is on the activity itself.

Projects might include collecting seeds, planting wildflowers or trees, clearing brush, or wood chipping.

CYCLING (General Ecology) September 1–November 30 Fall is a time of great activity in the natural world as plants and animals prepare for winter. Search for seasonal changes under logs, in holes, and just about everywhere!

GREEN THUMBS! (Themed Program) May 1–September 30 See description under Spring Programs.

DANCIN' AT GRANDPA'S (Themed Program) October 1–March 31 (Pre K/K) This special program is only for the very young!

Children (ages 3-5) get the opportunity to walk to the cabin and experience a little of what Laura Ingalls Wilder writes about in this short story about pioneer life.

Enjoy the warmth and smell of the fire, the dancing, and a taste of freshly baked apple pie!

SLEEPING BEAUTIES (General Ecology) December 1–March 20 Winter is a challenging time for plants and animals.

How do they survive? We’ll focus on their adaptations and look for evidence that they’re still active around the Valley!

Cycling

WETLANDS (Themed Habitat) May 1–September 30 See description under Spring Programs.

PRAIRIE ROOTS (Themed Habitat) June 21–November 30 Travel back in time while walking through our restored Illinois prairie! Experience its textures, sounds, sights, and smells! Participate in role playing activities and learn how plants and animals survive in the prairie.

ABCs OF TREES (Themed Program) Year Round (Pre K/K) Children will help "build" a tree while learning about the parts of a tree and what a tree needs to live. On a walk to the cabin, they'll discover how animals and insects use a tree as their home.

NIGHT HIKES! (General Ecology) Year Round When was the last time you went for a walk at night?

Experience nature without the benefit of sight and use the rest of your senses! This exploration always yields surprises. Come and see for yourself!

SUGAR BUSH (Themed Program) February 16–March 31 When nighttime temperatures are below freezing and daytime temperatures are above, the sap begins to flow and maples are ready to be tapped! Join us in this annual celebration of spring. Activities include a tapping demonstration, boildown, and a taste test!

CONSERVATION IN ACTION (General Ecology) April 1–May 31, September 1–October 31 See description under Fall Programs.

GREEN THUMBS! (Themed Program) May 1–September 30 Gardening is fun! It can also be delicious! Join Conservation us in our Kids’ Education in Action Garden and Greenhouse.

Plant, transplant, weed, and even eat our vegetables and flowers. Activities follow the seasonal growing calendar.

GROWING TIMES (General Ecology) May 1–June 20 Spring is a time of new awakening!

Sunlight, food, water, and nutrients are in high demand throughout the natural world and life is bursting out all over! Explore various habitats looking for signs of spring and animal life. Younger students plant a seed to take home and older students explore plants and pollination.

WETLANDS (Themed Habitat) May 1–September 30 Marshes, streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds are precious habitats that provide homes for wildlife and purify our drinking water. Look for animals and experience an aquatic food web. Activities center around the diversity of animal and plant life within a wetland and how wetlands are formed and changed.

CADDIE WOODLAWN (Themed Program) February 16–March 31 This special adaptation of the Early Settler Life and Sugar Bush programs is based on the book Caddie Woodlawn and is only offered to those classes that have read the book. There is Sugar Bush ongoing discussion of the story as participants card wool, weave yarn, make butter, parch corn, tap trees, and more!

FOREST EXPLORERS! (Themed Habitat) May 1–October 31 See description under Fall Programs.

ABCs OF TREES (Pre K/K) (Themed Program) Available all year. See description under Fall Programs.

ABCs OF TREES (Pre K/K) (Themed Program) Available all year. See description under Fall Programs.

NIGHT HIKES! (General Ecology) Available all year. See description under Fall Programs.

NIGHT HIKES! (General Ecology) Available all year. See description under Fall Programs.

FOREST EXPLORERS! (Themed Habitat) May 1–October 31 See description under Fall Programs.

WETLANDS (Themed Habitat) May 1–September 30 See description under Spring Programs.

SUMMER SURPLUS (General Ecology) June 21–August 31 Explore the Valley and enjoy the beautiful colors, shapes, and fragrances of our meadows, prairies, and wetlands during this lush season of growth, emerging insects, and seed production!

PRAIRIE ROOTS (Themed Habitat) June 21–November 30 See description under Fall Programs.

ABCs OF TREES (Pre K/K) (Themed Program) Available all year. See description under Fall Programs.

Summer Surplus

NIGHT HIKES! (General Ecology) Available all year. See description under Fall Programs.

OTHER PROGRAMS ADULT/HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS Specialized naturalist-led programs can be designed for the needs of any group, whether you're looking for an activity-based program or an interpretive walk and slide show. Programs can focus on general ecology, history, specific habitats such as wetlands and prairie, or specific animals such as insects or birds. Let us know what you're looking for and our trained staff will design an exciting and informative program.

SCOUT PROGRAMS Workshops are available for many scout badges. Ask for our Scout Brochure.

SELF-GUIDED GROUP PROGRAMS Our environmental education programs are for everyone, but if you want to "do it on your own" you are welcome to explore Spring Valley at any time.

Please let us know at least two weeks in advance if you are planning to bring a group. There are seasonal trail guides and two signed interpretive trails available to assist your self-guided group.