Natural Enquirer: July/August 2018

Natural Enquirer N e w s l e t t e r f o r S p r i n g Va l l e y S u p p o r t e r s a n d Vo l u n t e e r s

vol.9 no.4 • July-Aug. 2018

In this issue...

This summer’s issue of the Natural Enquirer features three ‘Bs’—butterflies, beer gardens, and bottles.

An article on monarch butterflies and another on beer gardens focus on two relatively new attractions at Spring Valley. The Heritage Farm began offering traditional German Beer Gardens last summer and, based on the success of those offerings, is now offering these fun social gatherings once each month during the summer and into autumn. As with everything at Spring Valley, there is a fascinating bit of history behind the fun. The new monarch butterfly rearing stations, located behind the Nature Center, provide us a unique way to connect visitors to conservation efforts and awareness of environmental issues. Lastly, an article on disposable bottles will not only raise your awareness of a growing environmental challenge but hopefully inspire you to consider ways you can reduce your own use of disposable plastics. After reading, attend one of our German Beer Gardens, and you can discuss with your table mates over a cold glass bottle of lager!

Inside Milagro de las Mariposas................................. 2-3

Volunteer News Contents

A Quick History of Beer Gardens.................... 4-5

Volunteer Information........................................10

What’s Happenin’.............................................. 6-8

Volunteer Calendar........................................11-12

The Rivers of No Return......................................9 Spring Valley General Information....................13

Schaumburg Park District

Visit parkfun.com and take our Spring Valley Program Survey.

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Milagro de las Mariposas (Miracle of the Butterflies)

S

pring Valley is embarking this year on a new project to help boost local populations of monarch butterflies.

Inspired by the passion of a small group of retired ladies, the Schaumburg Park Foundation has been raising funds to support the establishment of a monarch rearing station as well as a future butterfly/pollinator display garden at Spring Valley. This same group of local women has also been working very hard to spread their passion. Monarch waystations (butterfly gardens designed with monarchs in mind) have been established at area hospitals and businesses. Spring Valley is also now working cooperatively with the Field Museum and the Barrington Area Conservation Trust to study Schaumburg’s milkweed populations. With the recent completion of the new monarch rearing station, located just out the backdoor of the nature center, several dozen new volunteers have been inspired to get involved with these efforts.

by Dave Brooks

Monarch on Common Milkweed

Monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, are certainly one of the most well-known and recognizable butterflies in America. In recent years, there has been concern that monarchs may disappear from our landscape, as their numbers have dwindled since the mid1990s. Many conservation organizations and passionate citizens have been inspired to plant milkweed, establish butterfly gardens, advocate for the elimination of spraying pesticides along roadsides, and get local and state proclamations passed, etc.

There are many probable causes for the decline in monarch numbers during the past 20+ years. Destruction of suitable wintering habitat in Mexico, increased frequency of severe storms, and changes in American agriculture have affected milkweed populations.

Scientists continue to study the impacts of pesticide use, genetically modified crops that may result in increased use of pesticides, and natural diseases affecting butterflies. There is general agreement; however, that any effort to boost populations through the planting of milkweed and nectar-producing wildflowers is a good thing. When it comes to monarchs, milkweed is the key!

Common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, is a native plant in Illinois and is probably, true to its name, the most widespread and common milkweed variety due to its weedy tendency. Many other species of Asclepias are found throughout both North and Central America, the Midwestern prairies being particularly milkweed-rich with over a dozen different varieties. Monarch caterpillars feed on milkweed leaves and nothing else.

In the process of consuming the leaves, the caterpillars incorporate the plant’s toxic and bitter glycosides into their own body tissues. This makes them distasteful to birds and other predators, and their bright white and yellow markings advertise this fact. This unsavory quality stays with them as they pupate and become adult butterflies, affording the adults the same protection from predators. Any bird that mistakenly eats a monarch will become Caterpillar Emerging ill and commit to memory an avoidance of bright orange and black butterflies.1 Their bitter taste offers them no protection from freezing winter winds, however. Like all creatures, monarchs have developed a survival strategy, though an unusual one for insects. Migration from a temperate climate to a tropical one is something accomplished by many birds, but it is a risky venture even for them. Many die along the way, victims of storms, predators, and unseen obstacles in the night. Monarch butterflies are even more fragile and susceptible to mishap. Yet each year, 150-300 million show up on certain forested mountains in the Mexican state of Michoacán, about four hours west of Mexico City.2 It was known for many years that monarchs migrated south in late summer; however, their wintering roosts in Mexico were only discovered in 1975 by University of Toronto researchers. The fact that butterflies are able to fly so far is only slightly less amazing than the 2

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fact that they manage to find their way back to roughly the same place in Mexico each fall, without having ever made the journey before. The monarchs of September are usually 4-6 generations removed from the ones which made the journey the previous year. So, how do they know where to go?

Most monarch butterflies live for no more than a month or two. The entire life cycle from egg to adult butterfly takes about one month.

The migrating generation, however, is an exception. Autumn monarchs do not mature sexually and mate until the following spring.

Instead, they build up a reserve of fat and begin to migrate south as soon as they emerge as adults, joining together with other monarchs as they travel. Canadian butterflies have the longest journey to make, and presumably suffer the most mortality during migration.3 At times, hundreds of monarchs can be seen together massing on trees during migration. By early November, shimmering saffron clouds of monarchs converge in the forests of Michoacán.

The Oyamel fir forests of central Mexico are generally found at around 8-10,000 foot elevations. The cool, moist mountain air encourages the butterflies to remain more or less inactive, preserving their precious reserves of fat. The monarchs are active on sunny days, leaving their roosts in search of water and food. Indeed, it is the sight of tens of thousands of butterflies becoming airborne at once that draws tens of thousands of tourists, many from Mexico City, to the groves each winter. It has been likened to the sight of crimson maple leaves fluttering from a forested hillside in New England during autumn. The local indigenous people have known about and co-existed with the monarchs for generations and now welcome visitors and serve as tour guides. Since the butterflies arrive on or near November 2, or Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), they were thought to be the returning spirits of deceased family members.

If their good fortune continues through the winter, the monarchs will begin the return journey north in February. Most will only make it into Texas and the southern states. Although the typical lifespan for an over-wintering monarch can be six times greater than their summer-time brethren, once they begin to mature sexually at the start of the northward migration, their biological clocks start ticking away and they have only about 4-5 weeks to live, so by March, most of the migrating butterflies are on their last legs. They mate, lay eggs along their journey, and die. After one month, the new adults emerge from their chrysalids and continue the journey. Our first monarchs generally appear sometime in May. Some of these undoubtedly continue on a northward journey while some stay to repopulate our prairies and roadsides.

The question remains, how do the September monarchs know the way to the fir forests of Michoacán, AND how do their progeny in springtime know that their destiny lies to the north? Researchers do know that monarchs use the position of the sun in the sky as a navigational aid. All creatures seem to be naturally endowed with a biological clock, which is set and stimulated by the rising and setting of the sun. Southbound monarchs know instinctively that in the morning the sun should be on their left. Later in the day, it will be on their right. If monarchs are brought indoors and their clocks reset by artificial periods of light and darkness, they lose their way when released outdoors. Adult monarchs are apparently genetically encoded to respond to shortened day lengths by flying in a southerly direction and flying high up, in order to catch wind currents. Presumably, lengthening days elicit a different response in springtime, as monarchs are urged northward. How they find their way specifically to the mountains of Michoacán remains a mystery, however.

The migration of monarch butterflies is a wonderful illustration of the instinctual nature of migration and other behaviors in some creatures. That insects, which most of us look down upon and cover with our shoe whenever possible, can accomplish such a journey, and somehow find their way along a path “unknown” to them, at least in our way of knowing, is nothing short of miraculous.

That it happens every year, and has been for years uncounted, is cause for awe, wonder, and humility. When you next see a monarch butterfly in September, ponder this lovely miracle and wish it a safe journey, in the language of its winter home—Buen viaje, mariposa!

1 The association many creatures make between bright colors and something to be avoided is used to advantage by the perfectly tasty and harmless viceroy butterfly, which mimics the monarch’s color scheme, and as a result, is usually avoided by wary birds.

2 The Monterey area of California also hosts over-wintering monarchs. These comprise the Pacific coast populations, while all monarchs from the eastern United States, the Plains states and southern Canada travel to Mexico.

3 The longest known flight is 2880 miles, by a butterfly tagged in Ontario in September and recovered in Texas the following spring, indicating that it had spent the winter in Mexico.

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A Quick History of Beer Gardens (and Why Spring Valley Hosts Them)

by Patty Kennedy Green

I

t all started with a lager…

There are two basic types of beer—ales and lagers. At first glance the difference shows itself through the beer’s appearance, smell, and taste.

Ales tend to look darker and have a fruitier flavor. Lagers, on the other hand, are cleaner with a crisp taste. The real difference, however, is in the fermentation process and has everything to do with the yeast.

Lager yeast is a bottom fermenting yeast that requires cool temperatures to ferment and often takes a longer time before the beer is ready. Ale yeasts are top fermenting yeasts and ferment rapidly at warm temperatures. Lagers are a relatively new kind of beer and really didn’t exist until the late 15th to early 16th century. According to Popular Science (www.popsci.com), lager yeast is actually hybrid yeast that contains traces of a yeast species which originated in the forests of Patagonia in Argentina. This species is believed to have crossed German Beer Garden —1870 Granger over into Europe during transatlantic trade starting in the 1500s. For more information please visit https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-01/beersci-what-difference-between-lager-and-ale#page-2.

Lager beers are called “lagers” because of how they’re stored. Once the fermentation process is over they need to be stored and aged for a few months in a cool environment, usually in barrels in an underground cellar. In German “lager” is a verb and means “camp,” so the beer camps out, so-to-speak, after it is done fermenting.

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Then came the law…

The story begins in Bavaria. As stated in the book, Culinaria Germany edited by Christine Metzger, “The beer garden owes its origin to the brewery regulations of 1539, which stated that no beer could be brewed between 23 April and 29 September, since brewing in summer meant an increased risk of fire.” (p.390). This regulation came during a time when major fires were common throughout Europe and most towns and villages were made from wood. Regulating when brewers started their fires for brewing helped prevent widespread fire during the dry summer months.

This was also the time that lager beers were discovered. Breweries all around Bavaria were brewing larger beers and storing them in beer cellars throughout the summer to keep them cool. They kept what ice they could from winter months to store with the beer underground but they also used cool gravel and shady chestnut trees to help keep the underground barrels as cool as possible.

They eventually began to place tables over the gravel and under the shade trees. Breweries invited patrons to drink beer in the shady gardens they created.

And the beer garden was born…

Beer gardens became so popular by the early 19th century that innkeepers around Bavaria became worried that the beer gardens would take their restaurant business away. King Ludwig I of Bavaria struck a compromise between the breweries and innkeepers by stating that the breweries could continue selling beer out of their beer gardens but that they were not allowed to sell food.

Instead the gardens allowed patrons to bring their own food to eat in the shade and pass the afternoon.

Beer gardens in Schaumburg, IL…

While there has never been a true beer garden in Schaumburg, it is well known that the German community of Schaumburg Township liked its beer. Even during prohibition, beer sales did not cease. Throughout Schaumburg Township’s history there have been many picnic areas in the various groves around the area that have served beer, allowed picnicking, and provided residents with a relaxing afternoon in the shade.

Schween’s Grove is a perfect example. Tucked in the woods, near where Friendship Village is today, you can still see the remnants of the old tavern and dance pavilion erected just before prohibition. It operated throughout prohibition and into the 1960s before it shut down. The Schaumburg Township Library Archivist, Jane Rozek, recently wrote a blog about the establishment. You can read more about what was once called “Herman in the Woods” by visiting her local history blog site. https://ourlocalhistory.wordpress.com/2018/04/15/the-hidden-tavern-of-hermanin-the-woods/

Beer Gardens at Spring Valley’s Heritage Farm…

The beer garden may have originated in Bavaria but it soon spread throughout Germany and lager beers with it. The people of Lower Saxony, the region where Schaumburg’s German settlers hailed from, had a favorite lager created in their region. Believe it or not, Bock Beer comes from Einbeck, Germany, which is about 60 miles from the center of where the District of Schaumburg is located today. It is a good bet that the Germans who settled Schaumburg Township would have known about and loved this style of lager, along with many other types of beer.

One of the interpretive themes at the Heritage Farm states that, “The cultural (and agricultural) practices of Schaumburg Township were unique and strongly influenced by the ethnic make-up of the inhabitants.” As staff became acquainted with local food market movements, along with knowing how the picnic groves were utilized throughout Schaumburg’s history, it seemed only natural and culturally accurate to create beer garden evenings. With the help of local brewpubs, we were able to start offering local beer at the event, and after discovering Church Street Brewery in Itasca, the beer garden concept seems even more appropriate! Church Street actually follows the German brewing calendar. We always try to have a lager or two for authenticity sake, but now our beers vary according to season.

So this summer please consider joining us for a night of live traditional music, simple backyard games, good local craft beer and soda, a yummy large pretzel or pickle on a stick, and good times with family and friends. Our summer beer gardens are scheduled for July 28 and August 18 from 4-7pm. Picnics are encouraged and families are welcome. We will also have a Kick off to Oktoberfest on Friday, September 7! Prost!

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Click on program/icon for information and to register online.*

*To create a new account, visit the registration desk at the CRC or download an internet registration form at parkfun.com under the registration tab.

Programs will be cancelled three days in advance if minimum is not reached, so register early!

Spring Valley offers an early bird discount on programs. Prices in the current brochure reflect that discount and will be in effect until one week before the date of the program. At that time, fees will increase 15%. Programs with insufficient registration will be cancelled at noon three days before the program. Please take advantage of this opportunity. It is our attempt to serve you better!

ion gistrat Pre-required!

Re n registration.

Buzzin’ About Insects

-i No walk

Firefly Fandango

Saturday & Sunday, July 7 & 8 • 8:45-9:45 p.m.

Witness one of nature’s marvels as the summer sun sets on the prairie and woods of Spring Valley. Bring the family for a discussion on fireflies and how they produce their cool light, then enjoy a twilight wagon ride to view an incredible light show.

Spring Valley Nature Center

1111 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg What’s the buzz about? Insects, of course!

There are more insects than any other type of animal in the world. Dive into the wonderful life of insects through games, pictures and activities, focusing on the details that make each unique. Drop by the Nature Center and take your own hike to explore all the buzzin’ around Spring Valley.

Day-of registration closes at noon.

Day Sa S

E

Sunday, July 8 Noon-3 p.m.

Spring Valley Nature Center, 1111 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg

Barcode Age 23561 4+ 23562 4+

FRE

Dates 7/7 7/8

Food and beverages available for purchase.

Fee: $4/$5 — Beverage included.

Sponsored by the Spring Valley Nature Club

For information, call 847/985-2100 or visit parkfun.com.

For information, call 847/985-2100 or visit parkfun.com.

Schaumburg Park District

Schaumburg Park District

Lil’ Stinkers

EARLY CHILDHOOD

Sunday, July 22 • 1:00-2:30 p.m.

Join us to discover where skunks live, what they eat and how helpful these lil’ stinkers can be.

Dino Tracks

Sunday, July 22 • 10:00-11:00 a.m.

Did dinosaurs once roam Spring Valley? Answer this and other question as we dig up the truth!

FAMILY

The following programs have a special family rate. By registering ONE child, it is assumed that a minimum of two people (one adult and child) or a maximum of four people are attending. Do NOT register additional people, they may pay on the day of the program.

Lil’ Insect Trekkers:

Dragonflies & Bees (July) Butterflies & Moths (August) Tuesday, July 10 & Aug. 7 • 3:00-4:30 p.m.

Enjoy a book, a short hike to catch insects and a craft centered around our six-legged friends.

Family Campout at Spring Valley

Sat./Sun., Aug. 18-19 • 4:00 p.m.-10:00 a.m.

Sleep at Spring Valley. Nature walks, campfire cooking and other activities are planned.

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YOUTH

Just Desserts

Saturday, July 14 • 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Explore the world of black raspberries and gather some to make a cobbler over an open fire.

NEW • Garden Party Series:

Fruits & Veggies (July) Flowers & Butterflies (August) Thursday, July 19 & Aug. 2 • 3:00-5:00 p.m.

Enjoy the bounty of summer’s crop and lend a hand in Spring Valley’s Kids’ Garden.

Puddle Hoppers

Saturday, July 14 • 9:00 a.m.-noon We will explore the pond and marsh and any puddles we find along the way to the creek.

Insect Safari:

Dragonflies & Bees (July) Butterflies & Moths (August) Wednesday, July 11 & Aug. 8 • 3:00-5:00 p.m.

Grab a net and a bug box and get ready for a safari trying to catch and study insects.

FREE

Star-Gazing Party

Saturday, Aug. 11 • 8:30-11 p.m. • Nature Center

Summer Camps

Enjoy a star-studded party celebrating the beautiful summer sky. It’s time for the Perseid Meteor shower which can be seen from July 23 through Aug. 20 with the peak on Monday, Aug. 13. Telescopes will be available to view the summer constellations and planets. There will be lots of star-related activities inside the nature center. Roast marshmallows around the campfire. You’re guaranteed to have a great time!

at Spring Valley

Spring Valley offers a variety of summer camps (full and half-day) for children 5-15 years old.

Sponsored by the Spring Valley Nature Club

For more information, call 847/985-2100 or click here.

V O L K E N I N G

H E R I T A G E

Back to S

F A R M

Drop in any time!

B i e r g a r t e n

Saturdays, July 28 & Aug. 18 4-7 p.m.

Volkening Heritage Farm, 201 S. Plum Grove Road, Schaumburg

Campfire

Additional parking available at Spring Valley’s Nature Center, 1111 E. Schaumburg Road. The farm is a 10-minute walk.

! t s o r P

ool ch

German Beer Garden G e r m a n

S’more supplies will be available. $1 for two!

Experience a traditional German Biergarten, complete with music, pretzels, refreshments, local craft beer and soda. Bring a picnic dinner for the family, play backyard games and enjoy an evening on the farm. Admission is offered day of event and includes a pretzel and reusable glass per ticket.

Beer and soda available for purchase.

Friday, Aug. 17 7:30-9 p.m.

$5 per person Last call at 7 p.m.

Rain or Shine

$2 per person at the door S’more supplies will be available. $1 for two!

Nature Center | 1111 E. Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg Start summer at Spring Valley with our School’s Out Campfire! Enjoy a night by the fire as we celebrate the beginning of summer vacation with family and friends. Take a wagon ride, roast marshmallows and enjoy the beauty of the night.

Sponsored by Spring Valley Nature Club

For information, call Spring Valley at 847/985-2100 or visit parkfun.com.

For information, call 847/985-2102 or visit parkfun.com.

Schaumburg Park District

Schaumburg Park District

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DROP-IN PROGRAMS New • Local Market Day FREE

Nature Center

Saturday, Aug. 25 • 8 a.m.-noon

New • Make It & Take It Sunday • FREE

Visit Heritage Farm early to purchase locally grown and crafted foods. Meet the local people behind the produce and food you enjoy every day in the Farm’s Gift Shop. Everything from the farm’s fresh eggs to locally raised meat and cheese will be available.

July 15 & Aug. 12 Anytime between 1-3 p.m.

Drop by the Nature Center any time between 1-3 p.m. to enjoy a simple nature based craft to take home. Make butterflies, caterpillars, ladybugs and other interesting animals!

Heritage Farm

Drop-in Thursdays

Anytime between 10 a.m.-noon July 5 • Better with Butter

After helping the house frau churn butter, grab a jar and make some of your very own! Bread and crackers will be on hand for butter tasting too.

July 26 • Leather Works

Schaumburg Park District invites you to the fourth annual...

Visit with our local craftsman to see all the uses for leather on the farm and then make a leather bracelet or other creation for yourself.

Aug. 16 • Sundae School

Help make ice cream from scratch! After you have churned, make your own sundae and enjoy this cool summer treat.

{Farm to Fork Festival{

$2 per person • Appropriate for 3 yrs and older

A celebration of fresh, seasonal and regional foods!

Weekend Horse-Drawn Wagon Rides at the Farm

Monday, Aug. 20 • 5-8 p.m.

Volkening Heritage Farm at Spring Valley Park at the south lot of St. Matthew’s Catholic Church, 1001 E. Schaumburg Road and enter Heritage Farm through the gate.

Noon-3 p.m.

We’re featuring some of the area’s top chefs preparing and serving dishes made from locally sourced fruits, vegetables, meats and cheeses.

Local wines and beers also will be available.

Our authentic 1880s farm an the ideal setting for this summer dining experience.

Enjoy a horse-drawn wagon ride through Heritage Farm as staff relates information about the farm, animals and the history of Schaumburg’s farm families. Dress for the weather.

• Tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis the day of the ride ($3/ person; children 3 and under are free).

Space is limited for this adults-only evening!

Registration deadline is Aug. 15.

Registration code: 24437 • Cost: $38/person

Call 847/985-2102 or click here for more information.

Spring Valley will be providing heirloom garden produce to our guest chefs as well as farmhouse hors d’oeuvres and local cheeses. Musical ambience will be provided by local duo, Ironwood.

Wagon Ride Wednesdays & Fridays June 6–Aug. 31 • Offered Noon-2:30 p.m.

Last ride goes out at 2:30 p.m. All details on wagon rides apply.

For information, call 847/985-2100 or visit parkfun.com.

Schaumburg Park District

Get the latest District news

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The Rivers of No Returns

by Walter Plinske

M

ark Twain once quipped, “Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt”. Safely ensconced in the vault of time, he could not know how his river observation would possess a ring of truth in today’s world. In the U.S. alone, 28 billion bottles a year are used to package water. Billions more, plastic and glass, are used to bottle soft drinks, beer, milk, and seemingly countless other products. After one use, they enter the waste stream, ultimately ending up in Antique Returnables landfills, recycling plants, or being burned in special energy recovering incinerators. In places where waste disposal is not well controlled as in Asia, over 82% ends up in the ocean. Blithely paying lip-service to recycling or at times turning a blind eye, we are denying the fact that we cannot continue this course of action indefinitely. As these rivers of throwaway containers debauch their loads, the oceans gyrate with floating plastic trash. A new way must be found. A look in the rear view mirror of history might point the way: reusable, returnable bottles!

150 years ago, bottles were valuable objects, not to be idly discarded. Carbonated beverages were generally consumed on-site in taverns and restaurants. Bottled beers and sodas could be purchased, but they were hand-filled and hand-capped one bottle at a time. Then by the early 20th century, mass-produced bottles, crimp-capping, and mechanized bottling were developed. The bottles were still expensive, however, so bottlers used a deposit-refund system to ensure that consumers would return the bottle after use. Many bottlers embossed the bottles with their logo and name as a means of claiming ownership.

The advantages that glass bottles have over plastic or metal have been proven over time. Glass is made from naturally occurring materials, primarily sand, that doesn’t degrade over time. Common beach sand, however, can’t be used, since it has too many impurities. A specially mined sand, called “silica sand”, is used. It’s the same sand used in fracking1. Glass used for food and beverage containers doesn’t leach chemicals, nor does it affect the material or absorb residual tastes or odors. Some plastic and metal vessels contain bisphenol A, called BPA, which the FDA recently warned about. Glass bottles can be safely washed in dishwashers and can be visually inspected for cleanliness. There is, of course, a downside. Glass is breakable. Another downside is that glass is much heavier than plastic or metal.

Size of Pacific Gyre

Just 50 years ago, the deposit-refund system was still embraced by most people, who dutifully brought their empties back to the supermarket or liquor store for more of their favorite beverage. Then things began to change. Local brands and bottlers began to give way to fewer, larger companies that operated on a regional or national level. Disposable containers began to appear that were designed to no longer have any value to the bottlers. These companies welcomed this change because the collecting, sorting and transportation of the empty reusable bottles required special facilities, storage areas, and labor efforts. ”No Deposit, No Return” now decorated the bottles instead of familiar company logos.

We have seen what happened next. The bottlers freed themselves of the responsibility of dealing with the “No Returns” and consequently, litter and mountains of collected bottles and cans began to accumulate. Municipalities across the nation, and the world, were forced to come up with recycling plans. The cost was shifted from private business onto the taxpayer.

So let us take a lesson from the past and go back to returnable /reusable bottles. Imagine that all companies used standard identical bottles. Empty reusable standard bottles could be returned to any store or any other collecting place where afterwards the bottles could be processed and sent back to the beverage company for sanitation and refilling. Energy and resources would be saved by reusing, not replacing. Storing and shipment will be simplified since only a few types of container will be available, such as ½ liter, 1 liter, 2 liter, and 4 liter, much like home canning jars were standardized in the past. Although glass is breakable it can be made more durable by adding an extra layer of protection by wrapping the bottles in protective silicone sleeves. It has been estimated that reusable bottles that average 25 trips will consume 93% less energy than the equivalent throw-away bottle.

Recycling is good. But it makes no sense when applied to things we could have done without in the first place. Reusing, a low impact way of helping to preserve the environment, is even better!

1

See article called “Sandmen” in the Mar-Apr 2014 Natural Enquirer.

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Volunteer News

Dates to Remember

Volunteer Want Ads

If you are interested in helping with any of the following activities, please call Judy at 847/985-2100 or e-mail her at juvito@parkfun.com.

Star-Gazing Party

Farm Livestock Care Volunteers Needed

Provide food, water, and care for farm animals one day a week. Commitment of at least one year, ability to lift 25 pounds, no allergies to mold or dust, comfortable around livestock (previous experience a plus), and ability to work in extreme weather a must. Must be 18 years or older.

Buzzing About Insects

Sunday, July 8 Noon-3 p.m.

Join us as we explore the world of insects through games and activities. Volunteers are needed to assist children’s activities.

Saturday, Aug. 11 • 8:30-11 p.m.

It’s time for the Perseid Meteor Shower so come out for star gazing through telescopes and binoculars and enjoy various star related activities.

Volunteers are needed as telescope assistants.

Back to School Campfire Friday, Aug. 17 7:30-9 p.m.

Celebrate the end of summer with a campfire complete with s’mores.

It’s Picnic Time!

Mark your calendars for Friday, August 3 and plan to join us at this year’s Volunteer Family Picnic.

Bring a family member or friend to join in the fun.

We’ll provide all the fixins’, just bring your appetite!

The picnic is co-sponsored by the Spring Valley Nature Club which will present its Ellsworth Meineke Award to a deserving club member and/or volunteer.

Invitations will go out in the mail in July.

Pats on the back to the following volunteers...

• Peg Dorgan, Lynn Eikenbary, Marilyn Mottley, Eileen Skiba, Judy Velan and Carolyn White for helping with the spring Green Thumbs school programs.

• Sunday, July 8.................... Noon-3 p.m.

Buzzing About Insects • Monday, July 9........................... 1-4 p.m.

Handy Crafters Meeting • Friday, Aug. 4........................5:30-9 p.m.

Volunteer Picnic • Saturday, Aug. 11............... 8:30-11 p.m.

Star-Gazing Party • Monday, Aug. 13........................ 1-4 p.m.

Handy Crafters Meeting • Friday, Aug. 17......................7:30-9 p.m.

Back to School Campfire

Welcome New Volunteers…

• Laura Brefeld • Kenneth Carlson • Debra Eriksen • Kathryn Gotz • Tammy Haman • Ellen Kasner • Allison Longueil • Darlene Nicholson • Janet Orpet • Wesley Ramirez • Kathy Tyler

Happy Birthday to…

July

4 Janeen Ross 9 Jack Ponzetti 13 Andy Caccavari 16 Kathryn Gotz 17 Barb Royce 18 Laurie Tatom 19 Brooklyn Olsen 21 Donna Turner

August 8

11 12

14

18 20

• Gail Ameer, Jim Baum, Betty Bei, Peg Dorgan, Lynn Eikenbary, Gloria Moritz, Carol Thomas and Angela Waidanz for assisting with various bird counts.

• Duane Bolin, Tony Meo and Al Vogel for their work on the monarch rearing pods.

• Daryle Drew and Roy Svenson for picking up extra feeding shifts at the farm during our volunteer re-staffing.

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• Barry Clark • Melissa Carpenter • Alex Flint • Stephen Gotz • Dale Harper • Valerie Kot • Corina Najjar • Marianne Ommundson • Carol Pletz • Dolores Samp • Alice Voge

Janet Bedsole Marilyn Motley Paula Saban Bev Calahan Dennis Raimo Judy Wood Hedy Otte Diane Shore Carolyn White Janet Kraus Donna Johnson Junaid Khan

24 25 26

27 28 31

Deb Eriksen Joe Vito Sue Gallios Tom Poklen Nancy Fallen Kathy DeGeus Kayley Stoner

22 Amanda Kraus Kristi Overgaard 24 Sandee Lovisa 26 Carol Anagnostopoulos 28 Pete Justen Lydia Tarasiuk 30 Nancy Filo 31 Nancy Schaefer

S p r i n g Va l l e y • N a t u r a l E n q u i r e r • Vo l u n t e e r C a l e n d a r

Sunday

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Monday

2

Tuesday

JULY 2018

3

•Summer Camp Sampler 9am

M-F

•All About Fish 9:30am

M-Tu

•STEM in the Prairie 9:30am •STEM in Nature 9:30am

8

9

Handy Crafters Meeting 1pm

M-F

15

•Make It and Take it Sunday 1pm

10

•Lil’ Insect Trekkers 3pm

•Wee Sprouts 9am •Puppet Pals 9:30am

•Animal Crackers 9:30am •Paint by Nature 10am •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

•Firefly Fandango 8:45pm

16 M-F

4

17 •Skills for Outdoor Survival 9:15am •Insect Safari 9:30am

5

M-Tu

Independence Day

11

•Safari Adventures 10am •Lil’ Nature Keepers 1pm Schaumburg Community Garden Club 7pm

18

•Summer Camp Sampler 9am •Historian’s Apprentice 9:30am •Nature Pirates 10am

22

23 M-F

24 •Wee Sprouts 9am •Puddle Paddlers 9am

•Lil’ Gardeners 9:30am •Science Sleuths 10am

30 M-F

•Animal Crackers 9:30am •Story Time Explorers 9:30am

7

•Firefly Fandango 8:45pm

•STEM in the Water 1pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

13

•Farmer Boot Camp 2:30pm

14

•Puddle Hoppers 9am •Just Desserts 1pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

19

•Garden Party 3pm

20

•Summer Camp Sampler 9am

21

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

25

•Birding Buddies 3pm

26

•Leather Working Drop-In 10am

27

28

German Beer Garden 4pm

•Lil’ Creek Stompers 1pm •Farmer Boot Camp 2:30pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

31 •Chores and Chortles Mini Camp 9:15am

6

•Summer Camp Sampler 9am

Saturday

•Lil’ Dig 1pm •Farmer Boot Camp 2:30pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

29

Friday

•STEM in the Garden 9:30am •STEM in the Wild 9:30am

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•Insect Safari 3pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

•Dino Tracks 10am •Lil’ Stinkers 1pm

Thursday •Better with Butter Drop-In 10am

•STEM in the Woods 1pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

Buzzing About Insects Noon

Wednesday

•The Big Dig 10am •All About Frogs 1pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

11

•Let’s Get Messy 1pm

Farm Hours: Tues-Sun 10am-4pm Cabin Closed Bold indicates volunteer activities Italics indicates programs which may be taken as complimentary by volunteers See “What’s Happening” for program descriptions

S p r i n g Va l l e y • N a t u r a l E n q u i r e r • Vo l u n t e e r C a l e n d a r

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

AUGUST 2018 Wednesday

1

Farm Hours: Tues-Sun 10am-4pm Cabin Closed Bold indicates volunteer activities Italics indicates programs which may be taken as complimentary by volunteers See “What’s Happening” for program descriptions

5

6 M-F

M-F

•Chores and Chortles Mini Camp 9:15am

7

•Critter Club 9:30am •Historian’s Apprentice 9:30am

12

13

Handy Crafters Meeting 1pm

8

•Insect Safari 3pm

•Outdoor Engineers 10am •Junior Artists 10am

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

•Make It and Take it Sunday 1pm

2

•Animal Crackers 9:30am •Story Time Explorers 9:30am

14

26

3 Let’s Get Messy 1pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

9

Volunteer Picnic 5:30pm

10

Schaumburg Community Garden Club 7pm

11

15

•Birding Buddies 3pm

Star-Gazing Party 8:30pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

16

•Sundae School Drop-In 10am

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

17

21

22

23

24

27

28

29

30

31

12

18

•Family Campout at Spring Valley 4pm German Beer Garden 4pm

•Back to School Campfire 7:30pm

20

•Farm to Fork Festival 5pm

4

•Habitat Hikers 1pm •Farmer Boot Camp 2:30pm

•Weekly Yoga at Cabin 6pm •Weekly Yoga at Cabin 7:30pm

19

The Big Dig 10am All About Frogs 1pm

Saturday

Friday

•Garden Party 3pm

Spring Valley Nature Club 6:30pm

•Lil’ Insect Trekkers 3pm

Thursday

25

•Local Market Day 8am •Foraging for Wild Edibles 9am

S p r i n g Va l l e y • N a t u r a l E n q u i r e r • J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 1 8

SPRING VALLEY | Schaumburg Park District • 1111 East Schaumburg Road, Schaumburg, Illinois 60194 Spring Valley is a refuge of 135 acres of fields, forests, marshes and streams with over three miles of handicapped-accessible trails, a museum featuring natural history displays and information, a new nature playground and an 1880s living-history farm. Spring Valley is open to the general public. Admission is free.

Hours:

Schaumburg Road

Plum Grove Road

N

Volkening Heritage Farm

Grounds and Trails April 1 - Oct. 31.............. Daily................. 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Nov. 1 - March 31........... Daily................. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Vera Meineke Nature Center & Bison's Bluff Nature Playground

Nature Center/Museum Hours Year-round...................... Daily................. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Bison’s Bluff Nature Playground April 1 - Oct. 31.............. Tue-Sun........... 9 a.m.-8 p.m.

Mon.................. Noon -8 p.m.

Nov. 1 - March 31........... Daily................. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (weather permitting)

Merkle Cabin

Volkening Heritage Farm April 3 - Nov. 18.............. Daily................. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Mon.................. Museum buildings CLOSED Dec. 1 - March 31........... Open for Special Events & programs only

Spring Valley 135 acres

Unless otherwise noted, all programs are held rain or shine. Participants should dress appropriately for weather conditions.

Vera Meineke Nature Center 847/985-2100

Volkening Heritage Farm 847-985-2102

The earth-sheltered visitor center provides an introduction to Spring Valley’s 135 acres of restored prairies, woodlands and wetlands and three miles of trails. The center contains natural history exhibits that change seasonally, a demonstration Backyard for Wildlife, an observation tower, classrooms, an extensive library, gift sales area and restrooms.

Step back into the past for a look at Schaumburg as it was in the 1880s – a rural German farm community. Help with seasonal farm chores, participate in family activities and games of the 1880s, or simply visit the livestock and soak in the quiet. Authentically dressed interpreters will welcome and share activities with visitors throughout the site.

Environmental Outreach Program

Scout Badges

We’ll bring our outreach program to your site. Topics include forests, worms, spiders, mammals, owls, food chains, food webs, wetlands, and the water cycle. Students will participate in hands-on activities, songs, and games. Topics may be adapted to students in grades one through six, and are aligned with Illinois State Standards and NGSS.

We offer many opportunities for scouts. Our programs will help with your badge, pin or patch requirements. Call for more information or stop in for a brochure.

Spring Valley Firepit and Shelter Rentals

Make your next scout group, business or family gathering something special! Spring Valley offers the use of a picnic shelter and fire pit in a wooded setting near the Merkle Log Cabin. Use of the site includes firewood, trash/recycling receptacles and benches, as well as picnic tables. No alcohol or amplified music permitted. Restrooms are available at the Heritage Farm or Nature Center, a 5–10 minute walk.

The adjacent Merkle Log Cabin contains a restroom and may be rented for additional fees.

Programs at Spring Valley

School, Scout and adult groups are encouraged to take advantage of Spring Valley’s Environmental Education Program. Programs change seasonally and are geared for specific age groups. Correlations to the state standards, connections with NGSS, and activity sheets are available on the SPD website, www.parkfun.com.

Learn local history with a visit to the Heritage Farm. Elementary and high school students recreate farm life in the 1880s with Hands on History; second graders experience it through Heritage Quest. Children from the age of four through second grade will learn about food, farmers, and farm animals in Farms and Foods.

SPRING VALLEY MISSION STATEMENT:

Spring Valley’s mission is to educate area residents regarding the natural and cultural history of the Schaumburg area and how people have and continue to interact with and upon the landscape.

Hourly use fees: Residents:.............. $25

Civic groups:...............................$25

Non-residents:....... $40 Corporate/business groups:.......$55

SCHAUMBURG PARK DISTRICT BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS:

NATURAL ENQUIRER STAFF: Mary Rice.......... Editor

Mike Daniels Sharon DiMaria David Johnson George Longmeyer Bob Schmidt

Judy Vito............ Volunteer Coordinator Dave Brooks...... “In this Issue...”

Scott Stompor.... Graphic Artist

SCHAUMBURG PARK DISTRICT WEBSITE: parkfun.com

E-MAIL:

springvalley@parkfun.com

MEMBER:

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Tony LaFrenere

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