With Forest Therapy Practitioner Rylynn McQuillen Limited seating. Submit payment and RSVP HERE. Our souls are so busy that we forget to connect to what grounds us... The Forest. Forest therapy, or shinrin-yoku (Japanese for "forest bathing"), is a guided, research-based practice of immersing yourself in nature. It involves slowing down, unplugging from technology, and […]

Join JDCF staff and volunteers to catch and tag monarch butterflies who are beginning their fall migration back to Mexico. This event will give people of all ages the chance to become one of thousands of volunteers across North America who monitor the health and dynamics of monarch butterfly populations. You will also learn about […]

Classes will be conducted by Luke Saunders, owner of Blue Heron Stewardship, LLC, Viroqua, WI.  Mr. Saunders has been a SAWW certified chainsaw safety instructor for 12 years. Register at nifa.org. Level 101 has two sessions, September 18 and 19 from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Level 101 is geared toward participants with little or […]

For those with chain saw experience wishing to improve their skills and acquire safety instruction certification. The morning classroom session will introduce the SAWW curriculum, cover "Layers of Protection" including safety features of chainsaws, reactive forces and outline the cutting plan process. The afternoon session will be an outdoor hands-on practice session covering felling, limbing, […]

Level 2 (must have completed Level 1). Indoor session will cover basic chainsaw maintenance and sharpening techniques. Outdoor session will continue hands-on practice, adding complexity, and building on information and exercises presented in Level 1. Register at nifa.org. Bring your own lunch, chain saw, leather work boots, and gloves.  If you have them, bring a […]

Join JDCF and the Northwest Illinois Forestry Association for a walk in the woods and to learn how to ID native trees and shrubs. Morning activities start at the picnic shelter near the Schurmeier Forest entrance. Attend the event for free; no RSVP is required. Please check here in case of weather cancellation. JDCF's Youth […]

They can fly 50 miles an hour, sprint at 25 miles an hour, and they play with squirrels and even deer. You’ve read the title of this article, so you know we're likely talking about, yes, wild turkeys. Doesn’t sound much like the awkward creatures that amble around our fields and backyards, does it? But […]