Pilcher Park is a great place to hike, picnic, rent some cross-country skis in winter, enjoy some peace and serenity and of course, cache! With 20+ caches in the park there's plenty for you to do. But we sure could use a little help first...invasive plants are encroaching and they have to go! Pilcher Park has a sensational spring wildflower display, but invasives like buckthorn and honeysuckle leaf out early and block the sunshine the wildflowers need to thrive. Invasives can also change soil structure and negatively affect native plants and animals that need a heathy habitat in order to survive and thrive.
Come on out and give us a hand! We'll provide all the tools you need, along with snacks and water. We’ll have a drawing for door prizes (donations welcome), and if you want to stick around after the event, you're invited on a personal tour of the Nature Center, where you can meet and touch some of our friendly critters. Then you’ll still have plenty of time to head out and round up some caches!
When: Saturday, January 18, 2020 from 11:00AM to 1:00PM
Where: Pilcher Park Nature Center. Meet at the campfire ring behind the Nature Center. Toast a few marshmallows or visit with Skye, our Red-tailed Hawk while we wait for everyone to arrive! (In the case of inclement weather, the event may be cancelled. Call the Nature Center at (815) 741-7277 for an event status update.)
Safety: We'll have a safety talk before we begin, just to forestall anyone lopping off any important body parts. All participants will be asked to sign a waiver, and anyone under the age of 18 will need to have the waiver signed by a parent or guardian in order to participate. Be sure to wear long pants, long sleeves, and a sturdy pair of shoes and dress for the weather. We'll have gloves, loppers and saws, and safety goggles, but bring your own tools if you prefer.
Door prizes: Following the CITO we'll have a small door prize drawing. Donations for the drawing are welcomed and appreciated!
Stick around afterwards for a personal tour of the Nature Center, meet and touch some of our friendly animals, and/or head out and collect 20+ caches in the park.
A little bit of info about Pilcher Park:
Pilcher Park is a large and diverse forest complex recognized on the INAI for its high-quality mesic upland forest, wet-mesic upland forest, and seep communities representative of the Morainal Section of the Northeastern Morainal Natural Division of Illinois. Other significant features include a Native American burial mound and a reburial site. Pilcher Park is one of northeastern Illinois’ premiere woodlands with outstanding spring wildflower displays and old-growth trees. More than 270 native plant species have been documented within Pilcher Park, and at least 11 species of birds with moderate to high sensitivity to habitat fragmentation breed on site.