Pilcher Park is a great place to hike, cache. have a picnic or maybe just enjoy some peace and serenity! With 20+ caches in the park there's plenty for you to do. But we sure could use a little help first...our Earth Day celebration got rained and snowed on and we are left with a bunch of native wildflowers and sedges that need to get in the ground. Let us know if we can count you in. If planting isn't your thing, come on out anyway...we'll find something for you to do, perhaps manning some loppers, pulling pesky garlic mustard or picking up trash. We'll provide donuts, snacks and water. 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 head out and round up some caches!
When: Sunday, May 19, 2019 from 10:00AM to 12:00PM
Where: Pilcher Park Nature Center. Meet on the back porch or have a seat in the picnic area behind the Nature Center. Visit with Skye, our Red-tailed Hawk, while you 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, but really, how much trouble can you get into with a hand trowel? 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. We'll have gloves, but bring your own 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.