








Learn how to find your way around Oakdale Nature Preserve using a paper map.
Please note, there will be a large amount of walking. This event is for all ages, big and small!
Please meet at the main parking lot at Oakdale.
Call Richard Benning at 815-865-5279 for more information and to sign up.
During this month, come out to Elkhorn Creek Biodiversity Preserve with the whole family to help us celebrate its 20th anniversary! While you’re there, maybe you will be able to spot one of over 135 species of birds located at the preserve. We have many seed-collecting days that are fun for kids! It will help you learn all about plants!
Hairy Woodpecker
Dryobates villosus
Next time you are out in the woods, look and listen for the Hairy Woodpecker! It has a white breast and belly with black-and-white checkered wings. They have a black and white striped head, but the male will have a red spot. This bird looks a lot like the Downy Woodpecker, which we introduced to you a few years ago, but this one is bigger in size, with a bigger bill. If you are lucky, you might see both of them at your suet feeders at the same time to help you tell them apart!
Like other woodpeckers, the Hairy Woodpecker will climb up and down tree trunks, hammering its bill along the trunk searching for insects to eat or to feed their young. They also eat seeds, grains, nuts, and fruits. The woodpeckers may also drink sap that is dripping out from holes drilled by sapsuckers, birds similar to woodpeckers.
* Sources include allaboutbirds.org and birdeden.com/facts-about-hairy-woodpecker.
Children, Nature and You Resources to help you give the children you influence the awe and wonder that only the natural world can inspire
Freeport Park District Information on all the Freeport parks
Freeport Public Library More than books on a shelf...visit the Freeport Public Library
Freeport Outdoor Experience Events located in Freeport and Stephenson County
Getting Kids Involved (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology) Includes bird information, tips, and more for kids and families
Jane Addams Recreation Trail Ride or Hike the beautiful Jane Addams Trail
Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots A program of the Jane Goodall Institute offering a variety of programs and resources
NASA Climate Kids to tell the story of our changing planet through the eyes of NASA missions studying Earth and provides games, activities, and articles that make climate science accessible and engaging for children
National Audubon for Kids provides resources for classroom curriculum, DIY activities, and bird activities for children at home
National Wildlife Federation Many family-friendly articles; Ranger Rick family magazine
Resource Guide Supplement to Last Child in the Woods Designed for parents, teachers, and community leaders to help them encourage children’s enjoyment of the great outdoors.
Severson Dells Nature Center Located near Rockford, IL.
Sierra Club Outdoors The program's goal is to give every child in America an outdoor experience.
World Migratory Bird Day Learn about the importance of migratory birds and how to celebrate birds any day of the year!
As we approach fall time, a fun activity you can do is to make leaf rubbings. All you need is a piece of paper, your favorite crayon, and a leaf.
First, go outside and retrieve a leaf off a nearby tree. Next, lay your leaf down on a flat surface and put the sheet of paper over it. If your crayon has a wrapper on it, peel it off. Then using the long side of the crayon, shade on the paper over the leaf. You’ll be surprised to see that you have just drawn the leaf you picked out!
As summer comes to an end and the weather cools off slightly, a fun thing to do with your family is to have a campfire and roast s’mores! To make s’mores around a campfire, all you need is graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows, and a stick.
First, put your marshmallow on the end of the stick. Hold the marshmallow over the fire until it is cooked just how you like it. Then, put a piece of chocolate on a graham cracker, and use another graham cracker to sandwich the chocolate and the marshmallow in the middle. Enjoy!
Check out our full calendar of activities, events, and educational opportunities. You're sure to find something to interest you. Please join us!
Events include:
For more details, see the current newsletter.