Sterne’s Woods & Fen Volunteer Work Day - 12.17.23
Time: 9:00 AM
Location: Sterne's Woods, 5617 Hillside Dr, Crystal Lake
Happy Holidays! Please join us next Sunday, December 17, from 9-11AM. We will continue cutting and stacking brush east of the oak knoll.
THE GROUP
We meet once a month at Sterne's outdoor pavilion, 5617 Hillside Dr. from 9-11AM. Volunteers have a chance to learn about restoration ecology and what makes Sterne’s Fen special. Please bring a water bottle and a pair of work gloves. The park district will supply loppers and bow saws. Invasives like honeysuckle and buckthorn are crowding out the native fen species. The brush also prevents the use of controlled burns on the fen. Email Brice Alt, volunteer site steward, to receive a monthly workday reminder: bricemaieralt@hotmail.com. Our next two Sunday work dates are: Jan 28 and Feb 25.
THE PARK
Sterne’s Woods & Fen became an Illinois State Nature Preserve in 1994 to preserve and protect its unique ecology. A fen is a rare type of wetland in which cold groundwater that is high in calcium and magnesium seeps to the surface. The unique water chemistry supports plants that grow nowhere else. Sterne’s Fen is home to at least 10 rare or endangered plant species. The surrounding parkland acts as a buffer to the fen and includes prairie, oak savanna, and flatwood ecosystems. Every one of those ecosystems can benefit from the efforts of volunteers. Join us once a month and learn about them!