Hike with Mike Ferris & Buehler’s Day Outsid e Hike the trails through woodlands, in the prairies and over the kames of McHenry County Conservation Areas with special guest McHenry County Board Chairman Mike Buehler. Lace up your sneakers, curate conversations in conservation and enjoy all the healthy benefits of the great outdoors. Discover what makes McHenry County a healthy and thriving place to work, live and play! Hikes are roughly two miles in length. Saturdays, 9-10:30 a.m. August 19 – Fel-Pro RRR Code: 8682 Sept. 23 – Pleasant Valley Code: 8683 Oct. 21 – Hickory Grove Highlands Code: 8684 McHenry County Conservation District Police Faith & Blue Bike Ride Saturday, October 7, 9-11 a.m. Meet at Richmond-Burton High School, 8311 Route 31, Richmond - Ride to Glacial Park, Ringwood Fee: Free Code: 8791 Take a morning pedal with members of our law enforcement team for a social and community-building bike ride. We will ride to the Prairie Trail and travel to the Lost Valley Visitor Center in Glacial Park, Ringwood. Light refreshments will served as we chat with Conservation Officers. The pedal portion is roughly 6 miles round trip. Faith & Blue is a nation-wide movement to reinforce connections between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve. Communities are stronger and safer when residents and law enforcement professionals can relate as ordinary people with shared values, hopes, and dreams. The background behind Faith & Blue Weekend is to find ways to work together around our commonalities instead of being divided by our differences. National Public Lands Day: Restoration at Boger Bog Celebrate National Public Lands Day by volunteering at a habitat restoration day! We’ll provide the tools. Dress for the weather and off-trail restoration activities. Saturday, September 23 Boger Bog, Bull Valley 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. RSVP to steward Ders Anderson ([email protected]) Get Outdoors and Give Back! GREEN FRIDAY — Restoration Day November 24th No experience necessary. Dress for outdoors and bring your own work gloves. Families welcome, ages 6 and up! Great for scouts and high school students needing service hours. Alden Sedge Meadow, Alden 1 pm - 3:30 pm Boger Bog , Bull Valley 10 am - 1 pm Boone Creek, Woodstock 12 pm - 3 pm Exner Marsh, Woodstock 9 am - Noon Stickney Run , McHenry 10 am - 1 pm Weekend of Restoration XXIII LOOKING AT WILDERNESS October 7 & 8 • Saturday 8 a.m. – Sunday Noon Lost Valley Visitor Center, Glacial Park, Ringwood Cost: $25 per person; $15 Seniors (60+); $20 Students (16–22); Code: 8790 Did you ever dream of going to the wilderness? This fall, you can join us for a trip to the wilds of McHenry County! We will meet at a site near Alden, IL to continue stream restoration work building riffles, and planting oak trees and native shrubs on the nearby hills. Hold on! Is this a real wilderness? What is a wilderness anyway? Can you make a wilderness, or is it something that was always there? Maybe there really aren’t any wildernesses? This beautiful, and sometimes puzzling and controversial idea has been at the center of Conservation from the very beginning, and we will spend time thinking, talking and maybe singing about our wilderness. Most of our time will be outdoors, so come dressed for the weather. Visit our Facebook Page @MCCDWEOR. Join us this weekend and make a difference! A g e s 16+ Fee includes lunch and dinner on Saturday, and breakfast on Sunday. Several motel options are within 15 minutes of Glacial Park or camp for FREE exclusively for this event. BYO camping equipment. Shower facilities available. Outdoor Explorations Landscapes | Fall 2023 18