n a m e Seeking Conservation Champion Award Nominations . L h D t i e McHenry County Conservation District is seeking nominations of K individuals who have been Conservation Champions for the public lands of McHenry County! The Conservation Champion and Conservation Legacy awards recognize individuals who have made extraordinary impacts to conservation through their continued dedication to and support of the Conservation District. Make a Nomination at MCCD.me/ConservationAwards. Nominations will be accepted through December 31, 2024. k a v o N t ber Ro If You Build It, They Will Come! This summer, three young osprey 昀氀edged their nest in Glacial Park. The nest was built atop one of the platforms installed in 2018 by ComEd and Illinois Department of Natural Resources. This nesting pair of osprey 昀椀rst established this nest in 2022, where they hatched and 昀氀edged one o昀昀spring. They returned in 2023 and 昀氀edged two more. It is only 昀椀tting that in their third year, in 2024, they successfully 昀氀edged three! Osprey are an Illinois state-threatened species, and this was the 昀椀rst nesting pair on a Conservation District site. Osprey feed primarily on 昀椀sh, so access to a healthy lake, river or stream is a necessity. This is just one of many wildlife success stories the Conservation District has seen in recent years thanks to decades of habitat restoration e昀昀orts. Tell Your Story! Request for Photographs & Oral Histories Help us document local history by sharing your memories and stories IN THIS ISSUE about District sites before they were conservation areas! McHenry County News & Noteworthy Conservation District is collecting oral interviews, photographs, 昀椀lms, local 1 history books, postcards and magazines about activities on properties now 2 Ed Collins Retirement held by the District (including places like Camp Algonquin, Fel-Pro RRR Conservation Area and Pleasant Valley Conservation Area). 4 Proposition 2024 Contact District Archivist Bailey Rewoldt at [email protected] or leave a message at the Lost Valley Visitor Center: (815) 338-6223. 6 Foundation News 8 Seasonal Sightings 9 Volunteer 10 Special Events 12 Programs 18 Calendars Landscapes | Winter 2024-25