|
2012 OUTINGS
Saturday, 4 February, Eagle Trek: Join us for eagle-watching with spotting scopes and meet up-close live eagles, complements of the World Bird Sanctuary. Enjoy short interpreted hikes at the confluence of the Kaskaskia and Mississippi Rivers. The event runs from 9 AM to 3 PM at the Kaskaskia Lock and Dam, 4800 Lock and Dam Road, Modoc, IL. Sponsored by the SWIRC&D, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish & Wildlife Service, SWIC, Kaskaskia Regional Port District, Lower Kaskaskia Stakeholders Inc., the Chester Tourism Committee, and Clifftop. Suggested $5/person donation if you want to have lunch. Register with allie.mccreary@swircd.org or 618-566-4451 x21 by February 1st.
Saturday, 11 February, Owl Program and Owl Prowl: Pam Lippert of Treehouse Wildlife Center will present a program on our local owl residents, their natural history, and habits and habitats. Live owls will help with the program. 3 PM to 5 PM at the Monroe County Annex, 901 Illinois St., Waterloo, IL. Then from 7 PM to 9 PM an "Owl Prowl" will be conducted at White Rock Nature Preserve near Valmeyer to listen for, identify and count owls. Sponsored by Clifftop, University of Illinois Extension Service, SWIRC&D, and Kaskaskia Valley Audubon Society. Registration, for either or both programs, is required at clifftop@htc.net or 618-458-4674 by February 9th.
Saturday, 18 February, Great Backyard Bird Count - White Rock: Clifftop members only are invited to participate in a one-day bird count at White Rock Nature Preserve. The count begins at 8 AM at the White Rock parking area, south of Valmeyer, on Bluff Road. Experienced birders will lead the count day field trip and offer tips on viewing and identifying birds, using field guides, and the value of bird counts. Data gathered during the count will be entered into the National Audubon Society - Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) database--this will be the 15th, nation-wide GBBC. Registration is required by February 16th at cliffmbr@htc.net.
Saturday, 17 March, "Growing with Natives": Clifftop's Carl & Pen DauBach will offer a presentation on gardening and landscaping with native plants at the University of Illinois Extension Service's Weekend Gardner Conference, held from 8:30 AM to 2:45 PM, at the Gateway Convention Center, 1 Gateway Dr., Collinsville, IL. Conference topics include backyard ponds, native plants, beneficial insects, herbs, and landscape design. Pre-registration is required, contact 618-650-7050.
Saturday, 7 April, Salt Lick Point Spring Wildflower Walk: Enjoy the stunning beauty of spring ephemeral wildflowers along the flat, slow and easy Johnson Trail at Salt Lick Point Land & Water Reserve in Valmeyer. Biologist Debbie Newman will serve as lead interpreter for the hike. Meet at the Salt Lick Point Trailhead parking area, near the Rock City entrance, at 9 AM. Sponsored by the Salt Lick Point Stewardship Committee, the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission, Clifftop, SWIRC&D, and Kaskaskia Valley Audubon Society. Pre-registration is not required.
Saturday, 21 April, Birding the Bottoms: Save this date. The US Fish & Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, SWIRC&D, Southern Illinois Audubon Society, Kaskaskia Valley Audubon Society, Missouri Department of Conservation, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and Clifftop will co-host a large-scale, birding event which highlights Missouri's Seventy-Six and Red Rock Conservation Areas (in Perry County) and Illinois' Wilkinson Island, Oakwood Bottoms and Turkey Bayou natural areas (in Jackson County). Skilled birders will be available in these areas for public interpretation from 6 AM to 10 AM. A birding canoeing trip is also being planned. In the afternoon, bird and wildlife conservation demonstrations will be conducted at Fort Kaskaskia State Historical Site (in Randolph County) from noon until 3 PM. Contact USF&WS's John Hartleb at John_Hartleb@fws.gov for more information.
Saturday, 28 April, White Rock Herps Hunt: Learn about our reptile and amphibian (herps) neighbors in a two-part program. Local acclaimed amateur herpetologist Hugh Gilbert will conduct a seminar on the natural history of herps in Monroe County from 10 AM to Noon at the Monroe County Annex, 901 Illinois St., in Waterloo. Live herps will help with the program. Then, from 1:30 PM until 4 PM, Hugh will lead a “Herps Hunt” field trip at the White Rock Nature Preserve near Valmeyer. Clifftop, the University of Illinois Extension Service, and the SWIRC&D are co-hosting the programs. Pre-registration, for either or both program parts, is required by 26 April at clifftop@htc.net or 618-458-4674.
Saturday, 2 June, White Rock Wildflower Walk: Join retired IDNR botanist, teacher and author Bill McClain for an interpretive flower hike at White Rock Nature Preserve, south of Valmeyer, along Bluff Road. Meet at the White Rock parking area at 9:30 AM.
Bring food and water for yourself. The hike will last to about 2 PM. Clifftop and the SWIRC&D are co-hosting the program. Pre-registration is required by 30 May at clifftop@htc.net or 618-458-4674.
Saturday, 1 September, White Rock Wildflower Walk: Join IDNR biologist Marty Kemper for an interpretive flower hike at White Rock Nature Preserve, south of Valmeyer, along Bluff Road. Meet at the White Rock parking area at 9:30 AM.
Bring food and water for yourself. The hike will last to about 2 PM. Clifftop and the SWIRC&D are co-hosting the program. Pre-registration is required by 30 August at clifftop@htc.net or 618-458-4674.
Saturday, 27 October, Riverlands Area Hike and Birding: In planning, details to be provided later.
Saturday, 10 November, The Carnivores of Monroe County: Dr. Clay Nielsen, Professor of Forest Wildlife at SIU-Carbondale, and Director of Science for The Cougar Network, a non-profit research organization, will present a seminar on bobcats, cougars, foxes, coyotes and other carnivores in the county. The seminar will be from 1 PM to 3 PM at the Monroe County Annex, 901 Illinois St., in Waterloo. Clifftop and the University of Illinois Extension Service are co-hosting the event. Pre-registration is required by 8 November at clifftop@htc.net or 618-458-4674.
|