Opportunities to explore nature aren’t limited to the young at the St. Charles Park District.
For more than a decade, the park district has collaborated with the Kane County Forest Preserve and neighboring park districts to provide educational opportunities that are interesting and valuable for adults, whether they’re seeking to become a certified naturalist or just pursuing a general interest.
The series Learn from the Experts at the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center is an opportunity to gain helpful knowledge on topics and earn continuing education credit hours, which can be applied for those seeking the title Kane County Certified Naturalist.
Learn from the Experts offers interesting lectures as well as hands-on exploration, inviting participants to interact with animals and vegetation featured in the topics, said Morgan Brown, supervisor for the nature schools and camps at the St. Charles Park District.
“We bring in experts in the fields, including college professors, staff from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and our own staff who have degrees in biology, environmental studies and more,” Brown said.
Topics can include creepy crawly critters to the smallest pests, native plant life to managing invasive species.
The next Learn From the Experts program will be Hickory Herps, offered from 9 to 11 a.m. July 19. Instructors will delve into the topic of Herps, also known as reptiles and amphibians. Along with a discussion, class participants will have a chance to get up close with some of the resident animal ambassadors at Hickory Knolls Discovery Center.
“We’ll learn about the animal ambassadors that live here in the nature center as well as the Herps that are native to the Chicago region,” Brown said. “A lot of the participants have taken our other classes and there are those who are interested in a specific topic who come to learn as the classes are open to the public.”
Classes are $10 a person and registration is required on the St. Charles Park District website.
The park district also will host an evening Learn from the Experts class from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 14 on the topic Vexing Vectors-Ticks.
“We’ll talk about how ticks operate, how one can stay safe from ticks and what’s important to know when it comes to ticks,” Brown said.
Sometimes the best way to learn about nature is heading outdoors.
That’s the aim with the new Forest Footsteps, another program designed for adults, at the St. Charles Park District on July 19. Participants will take a guided nature walk from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Park district staff are excited to lead the nature walk and help participants learn more about local wildlife and native plants. Participants can register for the walk at the park district website. The fee is $5 for residents and $6 for nonresidents.
Brown said the staff at Hickory Knolls love all their programs, but there is something special about the adult education programs and the eagerness from participants.
“Our adults choose to be there,” Brown said. “They really want to learn and dig into the topics and get out in nature.”